I have been using 303 aerospace protectant for sometime. It looks good when applied to exterior black trim, but only for a short time.

303 and Griots products state clearly that the product does not contain Waxes or Silicon oils. After seeing this many times, I assume that Silicone is a bad thing.

Now, looking at Black WOW, I see it is a silicon based cleaner / dressing.

So, what's the story on Silicon? Is it good for my trim or not?

 

yes, your car is going to blow up now.

 

I think for me it depends on what I'm using it for. For interior vinyl and the like, I would stay away from silicones. But so far, there is nothing other than BW that restores the exterior black trim other than dying it.

 

There is substantial reading on silicones available on the internet. Basically it all comes down to marketing.

In the skin care industry, marketers have convinced people that preservatives are bad, so marketers try to promote preservative free products--however it's very difficult to create truly preservative free products without sacrificing quality.

Silicone by itself is not bad. There are thousands of applications of silicone for everything from breast implants, to skin care to automotive and industrial use. In the automotive industry, many many moons ago, people shuddered at the use of silicones in products because they made painting difficult--however, today that's all nonsense as there are many products that can be used to strip everything including silicones off the car before repainting.

Look at all the plastic trim out there that hasn't been treated with a silicone based dressing--it doesn't take long for them to look weathered and worn. Combine that with wax and polish residue, and it's a losing battle using most off the shelf products. But just remember that not all silicones are created equal.

From DowCorning Website:

The many categories that use silicones
Antiperspirant and deodorant sticks, gels, and roll-on products
Skin care lotions and creams
Lip products
Hair care products
Textile treatments
Coatings
Leather/synthetic leather treatment
Polishes
Plastics modification

also

Silicones are highly valued materials because they have a combination of physical properties not found in other polymers. They have outstanding heat stability and can be used in applications where organic materials would melt or decompose. Many silicones seem to be impervious to the effects of aging, weather, sunlight, moisture, heat, cold, and some chemical assaults. Some silicones are used to stick, bond, or couple things together – a glue, if you please.

 

Personal preference. I like 303 better than black wow. Doesn't last as long but isn't slimy like silicon based products.

 

I would rather use Black WOW every 4 months and use Wizards Black Renew for interim cleaning. Nothing on the market can match the restorative power of Black WOW and nothing can even come close to its durability.
Spread it thin people, spread it thin. If it is slimy, gooey or sticky when you're done - you've put too much on.

 

some of you guys talk about applying BW in pea sized unit.
imho, some times that's way too much!

i refer to my app values in sesame seed unit.

 

Is that the US Sesame Seed Standard (USSSS) or the International Sesame Seed Standard (ISSS)?

 

It's the EEUSSS. But, a better standard is the EEUPSS (European Economic Union Poppy Seed Standard).

 

This is a bad application, I like natural please, sorry OT

 

I confess that my mind went there too, until I saw that this was in the Detailing forum and not OT.

 

i guess i was the only one thinking about bathroom caulk silicone...

 

Yeah that's what I get for posting so late at night! LOL

re: Sesame Seed
That's funny guys, but very true.

 

Silicone in women=No good.
Silicone in BlackWow=Very good.

 

 

so, just to drive the point home. It appears to be a personal preference. Silicone although other MFGs go out of their way to claim no use of silicone, it is not harmful to our trim, and in the case of BW, may be a superior product. Right?

 

That's correct. Think about it from the manufacturers point of view. They/we are in the business of selling product. We want you to use up the products quickly so you will buy more!! It would be suicide for any major manufacturer that sells through Target, Walmart, etc.. where if the products aren't flying off the shelves weekly, they get returned back to the manufacturer--to sell a product that is only purchased once a year.

I've actually considered selling single application packets like the 303 packets. Can you imagine opening up the foil pack and seeing a sesame sized drop inside???

For me, I'd rather create one superior product, and get it into the hands of EVERY car enthusiast out there--even if they only own one bottle, for a small guy like me, that's still a lot of product out there where I'm not under pressure to sell quickly.

But like I said earlier, not all silicones are the same. Most manufacturers use industrial grade stuff that's cheaper in its raw form because it's less pure, and more diluted. BW uses super concentrated FDA approved silicones that are expensive but perform better than anything else.

Richard

 

Thanks all. Just placed my order for Black Wow.

 

Perfect timing, was just heading out to ship today's orders--got to close up early for Halloween--son has a Halloween parade at his school, lol.

This will ship today.

Richard