# Review: Bilt Hamber Double Speed Carnauba Wax



## Raptor_F22 (Apr 8, 2015)

:wave: Hi all,

Thought I'd post a review of BH's Double Speed Wax as it's a fairly recent introduction to the shelf of my usual supplier. Perhaps others are also interested in how it performs.

Although I only had my iPhone to hand, the pics show the results before and after rainfall.

*Limited attention span?  Here's the short snappy version*
Good value for money, not the easiest to work with but gives excellent beading results. Unsure of how long it lasts, will keep the post updated. R222 Concours Wax is better.

*Background*

I'm a fan of R222's Concours Wax but needed something cheaper for my dad to use which still gave good results and was hopefully as easy to apply.

My dad has always looked after his cars but is of an age where he can't physically undertake a multi-stage detail wash to ensure the car is properly clean before applying the wax. So doing the best he could on a Silver Mercedes B Class and Blue Honda Civic, he noted the wax performed well but didn't last for very long - despite in some instances having applied 3 layers of wax per car! 2 to 3 weeks saw an almost complete degradation of performance.

Sadly no pics but probably an obvious point that the car must be thoroughly prepped and washed before applying to see the best results.

Anyway, back home for the hols and able to do a proper multi-stage wash on the new Black Mercedes B Class we've bought. The dealer it was purchased from (I shan't name them...) had 'valeted' it but I immediately noticed a poor finish and hologramming on the bodywork from a machine polishing attempt :wall:

*Review*
After APC'ing and rinsing, I used Gtechniq's G-Wash shampoo before rinsing, drying and applying a layer of Poorboy's polish.

Onto the wax stage...BH's Wax comes with a large decent quality microfibre cloth and a fist-sized sponge applicator. The first thing I noticed when applying the wax was that the sponge applicator is useless. It's too small and too soft. 
This, combined with the consistency of the wax which I found to be much harder to work with than R222's Concours Wax, means your fingers ache after only a few minutes.

It takes a while to get used to the consistency and achieve a uniform layer of wax over the bodywork. Unlike R222 CW, I also found that getting some of this BH's wax onto plastic trim and rubber seals does leave behind stubborn residue.

Like the R222 CW, it doesn't particularly smell of anything so doesn't overpower the senses as you work your way around the car.

Once applied, the supplier's website states the wax needs to be left for 5-10 mins before removing and buffing off. I erred towards the latter end of the time frame.

I found removing BH's wax was also not as easy as R222's CW, but this was likely due to several factors i.e. the different blends contained in the waxes, outside air temperature and body panel temperatures, layer thickness etc.
It took a fair bit of elbow grease to really remove all the polish and buff each panel :doublesho

Once I completed the whole car, the results were pretty good. It worked well with the Poorboy's polish and the black paint was certainly deeper and the metallic flakes were more vibrant than the dealer had achieved. I only applied 1 layer on the panels, windows and alloys.

However, I would say the R222 CW performs better on black paint work - especially when combined with Koch Chemie's Speed Polish. The 'deepness', gloss and vibrancy achieved with R222 just wasn't matched by BH's wax.

Limited for time, I then applied 1 layer of Mer's Ultimate Gloss Wax (you can pick this up at Halfords). Used this as I find it's actually really good at bringing out the colour of dark cars and quite easy to work with if you apply a thin layer.





































*Verdict*
Admittedly, the results might be a little skewed given I didn't clay the car and applied Mer's Wax as my second wax layer. However, I think I got a pretty good indication of how this wax performs especially as it rained in biblical proportions a few hours after I finished. Pics are below.

Overall, I'm really impressed by the run-off, sheeting and beading achieved for a £15 wax which manages to be comprised of T1-grade Carnauba.

Too early to say how long it will last but I think the combination of BH + Mer's has worked well on the car.

I'd definitely recommend the BH wax to anyone on a budget, particularly because the tub is pretty substantial so should last well over 70 applications on a family sized car such as the B class.

Personally, my preference still lies with R222 CW and I think you get better results from it.

What do you guys & gals think?


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

It's not really the bh acting as the lsp then if you've topped it

I don't find it hard to work with, spritz the applicator with qd and it'll be a lot easier to use and get a uniform layer, keep finger swiping to see when it wants removing as it shouldn't be a chore at all

Oh and it'll way outlast r222


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## Raptor_F22 (Apr 8, 2015)

Kimo said:


> It's not really the bh acting as the lsp then if you've topped it
> 
> I don't find it hard to work with, spritz the applicator with qd and it'll be a lot easier to use and get a uniform layer, keep finger swiping to see when it wants removing as it shouldn't be a chore at all
> 
> Oh and it'll way outlast r222


Yeah I used Gtechniq's QD which helped, but I guess in my mind I was comparing it to the R222 which was great straight out of the tub. Point noted on the finger swiping - I do think in some areas I applied too thick a layer which was my fault and made it a bit harder to buff off.

Cool, hope it does, means less for him to do when I'm gone :thumb:


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## bigkahunaburger (Jun 27, 2012)

I have found BH's Double Speed Wax to come off very easily, even with the initial layer. You may have applied it to thickly there. I use a dampened waxmate to get a nice thin, even coat.


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## roscopervis (Aug 22, 2006)

I agree with Kimo, good intentions, but by topping it with an inferior product you have nulled the exercise somewhat. It is best applied to clean paint and applied very thinly (as all waxes should be), and then will be no real bother.

The second layer should have also been the Double Speed Wax, but doing that you will have significantly increased its durability. It will last a long time, which is the main job of a wax. If you want looks, you need to concentrate more on the preparation.


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## Raptor_F22 (Apr 8, 2015)

roscopervis said:


> I agree with Kimo, good intentions, but by topping it with an inferior product you have nulled the exercise somewhat. It is best applied to clean paint and applied very thinly (as all waxes should be), and then will be no real bother.
> 
> The second layer should have also been the Double Speed Wax, but doing that you will have significantly increased its durability. It will last a long time, which is the main job of a wax. If you want looks, you need to concentrate more on the preparation.


Thanks for the feedback  Don't disagree with either of you, I just applied what I could in the limited time I had left (bad weather and low light)

I'm due to detail my 3 series soon and hopefully I'll get more time to apply multiple layers of the same product.

Will be using R222 paintwork cleanser and clay bar for that during my prep stages so will see how I get on doing that too.


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## Raptor_F22 (Apr 8, 2015)

*Update: Just snapped some pics*

Thought I'd post an update to show how the car is doing after plenty of rainfall since applying the MER & BH layers. Hasn't been driven anywhere.

And no, the car hasn't changed colour lol, pics straight from my phone so not had a chance to do colour correction


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## Raptor_F22 (Apr 8, 2015)

Hi all...

Wanted some advice on applying wax layers please for longer lasting protection/reducing the speed at which the wax degrades? If applying multiple layers of the same wax product, what's the best way to do so? 

I've seen some people say you should ignore the product label and apply one layer, leave it to cure for 24 hours in a covered area, remove & buff then apply the next layer and repeat. Others say (which is what I usually do), just follow instructions on the box specific to the product and apply as desired.


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## chrisc (Jun 15, 2008)

you need a good cleanser before like bilthamber cleanser fluid or there cleanser polish makes a hugh difference on how wax lasts beads etc


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## Raptor_F22 (Apr 8, 2015)

chrisc said:


> you need a good cleanser before like bilthamber cleanser fluid or there cleanser polish makes a hugh difference on how wax lasts beads etc


Thanks - well what I've been planning for when i do my 3 series is to clay bar then use the R222 paint cleanser before polishing and waxing. Any experience of using the R222 product?


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

When you say polishing, do you mean machine polishing?


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## Raptor_F22 (Apr 8, 2015)

steelghost said:


> When you say polishing, do you mean machine polishing?


No, not able to do that. Don't have the machine, the experience or suitably covered location at the moment. I guess the correct term should have been "glaze" as it's a 0 abrasive "polish"


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2016)

Raptor_F22 said:


> Thanks - well what I've been planning for when i do my 3 series is to clay bar then use the R222 paint cleanser before polishing and waxing. Any experience of using the R222 product?


I would use the paint cleanser after polishing, to remove any polishing oils from the paint and prep the surface to receive a wax.


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2016)

Raptor_F22 said:


> No, not able to do that. Don't have the machine, the experience or suitably covered location at the moment. I guess the correct term should have been "glaze" as it's a 0 abrasive "polish"


Ah! As you were then  Though a glaze can affect the longevity of an LSP.

Edit, having said that, I'm sure R222 Paint Cleanser actually adds some glazing oils of its own. Perhaps there is no need to a separate glazing step. I perhaps should mention that I have not used R222, so my comments are not based on experience of this actual product.


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## Raptor_F22 (Apr 8, 2015)

BareFacedGeek said:


> Ah! As you were then  Though a glaze can affect the longevity of an LSP.


Oh really? Why is that? Presence of oils?


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## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

Raptor_F22 said:


> Any experience of using the R222 product?


Its a great product...I used it a month ago before waxing and it left a lovely wet look behind. I used a damp microfiber applicator pad + some product, spread it around in straight lines in a small area and wiped off straight away.

Remember that it is a glaze so it fills a bit so its great with carnauba based waxes but bad for sealants (like your double speed wax) because sealants bond better to clean paint so it would be better to use cleanser fluid instead in this case.

The applicator pad was a bit brown or dirty meaning it did clean some dirt of the car.

All in all i really like it and am exited to use it again before summer time + some carnauba wax. :thumb:


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2016)

Raptor_F22 said:


> Oh really? Why is that? Presence of oils?


Yes. Though it does depend on the glaze being used. Modern glazes using polymers can be quite long lasting on their own, but these blur the line between a glaze and a sealant.


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## chrisc (Jun 15, 2008)

I found glaze makes waxes not last long so don't bother with them now


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## Raptor_F22 (Apr 8, 2015)

BareFacedGeek said:


> Yes. Though it does depend on the glaze being used. Modern glazes using polymers can be quite long lasting on their own, but these blur the line between a glaze and a sealant.


okay well my preferred product is Koch Chemie Speed shine - might have to do a comparison to see how the wax fares with and without applying it. Thanks for the advice!


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## ShiningWit (Jun 23, 2014)

Kimo said:


> keep finger swiping to see when it wants removing as it shouldn't be a chore at all


How does this test work? thanks


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

When wax has hazed over, you just swipe a clean finger through it, if it comes off easily then you're ready to buff it.


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