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  1. #1

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    Degreaser of Choice - ?

    I`m all out of my 1Z W99, and really don`t use much of this is my routine.
    I can mailorder this or just run out and buy a bottle of GUNK for this one time I need to use this.

    Eh, well you know it`s Autopia, so we need to hoard. Haven`t looked at all the new flavors of the month so just checking in, to see if anything has come out in the Auopian Nirvana that makes it the -degreaser- of choice for all hobbyist.
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  2. #2
    tom p.'s Avatar
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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    If you need something today, get the water-based GUNK. Seems to be sold everywhere.

  3. #3

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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    Thanks Tom. Havent`s been to a big box Pep Boys/Autozone in like forever ! Always just thought of Gunk in a Can

    I got a few liters of TAW somewhere..It`s very old. Very mild too...might do some, but it`s not a easy spray/dwell/rinse with TAW.

  4. #4
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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    I keep zep degreaser on hand at all times. It does a great job on my garage floor, I`ve used it on the underside of cars and wheels and tires before and it works decent. You can get it anywhere. My go to though is either 3d orange or american detailer garage.
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  5. #5

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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    The "problem" with many over-the-counter de-greasers is that they are NOT safe for use on aluminum. How would one know? READ THE DIRECTIONS ON THE LABEL! (OR as Accumulator abbreviates "RTFL" meaning "Read The F`ing Label".) If it says, "Do not let it dwell on aluminum" or "Rinse thoroughly from aluminum parts", be wary of using it. OTC Simple Green falls into that category, as does Super Clean (the Purple Stuff).
    Zep`s Citrus De-Greaser probably would make a good OTC de-greaser.
    Even LA Totally Awesome (Yes, the All-Purpose Cleaner at the Dollar Stores) might make a worthwhile OTC de-greaser.

    Personally, I still like Optimum Polymer Technologies` Power Clean as my go-to degreaser. But I know you are looking for an OTC de-greaser. The Gunk De-greaser in a can is more of a parts cleaner from what people think of it as than a "de-greaser" .

    Other option is to go to an auto parts store and ask them what they recommend. Just remember to read the label before you make that purchase.

    If you have a Cenex Farm Co-operative near you, ask for Schaeffer Mfg. Citrol 266 HD De-greaser. It is what construction and excavating companies use on their heavy machinery. Should work for you as well.

    As a side note, if anyone uses Meg`s Detailer Line D108 Super Degreaser Concentrate, let us Autopians know what your thoughts and opinions are from experience with this degreaser. It is a "less-expensive" alternative to OPT Power Clean.
    GB detailer

  6. #6
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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    The Meg`s degreaser is all I used for close to ten years. It`s good. I`ve never used opc, but I can say it is on par with the 3d and american detailers garage. I honestly only made the switch to 3d because I felt safe replacing both my degreaser and apc (interior cleaner) with it. The adg stuff I picked up not too long ago. It works, but I haven`t been using it long enough to really know
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  7. #7

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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    Not opposed to non OTC. Just mentioned it was a easy buy for OTC.....and yes, I do believe some of those OTC should be aluminum safe. I actually was thinking their would be a Mothers or the like there as well.....dunno

    Leaning in just buying more W99 Like you guys that like OPC, Meg, etc 1W is what has been the -top tier- on my shelf
    But you know once I`m actually in the ACC store, it`s not like I`m going to leave away with just a bottle of W99

  8. #8

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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    Superior Products Road Warrior or Optimum Power Clean.

  9. #9
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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    I think super clean is really a fantastic product can’t say enough good thing about it but once 3D released nano drum I have been using them the super degreaser and the orange. The one thing that I do really like about the 3D is if it gets on you or your breathing in smell or mist it’s not irritating and seems like the most harmless on the body. I did not notice this at first but after switching and really using the product over and over I came to the thought. The 3D rinses well. Only problem is you may not need that much quantity.

  10. #10
    dansautodetailing.com Stokdgs's Avatar
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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lonnie View Post
    The "problem" with many over-the-counter de-greasers is that they are NOT safe for use on aluminum. How would one know? READ THE DIRECTIONS ON THE LABEL! (OR as Accumulator abbreviates "RTFL" meaning "Read The F`ing Label".) If it says, "Do not let it dwell on aluminum" or "Rinse thoroughly from aluminum parts", be wary of using it. OTC Simple Green falls into that category, as does Super Clean (the Purple Stuff).
    Zep`s Citrus De-Greaser probably would make a good OTC de-greaser.
    Even LA Totally Awesome (Yes, the All-Purpose Cleaner at the Dollar Stores) might make a worthwhile OTC de-greaser.

    Personally, I still like Optimum Polymer Technologies` Power Clean as my go-to degreaser. But I know you are looking for an OTC de-greaser. The Gunk De-greaser in a can is more of a parts cleaner from what people think of it as than a "de-greaser" .

    Other option is to go to an auto parts store and ask them what they recommend. Just remember to read the label before you make that purchase.

    If you have a Cenex Farm Co-operative near you, ask for Schaeffer Mfg. Citrol 266 HD De-greaser. It is what construction and excavating companies use on their heavy machinery. Should work for you as well.

    As a side note, if anyone uses Meg`s Detailer Line D108 Super Degreaser Concentrate, let us Autopians know what your thoughts and opinions are from experience with this degreaser. It is a "less-expensive" alternative to OPT Power Clean.


    I have used Meguiar`s D108 Super Degreaser for perhaps 15 years or more, and it is always the best for my needs..
    I usually just spray it, let it set a bit and pressure wash it all off.. If the grease is really thick or something, I might spray it, use a plastic semi stiff bristle brush with a long handle, on it, to help the product get going faster..

    Have cleaned a few hundred engines, all the German marques, engine compartments, underhoods, that space between the front grill and the radiator, underneath; even entire really dirty vehicles full of little trees growing out of all the spaces of a vehicle, with this product before I washed it
    .
    Never had an issue, always rinses quickly, is very low foaming, which is really nice, and never leaves residue..

    It is not oily like some degreasers, very easy to work with..

    A great product to use after you open up the gas filler door and are horrified by all the crapola behind it, and in the compartment... This is always a place where that plastic bristle brush works great with this product, then let it set, then pressure wash it all clean..

    I will spray the places that need it as I go around the vehicle, and by the time I get back to where I started, pressure washer rinse and go back all the way around it ..

    Would never consider using it on coated vehicles, or any vehicle that I am not going to be paint correcting and applying an LSP, etc.. It just might be too strong for those things, and I don`t want to find out if it is..
    Dan F
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  11. #11

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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    When TAW isn`t potent enough, I reach for Optimum`s PowerClean. Not that I use degreasers very much..maybe not even annually, don`t recall using one yet this year.
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  12. #12

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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Accumulator View Post
    When TAW isn`t potent enough, I reach for Optimum`s PowerClean. Not that I use degreasers very much..maybe not even annually, don`t recall using one yet this year.
    TAW?


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  13. #13

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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    Excuse my newbness but are degreasers and Multi purpose cleaners the same thing?

    If not what’s the difference?


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  14. #14
    tom p.'s Avatar
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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    TAW = the product from P21S known as Total Auto Wash. It`s a citrus-based cleaner, probably one of the stronger ones. Been around for years, I still use it, great stuff.
    Cars: bringing people together
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  15. #15

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    Re: Degreaser of Choice - ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Coatings=crack View Post
    Excuse my newbness but are degreasers and Multi purpose cleaners the same thing?

    If not what’s the difference?
    Hey, you are not the only Autopian who is confused by what is considered an All-Purpose Cleaner and what is a de-greaser. it seems that these two product descriptions end up in a "grey area" where each of these products cross over into the realm of the other. It is akin to defining what is a Cleaner Wax and what is an All-In-One Wax and how the two end up in each other`s category, when in fact, they are two "unique" and different products, much like these APC and de-greasing cleaners.

    To me, APC are mild cleaners that can be used a variety of car surfaces for more "general" cleaning. To consider them as "mild cleaners" would be somewhat correct because of the variety of surface materials they clean without causing damage to them.
    De-greasers on the other hand, to me, are much stronger cleaners that do exactly as stated; they dissolve grease or petroleum-base products. They have a "different" chemical make-up than APCs for that purpose and are for use on metal or hard plastic surfaces, like what you find in an engine compartment.
    What blurrs the line, as an example, is Optimum`s Power Clean (OPC). It is defined by Optimum Power Technologies as an All-Purpose Cleaner, BUT it can and is used as a very effective and safe de-greaser. That said, I would not use on carpets or fabric materials. I have, and the smell lingers FOREVER in the fabric or carpet. Which WHY they make Optimum Carpet and Fabric Cleaner and Protectant for those materials. I tend to think of OPC as a de-greaser, but that is MY category definition.
    Now can some APCs clean grease? Yes, but not efficiently. Would you use Dawn Dish Soap with its "grease cutting ability" to clean your engine compartment? Vegetable and animal food grease is a lot different than petroleum-base oil and grease, although is does work and it is mild enough for "de-greasing" animals who are covered in crude oil from oil spills.

    So when is a cleaner an APC and when is it a de-greaser? Some would say it is all semantics and how you use it.

    As aside note, I generally do not like to plug or endorse products, but I will for Kano Laboratories Inc, de-greasing product called "Floway". It is a liquid that is like Gunk Engine Cleaner on steroids without the drawbacks of the residue/film Gunk can leave behind. if you are car restorer or mechanic who deals with vehicles that need a good and safe degreaser, you should have this product in your car-care arsenal. It is available in aerosol spray cans or gallon cans that can be used in sprayers. Yes, it is expensive when compared to Gunk, but for me it just plain works effectively without the fore-mentioned Gunk film/residue.
    GB detailer
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