HD TOTAL Automotive Degreaser & Soil Remover

[tom p.]

HD Total Automotive Degreaser & Soil Remover, ecoWipes and Total Concentrate


Consider this thread as a work-in-progress that I’ll continue to update as I have more examples.

David kindly forwarded me these items and I had my first chance to work with them over the weekend. (I’ve done nothing with the concentrate yet.) Upon arrival, it’s apparent that the HD product is utilizes a more upscale look including attractive packaging tape which caught my attention prior to opening the box. I unpacked the box and unfortunately threw away the small bottle of concentrate which was buried in the foam peanuts - - I didn’t realize it was in there and was not looking for it. I did go back and locate it the next day.

I spent some time reading through the printed literature and it immediately reminded me of the appearance of the elegant Zymol printed material. Again, very upscale.

It’s my perception that HD is trying to simplify things by making the products more of a “do-all” vs. having separate products for so many different automotive tasks. The product line is streamlined compared to someone like Meguiar’s.

I performed three different tasks this weekend. I used one of the ecoWipes and a bit of the TOTAL spray to clean some muddy shoe marks off interior black panels. I did not take any pictures of this, the product was highly effective at this task and required no effort to remove the marks. I also used the product as I would 1Z Cockpit Premium and found it to work well. It has a very pleasant odor and leaves the lightest sheen. David said using the product in such an application is fine as the product does not have to be rinsed away.

I cleaned the dusty, but not greasy, engine compartment of this Audi. It’s an ’06 with low miles, I doubt it’s ever been cleaned.

I also attacked a moderately soiled wheel and the TOTAL was completely up to the task.

The sprayer David has included seems high quality and can produce an extremely fine mist - - I place a high value on sprayers capable of doing this.

After cleaning the engine bay, I misted a little TOTAL on some black plastic. I wanted to confirm the TOTAL did leave a slight sheen which it does.

These ecoWipes are the big surprise of the package. They are like a giant, elegant napkin and can be used for light-duty types of task or filthy cleanups and everything in between. It’s described as some sort of natural microfiber material. They appear to be very durable and are intended to be thrown away following use. [Edit: David says they can be rinsed and re-used.] I really like them and will get a pack for each of our cars. I’m going to try to find some tiny spray bottles (like the bottle FK sends 425 samples in) and keep a kit in each car. The TOTAL appears to have just the right amount of power to address the cleaning needs when one is traveling.

I luv these wipes

[tom p.]

This was an effortless clean up:

BEFORE:

DURING:

AFTER:

Mission accomplished: the wheel is as clean as I'd expect it to be

David suggests that one can use the TOTAL product and the ecoWipes to clean rubber and wheels without water. I did a tiny section of the face of the wheel and it worked well without streaking. I can see this as another road trip type of application when water, buckets are not available.

[tom p.]

Guys, we're looking at a dusty engine bay. No evidence of anything serious to be cleaned. Someone had spilled oil around the filler cap and that did require a second application of the TOTAL. Yes, I used my small Karcher pressure washer on this.

Keep in mind, I had the sprayer set to an exceptionally fine mist and used almost no product on this initial pass:

BEFORE:

DURING:

...........................---------

AFTER:

It's amazing how much dust/dirt are trapped in those underhood pads !!

How's that for an Au Naturel look !! I'm very pleased with it.

I really didn't recognize how much better things looked 'til I saw the photos on the computer. The improvement was significant without much effort.

[tom p.]

I think the previous owner of this car probably left it parked outside and under trees for long periods. There was crud in the rear hatch rain channel that looked like sap mixed with dirt. I've found it in a couple of other locations around the car and had quite a bit of difficulty removing. However, the TOTAL cleaned it up in the blink of an eye, literally.


BEFORE:

AFTER:

I couldn't get the tiny bit of remaining crud with my long bristle brush and will have to find some other way of attacking it.

[DavidB]

Nice writeup, Tom... great pictures!

[tom p.]

Thanks, I'm getting a warm/fuzzy feeling for the product. The pictures provide an excellent A/B comparison. The finished product looks nice, even that dirty channel in the rear hatch area looks better with a light patina.

The wipes are a grand slam. I think they'd make the ultimate "perfect stocking stuffer" for the car guy who's got everything.

I'll get some more fotos over the coming week of interior applications. I've gone back to read the written product description to try to understand what the product is all about. I sense it's sort of a "swiss army knife" and could do more than we may initially imagine.

Thanks again!

[DavidB]

Originally Posted by tom p.

I sense it's sort of a "swiss army knife" and could do more than we may initially imagine.

HD TOTAL is a fantastic cleaner. it's difficult to convince people that it's safe to use a cleaner that's strong enough to degrease your BBQ on your fine leather, but it is. We spent a lot of time verifying safety on all automotive surfaces.

The kicker, thought, is how nice it makes every surface it cleans look. There are a lot of powerful cleaners out there that clean very well, but dull the finish or remove color. They might make the cleaning job go fast, but they kill the finish finish of the automobile. HD TOTAL strikes a good balance and strength and finesse.

[AeroCleanse]

I hate to admit this, but in my tests on dashboards and other hard surfaces in the car, HD TOTAL beats my Meguiiars APC. Smells better, cleaners better. The only thing I have against HD TOTAL is it doesn't seem to work as well on fabrics as Meg's APC. That was quite shocking as it did much better on everything else.

HD TOTAL topped with HD PROTECT is a winning combo!

[dmw2692004]

nice write up. this stuff looks really interesting..

[tom p.]

Originally Posted by DavidB

HD TOTAL strikes a good balance and strength and finesse.

That's exactly what I am seeing. I think it will take people a bit of mental re-adjustment to get their arms around that. Again, this product reminds me of the Swiss Army knife and the diverse tool that it is