I make it a habit of doing long term testing on every coating product that we will use here in the shop.  I like to see how a specific product will perform in my exact climate and weather conditions so that when I offer it to a customer, I know it will perform as expected.

I applied 1 coat of 22ple VX Pro 2 to my vehicle a little over 1 year ago to monitor it’s performance throughout the heavy pollen season in the Spring, the high heat and humidity in the Summer, and the harsh salt, ice, and snow in the Winter.  Since the Midwest has such a wide range of weather conditions, I feel it is a great proving ground for coatings.  When judging the performance of a coating, I am looking at the overall gloss and appearance of the coated area, ability to retain hydrophobic properties, and the ease of maintenance washes/ability to shed dirt easily.  These are the major benefits that we promote to our customers, so I want to ensure all of our coatings can maintain these characteristics throughout the various seasons.

In the warmer months, I tend to wash my vehicle every 1-2 weeks as time and weather allow.  If the vehicle is only lightly soiled, I prefer to do more frequent rinseless washes with Optimum No Rinse to save time, but will usually perform traditional 2 bucket washes at least once a month.  I often use CarPro Reset for these washes as I have found it to have great cleaning abilities, outstanding lubrication, and it does not leave behind any other substances on top of the coating.

In the winter, when temperatures are often below freezing for weeks at a time, and roads are commonly covered with salt, it is much harder to keep the vehicle clean.  The slushy, salty mess will cover the vehicle quickly, even with my short commute.  The sides of the car take the biggest beating here, and the buildup is heavy enough to completely change the color of the car.

Since I have an indoor wash bay, I am able to pressure rinse the vehicle often to remove the bulk of the accumulation, and I will hand wash the vehicle as needed to keep the paint clean.

All things considered, routine cleaning is the most important part of maintaining the hydrophobic properties of the coating, so I do my best to keep up with a good maintenance routine throughout the year.  I consider my maintenance practices to be far superior to most vehicle owners who often neglect to wash their vehicle for months at a time throughout the harsh winter months which can lead to drastic changes in hydrophobic properties due to the contamination and grime on the surface.

The following video shows the water behavior on the side of the vehicle during a maintenance wash this Spring.  Notice the water still sheets quickly and easily off of the side of the vehicle despite having gone through months of salty build up.  This is great!

Water beading was also very strong after being completely cleaned and decontaminated.

Gloss was still very impressive as well.

Overall the coating was still performing well in all categories.  I have recently sold this vehicle, so my personal testing will end here, but based on my results, I have to recommend 22ple VX Pro 2 as a great coating option.  Remember to keep up with your maintenance routine, and I am confident you will see the same great results as I did!