As amateurs and professionals in the car detailing industry, you have to be aware of the different chemicals that are used in the overall detailing of your car. There is a market out there waiting to be tapped, chemicals to be used to achieve a spiffy clean car environment. Dig this, it is pointless to say that there are a lot of complete car cleaners in the market because that would be saving more yet doing less. That’s crazy. You can’t take a bath using just soap to wash your entire body! The same goes for cars. The notion of a complete car cleaner is not possible at all. It just doesn’t co-exist with the environment.
Detailing chemicals must be made out of different ingredients which are formulated in every job in particular. Chelators, solvents, saponifiers, surfactants, and wetting agents are the most common kinds of chemicals that are used to detail your car.
Surfactants are fancy. They are molecules that are created by combining different compounds. Molecules tend to be attracted to the soil and the other, to water. Hydrophile is the chemical that is attracted to water. A hydrophile’s job is to encompass the soil. On the other hand, the compound that is attracted to dirt is known as hydrophobe which is responsible for breaking down soil into small pieces wherein the hydrophile can float away.
In order to dissolve soil, one needs a solvent. Yes, you need water! That is the universal solvent ever known to man. There are solvents that can work perfectly on phasing out grease and tar and all those irritable dirt that sticks deep into your car. These solvents also contain properties that have lighter effect than water and therefore have a more defining effect. Solvents commonly used in caring for your car includes butyl and d-limonene which is made from lemon and orange peels. D-limonene is considered as one of the most expensive solvents although it can be one of the safest to use throughout the entire car.
Manufacturers of the hydrophobe and hydrophile molecules tend to modify the different characteristics of the surfactant. Wetting and penetrating will allow water to surround dirt or soil so that it can be removed easily. Chemists have indulged in improving your car’s performance by modifying the detergent used.
Ever heard of animal fats used in soap manufacturing? Well, believe it because you may not know it but you have already used such soap together with lye in bathing. This process chemically removes the oils and fats in your car’s body. It’s like fighting fire with fire. In order to convert oil and fats into soap, chemists use saponifier which is known to be a kind of strong alkaline produced substance. If produced as soap, it can be washed away by water.
Now that you have the slightest idea on the different chemicals that are used it is just proper that you use the information that you have learned in order to choose the right chemicals for detailing your car. In summary:
1. Whenever you are in doubt about a certain chemical, always test it before applying. Use a hidden part of your car in order to verify the compatibility of the chemical to the nature of your car.
2. BNAcids remove soils which are non-organic.
3. Alkaline remove soils which are organic.
4. Petroleum cleaners should be used to remove petroleum soil
5. Do not use a cleaner that is not compatible, whether strong or mild, for your car’s surface.
