Griot’s 3-in-1 Ceramic Wax Review

Nice work...both vehicles look great. You're right....much easier product in lower temps than higher....and much easier when the humidity is low.

 

Glad you had good results. You do have to treat this like a coating and do one panel at a time otherwise it sets up. Higher temps faster set. As far as time it will hold up it’s a guessing game with so many factors playing into it. In a time frame of three months I have seen it preform very well. My fj has had it on for 4 months and it still looks great. I’m not a wait for it to fail guy so I really have no clue how long you can get out of it.

 

It was also mentioned in the Griots email that having other coatings on the car, in my case Zaino, might decrease the longevity. From the email:
"I can assure you that the ceramic wont take it off as the ceramic doesn't have any acidic or abrasive proprieties. However, ceramic works best when used alone, and you will see a shorter life out of the ceramic when you put it over your polish, but you wont hurt anything."

 

I use it as a ceramic maintenance product on top of my cquartz coating. It seems to preform very well. But I also use it as a stand alone product. Truthfully I don’t see much difference between the two.

 

So less is definitely more with this stuff. I tested it on the hood of my wife's black CRV and went overboard with the spray. It set before I could wipe it all off, and was a pain in the ass to get off. The rest of the car I did small sections with just a spray or two and it was perfect.

 

I agree. I work in small areas and use pretty light sprays. Haven't had to work hard to get it off. Even on warm days

 

A very typical experience with this product. I've missed some spots I got overspray on, and just misted those areas to reactivate. Just out of curiosity, what were he temperature and humidity when you applied?

 

About 55-60 degrees, no humidity. I tried doing that to the problem areas and it made it worse. Had to put a lot of elbow grease to eventually get it all off.

 

I was only dealing with a little overspray....sounds like you were dealing with fully coated panels....not surprised it put up such a battle.

 

Man, so reading all these post from @War Machine (bad ass song by the way) and @Swfltoyomafia I have plunged off into ordering the basic stuff. Ordered griots 3-1 ceramic, the synth clay, speed Detailer for lube, iron x, and eraser. Already have some chem guys soap and a lot of MF towels. I haven’t nailed down the tires and wheel Wells yet. Thanks to everyone for discussions...so much info.

 

My wallet hates that I ever started talking to those guys. But my truck looks great!!

 

To clean the tire and wells wise guy by shine supply is outstanding. Classy chassis is great for wells and griots satin black is my go to for tires.

 

And that's the payoff

 

Another option for tires and wheel wells is Optimum Power Clean. I keep it mixed at different dilutions...3:1 for the tough jobs and 5:1 for the normal ones. I use Stoners Trim Shine to dress the wheel wells when I'm finished.

 

Has Any one used this on stainless appliances? I saw and add for a ceramic spray for stainless appliances and sink to help keep clean and resist fingerprints.

 

I haven’t used this, but I’ve put Reload and Beadmaker on them. Makes them shine, but don’t know it helped them stay cleaner longer.

 

Funny I was thinking of putting it on fixtures in the bathroom too. Since it beads so well on the truck, it may help when the bathroom is humid. That and I am installing a exhaust fan. Rust on fixtures should no longer be an issue. Sorry....a bit off topic.

 

Ive used it on my shower doors, and it worked well. Jescar Powerlock worked better and lasts longer for this application though. I have very hard water and it’s worked wonders on keeping the shower doors clean.

 

How critical is it that I clay bar before applying 3-in-1?

Between 3 kids and my job, I can't afford to spend hours on surface prep and application. I don't really care about shine. I just need something quick to protect the paint, and, obviously, I don't want to damage anything.

 

If you can clay bar once or twice a year you'll get much better results but you won't damage anything not doing it. So long as the truck is clean of course. You certainly don't need to clay every time. Only a few nutters on these boards would do something like that...

 

It will help it bond better and last longer when you have cleaner paint, in addition to more gloss. Get a clay mitt or towel, doesn't take long at all.

 

X2 if you want to save time in the long run do it right the first time. Coatings are all about the prep.

 

Yep. With a mitt and some iron x it’s really a breeze.

 

You guys clay with the iron x as the lubricant?

 

I don't, although I do have a product on my shelf, Dodo Juice Supernatural Ferro Lube, which is made for combining the two processes.

 

No. Some do, but I don’t. I meant separately.

 

Ok yea same here, I’ve seen others as well, but I’ve never done it that way either.

 

Love these posts...learning so much about detailing! So my truck is pretty new but needs a good wash and shine...I bought these after reading through some posts...was going to give it a good wash and dry the use the 3 in 1...sound like a good plan? Don't know if I am ready for a clay bar! That kind of scares me that I may mess up the new paint!

 

Glad to see your diving into the detail world. It’s a deep rabbit hole that is very rewarding. No need to be scared of the clay bar it’s much easier then you are thinking. You just need the right stuff to do it. I recommend griots speed shine and I prefer griots synthetic clay bar.

 

Griots Garage products are a great place to start. As Swfltoyomafia said, do not be intimidated by claying. There are tons of videos out there on it.....just make sure the surface has sufficient lubrication and you will be fine. Speed Shine is outstanding for this. Griots sells a claybar kit....which has Speed Shine, towels and their clay bar...not the synthetic one, however. For a beginner, the kit is perfect. The feel of the synthetic clay mitts/bars seems harsh when using....it is perfectly safe. For someone just starting, I'm not certain you will like how it feels. Griots clay is not very aggressive, but still effective. It is oddly satisfying to see how dirty your ride is after you wash it.

Griots Interior Cleaner is an excellent product, I highly recommend picking some up. Their Black Satin is an excellent tire dressing as well. As an aside, look up Scott H on Youtube. He is currently running a test on spray sealants, and Griots 3 in 1 is doing very well.