How We Score Products

The CCT Score is our headline rating — a composite “would I recommend this?” number on a 1–10 scale. It's computed in two stages from three rubric components plus an editorial opinion.

Stage 1 — rubric output

Three category-specific rubrics each produce a 1–10 score:

• Quality — does the product do what it claims, within its category? Each product category (ceramic coatings, all-purpose cleaners, polishers, etc.) has its own internal scoring rubric that grades effectiveness against the standards real users hold it to. See Quality Score below.
• Health — risk to a home user. See Health Score below.
• Environment — realized environmental impact. See Environment Score below.

The three components combine using a category-appropriate weight profile. The mix differs by product kind — health weighs heavier for chemicals than for durable tools:

Stage 2 — editorial opinion overlay

The rubric output is then blended 75 / 25 with a separate CCT opinionscore (1–10) — a small, deliberate editorial layer that captures things the rubric can't formalize: real-world reputation, durability over time, brand track record, customer-service patterns, and the kind of judgment an experienced owner forms after years of using a product.

stage1     = (Quality × wQ) + (Health × wH) + (Environment × wE)
composite  = (stage1 × 0.75) + (cct_opinion × 0.25)

How real-world feedback factors in

Scores are computed from the rubric — they are not nudged up or down by a running tally of comment ratings or Amazon stars. What user feedback doesdo is inform the editorial process: when readers report something the rubric didn’t catch — a durability failure, a fragrance issue, an application quirk — that’s a signal to revisit the rubric inputs and rescore. The displayed number doesn't move silently.

Confidence Levels

The Health Score (1–10, one decimal) reflects realistic risk to a home detailer — not industrial worst-case, not regulatory theater. We start at 10.0 and deduct for identified hazards using publicly available SDS and GHS data.

Deduction-Based Method

“Start high, deduct” makes the score explainable: each line item corresponds to a verifiable data point you can check against the product’s SDS.

Tier 1 — Critical risks (max −6.0)

• GHS Signal word DANGER: −2.0
• H330 (fatal if inhaled): −3.0
• H334 (respiratory sensitizer) or confirmed asthmagen: −2.5
• H314 (skin corrosion/burns): −2.0
• H318 (serious eye damage): −1.5
• Contains PFAS: −2.0
• Prop 65 warning on label: −1.5
• H350 (carcinogen Cat 1): −2.0 — hard cap at 4.5

Tier 2 — Major risks (max −4.0)

• Signal word WARNING: −0.5
• H317 (skin sensitizer): −1.0
• H335 (respiratory irritation): −0.75
• H315/H319 (skin/eye irritation): −0.3 each
• High VOC: −1.0 (additional −0.5 if ≥500 g/L)
• Extreme pH (≤2 or ≥12.5): −1.0

Tier 3 — PPE burden (max −2.0)

• Respiratory PPE required: −1.5
• Respiratory PPE recommended: −0.5
• Eye/skin PPE required: −0.25

Form Factor & Concentration

Aerosols cap at 9.0 (inherent inhalation vector). Sprays apply lung-related deductions at 1.25×. Ingredient concentration modulates deductions: <1% halves the penalty, >10% increases it by 25%.

Bonuses & Hard Caps

EPA Safer Choice certification adds +0.5. No GHS signal word adds +0.3. Products confirmed carcinogenic (H350) cannot exceed 4.5; respiratory sensitizers (H334) cannot exceed 5.5.

Score Labels

The Environment Score (1–10, integer) reflects realized environmental impactfrom typical consumer use. Design principle: harm = (intrinsic toxicity × persistence) × exposure pathway.

Baseline & Pathway Modifier

Every chemical starts at 7.0. Rinse-off products (car wash soaps, wheel cleaners, degreasers) multiply all deductions by 1.25× because they enter waterways directly. Leave-on products (coatings, sealants, dressings) multiply by 0.75×.

Deductions

Bio-persistence

• Contains PFAS: −3.0 (hard cap: max score 3)
• Bioaccumulative ingredient: −1.5 per compound (max −3.0)
• Persistent non-PFAS ingredient: −1.0 per compound (max −2.0)
• Ozone-depleting substance: −2.0 (hard cap: max score 4)
• Microplastic ingredient: −1.5 per ingredient (max −2.5)

Aquatic toxicity

• Product-level aquatic toxic flag: −1.5
• Per-ingredient aquatic toxicity: −1.0 each (max −2.0)

VOC load

• 0–50 g/L: no deduction
• 51–150 g/L: −0.5
• 151–350 g/L: −1.0
• 351–550 g/L: −1.5
• >550 g/L: −2.0

Credits (Positive Attributes)

• EPA Safer Choice: +2.0
• Product-level biodegradable: +1.0
• All ingredients biodegradable: +0.5 (stacks)
• CARB compliant: +0.5
• Waterless/rinseless formulation: +1.0

Score Labels

The Quality Score (1–10) reflects how well the product performs its core function — assessed on dimensions specific to the product category. What "quality" means varies: for a spray sealant it means hydrophobicity durability and application ease; for a motor oil it means viscosity spec compliance and additive-package credibility; for a polishing pad it means cut consistency and durability. The score is not about packaging or branding.

Category-specific dimensions

Each product category has its own quality rubric. Common dimensions include:

• Spray sealants & ceramic sprays — hydrophobicity durability, application ease, formula transparency, gloss enhancement
• Coatings — cure window, scratch resistance, durability (years), application tolerance
• Motor oils & fluids — viscosity grade accuracy, API/OEM spec compliance, additive-package documentation
• Tools & pads — build materials, cut/finish consistency, durability over cycles, ergonomics
• Accessories — load rating accuracy, fitment, long-term durability

When a category-specific rubric has not yet been applied, the quality score defaults to a provisional 6.5 — a neutral baseline reflecting a typical well-documented product with no notable performance complaints.

Data sources

Sources vary by dimension but typically include: SDS and TDS ingredient/spec disclosures, the Amazon review corpus (complaint pattern analysis), community forum testing (AutoGeek, Optimum Forum, r/AutoDetailing), and independent long-term reviews. No dimension score is editorial opinion — each requires at least one documented external source.

Weight in composite

Quality weight varies by product type: 60% for most chemicals (sprays, waxes, coatings), 65% for spec fluids (motor oil, coolant, washer fluid),70% for high-exposure chemicals where the chemistry forces every product to a similar health score, and 75% for tools and accessories where build quality is the dominant value driver. See the full weight-profile table above.

Score Labels