PH of car soaps on the market

[MyFirstES300]

I've been using CarPro Snowsoap, but I'm interested to know the PH level of the some of the other car soaps you all use out there. Did some research, couldn't seem to find any info here.

If there's a soap you use, and you happen to know the PH, please post here. I'm primarily looking for a soap that is strong, yet safe. Not worried about stripping off wax/sealants. Thanks to all who reply. -Ed

[BillE]

Probably the way to go is to see if you can find the MSDS sheets for the various 'soaps' you're looking at.

Bill

[Mike Phillips]

Also, I think from a practical point of view, the pH level is only important after you dilute and mix it with water according to the manufacturer's directions, not testing it as it is in the bottle.


Just a guess...


:)

[Dogfather]

Polished Bliss, (can I say that) lists the PH of the shampoos they sell in the specs section.

[Bunky]

Polished Bliss, (can I say that) lists the PH of the shampoos they sell in the specs section.

Interesting....

[swanicyouth]

If you read the copy of most soaps, a lot will comment "safe for wax... pH neutral" without actually stating the pH (~7).

However, just because a soap is pH neutral, doesn't mean it can't strip wax (if that is what you are worrying about). Most (all?) high quality soaps are safe for wax. You would be hard pressed to find a maintenance soap that did strip wax, and none will strip sealants.

1Z Exclusiv Gloss:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/17/4utupebe.jpg

Sonax Gloss:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/17/azude7up.jpg

Poor Boys SSS:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/17/y9ene2es.jpg

Dodo BoB:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/17/y7asaped.jpg

GlossWorkz:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/17/duva5yry.jpg

Mothers CW&W:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/17/de7abama.jpg

AutoGlym Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/17/sa7eja4y.jpg

DP Xtreme Foam:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/17/dypa6uru.jpg

Sonus Gloss:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/17/aresuve9.jpg

That's the only soaps I have that specifically mention the term "pH" on the label.

And if you were wondering -

Auto Finesse Iron Out:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/17/yjanetu4.jpg

[forrest@mothers]

The pH will change from concentrated to diluted form, based on the pH of the water.

You'll want to take this into consideration when forming your opinion of products during testing.

[Dogfather]

Polished Bliss, (can I say that) lists the PH of the shampoos they sell in the specs section.

FWIW PB lists a few outside the neutral majority.

On the acidic side:
Megs Ultimate Wash and Wax- 6
Two from Nanolex- 5
Two from Swisswax- 5

On the alkaline side:
Megs Shampoo Plus- 8

[Bunky]

Auto Finesse Avalanche has a pH of 13 per the site mentioned earlier yet states it will not strip....who knows.

[FUNX650]

You can always use Litmus-paper to test the ph-values of car wash concentrates before and after dilution.
Comparing those results with the manufacturers' stated ph-values is an interesting exercise.

ph is just one factor that goes into formulating car wash shampoos.
There are blends of active ingredients, surfactants, conditioners, thickeners, etc...and as mentioned earlier:
The ph of the water (the universal solvent) used in the solution plays a role in overall car wash shampoo solution's ph-value.

Being ph balanced/neutral is just one way to look at acids and bases in a solution "cancelling each other out", so to say.
A "salt" is usually the end result.

Since much of the soilage collected upon a vehicle is acidic by nature:
Car wash shampoos that are slightly alkaline (7.1-8.5) would also be an excellent choice...IMO.

There are car wash shampoos that are acidic also.
I say:
'Save those for the engine bay;
and other such oils and greases,
that sometimes get in the way'.

NOTES:
1.) Car wash shampoos that are too ph-acidic/alkaline can wreck havoc on bare aluminum.
In no time flat!!

2.) AGO forum member PiPUK is a preeminent Chemist.
Perhaps he'll post some information regarding this ph subject matter.


:)

Bob

[rjd598]

Auto Finesse Avalanche has a pH of 13 per the site mentioned earlier yet states it will not strip....who knows.

is that before dilution?

[FUNX650]

is that before dilution?
^^^What's the recommended dilution ratio of the product?^^^

I'm thinking that (when regarding basic water chemistry):
For every 10-fold change in concentration (example: 0.1 to 1.0)...The pH changes by one unit.

Of course my thinking cap is not always on straight.

http://www.runemasterstudios.com/graemlins/images/think.gif

Bob

A passing query/thought:
What role, if any, do "buffers" play in the dilution of solutions...

[Dogfather]

[B]^^^What's the recommended dilution ratio of the product

400:1 according to Polished Bliss site.

[PiPUK]

Sorry for the slow response guys - with some aggressive responses we have had elsewhere, we are taking a bit of a step back and that means a few less posts.

Anyhow, this one is quite simple. As others have said, don't get too hung up on pH. Follow Bob's rule for dilution, roughly 1 unit per factor to 10 dilution and remember that tap water will rarely be 7. So if your product is a pH of 10, at 100:1 it is going to be pH nearer 8 which, at least for an area as insensitive as exterior vehicle care, is neutral. In reality, 6-8 is as good as neutral (your water will generally be in here), 5-9 is still pretty good and I would not concern myself with this.

The concern one has with aluminium and similar is not the pH but what is giving rise to that pH. For instance, a dilute hydrochloric acid wheel cleaner will destroy stainless steel almost instantly. However, concentrated blends of phosphoric and nitric acid (with pH 1000s of times stronger) will do no harm (actually such blends are used specifically for this). In the case of trims, this returns to something I have pointed out elsewhere (and which has been ignored by almost every detailer I have ever discussed it with!) - it is the caustics (hydroxides) which cause problems.

Another thought for you is the generalisation used on your side of the pond when referring to vehicle cleaners. Over here, what you guys lump into one term, we will break up. The AF product is a great example, this is NOT a product you can safely use in your wash bucket! It is intended to be used through dosing equipment (in this case a foam lance). Even when diluted, it is more than alkaline enough to cause skin damage if you are repeatedly dunking your hands into a bucket. If using this way, you need to take steps to avoid skin contact. We would term this product as a snowfoam or even a traffic film remover (TFR), distinct from a shampoo. I would encourage you to look beyond the PB site for dilution - AF suggest 1-2 inches in your lance bottle which is going to give dilutions more in the region of 100:1 on the vehicle surface. This is quite normal for a product of this class and we would not expect it to do much damage to a good LSP, inspite of the surface pH being 11 and upwards. As I have pointed out elsewhere, stripping is a lot harder than people seem to believe!

[MyFirstES300]

Wow, I am overwhelmed by the responses I got to this thread. I really appreciate the answers, and it has brought some clarity for me. Why I asked this question:

I am no chemist, but I found that using a soap like Meg's Gold Class or Ultimate Wash and Wax wasn't doing the trick on my white Nissan. It *still* looked dirty. I sampled some SnowSoap from CarPro and found it did a much better job at cleaning the paint. So, I had read on another forum about PH level making the difference. Not fully understanding acidic vs alkalinity, I just got a nice lesson in chemistry. I appreciate the help and education on this subject matter. -Ed