‘Thousands of dollars worth of damage’: Walmart shopper issues warning about Armor All. Here’s what you should know before putting it on your car

An auto detail enthusiast who goes by Suhhweetie.pie (@apexprodeals) on TikTok took a strong stance on popular car cleaning products. He recorded a video inside a Walmart showcasing several items, giving candid opinions on their efficacy.

According to Suhhweetie, some offerings from name brands could end up damaging your vehicle. However, a slew of individuals who responded to his clip disagreed with his assessments. But there were also those who said he was right on the money.

Much of his criticisms seem to be rooted in a point of contention about a key ingredient found in numerous detailing products.

Best/worst car care

He begins his video by warning customers against Walmart items he says are "worth [expletive] all." First, this popular car cleaning brand takes a lot of heat. "Armor All is garbage. It'll destroy your interiors," he says.

Suhhweetie claims that there have been "numerous cases of Armor All doing thousands of dollars worth of damage, and the company will just ignore you."

Next, he sets his sights on "Chemical Tools," which he calls "simply watered-down marketing junk." He insists that patrons "do not buy this product."

His video then cuts to him holding a spray bottle of Meguiar's aluminum wheel cleaner. Unlike the aforementioned car cleaning products, he recommends this offering, calling it "great." Furthermore, he insists that it "will not harm any of" the wheels you apply it to.

Afterward, however, he piles more hate on yet another popular car cleaning brand: Turtle Wax. "Turtle Trash uses low-grade silicones and products that basically just do not work. I would just say no to this product," he says.

Bad brush

And his ire doesn't extend just to sprays but cleaning hardware accessories as well. An "auto drive wheel and lug nut brush" he then holds up to the camera receives a two out of 10 score from the TikToker. "[It's] going to leave a lot of swirls all over your rims. Do not buy this product," he says.

Following this, he provides a suggestion for those who want shiny, see-through windows in their cars. Suhhweetie appends an impressive 10 out of 10 score to "Sprayway Glass Cleaner" and explains why. "Best glass cleaner you can pick up is Sprayway's glass cleaner," he says. "This stuff works amazing. You just gotta know how to use it, and you'll get extremely good results."

Unfortunately, this same enthusiasm doesn't extend to the Mothers' line of offerings. "Mothers' products are made in the same factories as Chemical [Guys], so do not pick this product up." He explains that "low-grade silicones" are the reason for their inefficacy.

He shared his love for another Meguiar's item: its Gold Class car wash solution. "It's probably one of the best products that you can pick up from Walmart," he says. "This is an exceptional soap. It's pH-safe. It's gonna do you really, really well."

Like-minded haters

There are other folks online who've echoed Suhhweetie's disdain for the products mentioned in his video, like these Redditors who also blasted Armor All and "cheap silicones" in a post uploaded to the site's r/Detailing sub.

OP asked at the top of the thread why Armor All gets so much hate, and one user summed it up. "It's about as cheap as it gets. Ever touch anything that had armor all applied? It feels gross and oily."

Moreover, the same commenter also had glowing things to say about Meguiar's, sharing Suhhweetie's love for the brand. "Meguiar's costs just a bit more for most of their products and I have yet to find a bad product from them. If you want a 'safe' brand to always look for, it's them."

Someone else also explained why silicone-heavy products are terrible. "Armor all has been heavy on silicone in their products. Silicone is a cheap shine but it deteriorates rubber, vinyl, and plastic over time. It has ruined many cars. This is why so many premium dressings call out being silicone free."

Silicone debate

Indeed, there are numerous people online who've warned about the harm silicones can cause to one's car. Wire company KrisTech Wire explains that this harsh stance against their presence in cleaning products stems from car painting processes. A blog post on the website says "silicone molecules" can "fisheyes" on car paint. However, this applies to "unpainted metal" surfaces.

For instance, if some of these molecules land on a car during the painting process, it'll culminate in an uneven job. It's because of this, the business states, that silicone is perceived as a terrible additive for automotive items. "As a result, silicone polymers and products often receive a bad reputation within auto part manufacturers and assembly plants."

However, others have argued that silicone particles won't adversely affect paint that has already "settled" on a car. Vehicle detailing company eShine Car Care Canada says the damage silicone causes to cars is rooted in "myth."

Detailer's Domain echoes the aforementioned stance. According to a blog post from the car cleaning company, there's only a small window of time that silicone threatens paint damage. "This is a long-standing myth that can't seem to go away. The fact is, silicone-based products are only harmful to new paintwork that is between 60-90 days old," it states.

After the paint's "settled," however, the business says silicone particles won't harm a paint job.

@apexprodeals The best and worst detailing products from Walmart. #creatorsearchinsights #detailing #detailingproducts #carcare #walmart #detailingcars #detailingworld ♬ original sound - Suhhweetie.Pie

Commenters were divided

Folks who responded to Suhhweetie's video had differing opinions on his criticisms. There were several folks who said that they loved some of the items he eviscerated in his post. "I love Chemical Guys products, work great," one said.

Another wrote that a Turtle Wax offering received high markings from a celebrated unbiased YouTube reviewer. "Turtle wax hybrid ceramic says otherwise. Project Farm proved it’s the best spray wax."

Someone else penned, "I’ve been using ArmorAll for almost 50 years without any issues."

But there were others who agreed with his assessments, like this fellow Meguiar's stan. "Been using Meguiars on all my vehicles 10/10."

And another also showed love for the Gold Class cleaner. "Started detailing at 15 came across gold class used it as my first foam soap never picked up another."

Someone else said their vehicle's instruction booklet concurred with Suhhweetie's Armor All hate. "My Mazda manual actually says do not use armorall products on this car."

The Daily Dot has reached out to Armor All, Chemical Guys, Mothers, Turtle Wax, Sprayway, and Meguiar's via email. Additionally, it contacted Suhhweetie via TikTok comment for further information.

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