I was considering ordering gallon sizes of hydro and slick, but am concerned about shelf life. With the Chicago winter, there is a shorter detailing window and the cold can ruin a lot of products. How long do these products last? Is slick recommended in gallon size as well?

 

Never had any around long enough to go bad.....

 

Gallon or not, I move my products into the basement during the winter (still there in fact) to avoid freezing.
As for shelf-life, a good question for Heather. I would say at least a couple of years if sealed to avoid bacterial contamination.

 

I'm not sure, but I would guess many seasons at least. Even if it were to freeze, it is not ruined if it will still remix after it thaws, best to just not let it freeze though.

Mark

 

After thinking about it, I have no idea how you use this stuff so fast. I bought my Zaino kit almost 3 years ago and I just finished it up. You must be using it on multiple cars or something? I only have one to take care of and I don't think there's any way I can use up a gallon in this decade.

 

i move my detailing products into my utility room in the winter time.
i believe if you storage the Prima products in a dark, cool room
it should last at least 3-4yrs.

 

I'm considering trying that with my kids.

 

Yeah I go through roughly a gallon of Slick, Mystique, and Clarity a year, and Hydro every two, based on current usage.

I keep my gallons in my garage detailing cabinet but our garage doesn't get to freezing temperatures. If it did I'd move them inside for the winter.

 

Are all those using a gallon a year those who use it for multiple cars?

 

I probably use about a gallon of Slick per car per year, and about half that much Hydro. In fact, I buy almost all my detailing chemicals by the gallon, except for polishes and sealants. I don't know anyone except professional detailers that buys those by the gallon.

But glass cleaner, interior/carpet cleaner, wheel cleaner, vinyl/rubber dressing, engine cleaner, underbody dressing, etcetera - that I buy by the gallon. It's much cheaper that way, and I've never had any of it go bad. On the other hand, I've had a 16-ounce bottle of polish go bad long before I could finish it.

 

i used about 1/2 gallon last year...maybe... i still got plenty left for this year.

 

I used a gallon of Hydro and Mystique, but I wash three cars a week plus some other folk's cars around the hood and the company vehicle after monthly trips to the field.

 

^^^using this^^^ you could say that one gallon would last you three years. i store mine under the kitchen sink in the winter.

 

The shelf life of Hydro and Slick (as well as most other Prima products) is pretty much indefinite.

As mentioned already, you should try to prevent them from freezing. Although most car care chemcials can usually stand a freeze or two, eventually they won't recover (and sometimes don't recover after just one hard freeze).

As lotsie said, as long as the chemicals remix together after a freeze, then they are fine. The risk with freezing is that they seperate in the process.


Bacterial contamination is technically a risk for Slick, but not too likely happen. There are some bacteria that do enjoy munching on the organic scenting oils contained in Slick. True fact. Just keep the cap on when you're not using Slick and your risk drops to nearly nothing. Hydro is not at risk for bacterial contamination.

-Heather

 

I do mostly just my MINI. But that's with weekly washes in the winter, and more often in the summer.