Yum Cars Yum Reset | Acidic Shampoo & Mineral Remover
Yum Reset is an acidic car shampoo with a job ordinary shampoos cannot do: it removes the mineral film that builds up on paint and ceramic coatings from hard water and road spray. Yum Cars call it a 3-in-1 (a mild strip shampoo, a water softener and a mineral remover) and it is the wash that brings the beading back on a coating that has gone flat.
The chemistry
Water spots and the dull film that clogs a coating are mostly calcium and magnesium carbonates, and carbonates dissolve in acid. The Safety Data Sheet shows citric acid as the acid component, carried in a generous blend of non-ionic and anionic surfactants for lubrication and cleaning. Citric acid also chelates the hardness in your wash water, which is the water-softening effect Yum describe. Yum Cars state the formula contains no harsh raw materials, making it safe for paint, glass and plastic trim.
Use it for
Removing water spots and mineral build-up, reviving a ceramic coating that has stopped beading, preparing paint for polishing, and resetting the surface before fresh protection. Yum Cars state it is suitable for ceramic coated and non-coated vehicles. Because it is a mild strip shampoo it will shorten the life of waxes. That is the point when you are resetting, but use Yum Wash for ordinary washes on a waxed car.
Dilution guide
How much Yum Reset to use, written the way you actually mix it. Ratio in brackets if you prefer it.
| Wash bucket — 10 litres | 50ml per 10 litres (1:200) |
| Per litre of water | 5ml per litre (1:200) |
That dose gives a wash of about pH 4–5, the figure recommended by Yum's Australian distributor. It depends on your water: the harder the water (higher TDS), the more Reset it takes to reach the same pH. Yum's own scale — 150ml for pH 4, 100ml for pH 5.5, 50ml for pH 6 — is based on average UK water, so treat 50ml per 10 litres as the Melbourne starting point and adjust from there. Never let it dry on the car.
How to use
Add 50ml of Yum Reset to a 10 litre wash bucket (about pH 4–5; see the dilution guide above for how water hardness changes this). Pre-rinse, wash panel by panel with a plush mitt or pad, and rinse thoroughly. Work in the shade on cool panels and do not let it dry on the surface.
Common questions
How much Yum Reset do I put in the bucket?
50ml in a 10 litre bucket (1:200) as a starting point, which gives about pH 4–5. Harder water needs a little more to reach the same pH.
Will Yum Reset strip my wax or sealant?
Yum Cars describe it as a mild strip shampoo, so expect it to shorten the life of waxes and weaker sealants. It is designed for ceramic coated cars and for resetting a surface before new protection.
Does it fix water spot etching?
It dissolves mineral deposits sitting on the surface. Marks that have etched into the clear coat are physical damage and need polishing.
Is it safe on ceramic coatings?
Yes. Yum Cars state it unclogs ceramic coatings and is suitable for coated and non-coated vehicles.
Good to know
Available in 500ml and 5 litre. The concentrate is acidic: wear gloves and eye protection when decanting, and keep it out of reach of children.
See the full Yum Cars range laid out in wash order.
Genuine Yum Cars, supplied through the Australian distributor · Alpha Details Melbourne
// Build your 3-pH wash
Complete the 3-pH wash — mix any brand
Alkaline lifts organic grime, acid dissolves minerals, neutral foams and washes without stripping your protection. Pick a product for each step from whichever brand you like — the neutral foam is optional.
▶ Acid or alkaline? Watch which contaminants each one removes
