APC and White Staining

[AustrianOak82]

Has anyone ever had problems with APC creating a white stain on the product it's applied to? I have noticed that if I apply 10:1 APC to a slightly textured panel, agitate, then wash or wipe clean, I am left with white staining that is very difficult to remove. I am not letting it sit for any length or time and it doesn't happen all the time, so I was just wondering what is going on here.

I had it happen with a set of black Weathertech mats yesterday and a couple of months ago, it happened to literally every black trim panel that I did on a Ford Fusion. Thoughts?

[Setec Astronomy]

What APC are you using?

[7.3powerstroke]

Which APC is it?

[AustrianOak82]

Meguiar's.

[Coopers ST]

If you are diluting it, are you using distiled water? Some water could have enough minerals in it to stain some surfaces.

[AustrianOak82]

If you are diluting it, are you using distiled water? Some water could have enough minerals in it to stain some surfaces.
No, just tap water. City water.

[AustrianOak82]

Well, to complicate things more, I noticed over the weekend that everything that I steamed also turned a chalky white color. I had a hard time getting it off. I've done both seperately, so now I need to figure out why the APC and VX5000 are turning things a chalky white.

Any ideas?

[LSNAutoDetailing]

APC if not diluted properly can etch a surface, such as glass. APC is Alkaline based (High PH Balance).

Hard water, (not distilled or softened) has a low PH Balance and is considered acidic because it contains minerals etc... You may need to find something that is neutral.

So if you're not using a PH Balance product, you can run into issues. Sounds like your issue is hard water.

What are you cleaning?

For interior surfaces, leather, vinyl, dashes, doors, etc... I use Pinnacle Vinyl & Leather Cleaner and Pinnacle Vinyl / Rubber Protectent. They have a ph balance of 7, (on a scale of 0-14 this is a neutral/PH balance) which is why I like using it on all the interior surfaces of a car.

You need to use something balanced to neutralize the surface..

[AustrianOak82]

APC if not diluted properly can etch a surface, such as glass. APC is Alkaline based (High PH Balance).

Hard water, (not distilled or softened) has a low PH Balance and is considered acidic because it contains minerals etc... You may need to find something that is neutral.

So if you're not using a PH Balance product, you can run into issues. Sounds like your issue is hard water.

What are you cleaning?

For interior surfaces, leather, vinyl, dashes, doors, etc... I use Pinnacle Vinyl & Leather Cleaner and Pinnacle Vinyl / Rubber Protectent. They have a ph balance of 7, (on a scale of 0-14 this is a neutral/PH balance) which is why I like using it on all the interior surfaces of a car.

You need to use something balanced to neutralize the surface..

When I do trim, I typically use Meguiar's T&R Cleaner/Conditioner. For this one, I used 10:1 APC on the black weathertech mats and on the door panels.

You thinking mix with distilled water? The city water might be too hard?

[MikeLW]

I too have had Meg's APC leave white chalky like residue on plastic and vinyl interior trim. I believe my dillution ratio was 8-1 or 10-1. Just to be careful I always follow behind Meg's APC with a light soap/water solution to get any residual cleaner left on the surface off. That seems to be working for me.

[GSKR]

Apc could have butyl a caustic ingredient,or alkaline

[AGOatemywallet]

Apc could have butyl a caustic ingredient,or alkaline

Can you please expand on that thought?

[GSKR]

In a nutshell ,there powerful ingredients ,I don't want to get into the whole scientific formulation ,butly is more of a concrete cleaner .

[7.3powerstroke]

OP, maybe take a look at DP Hi Intensity. Advertised to never leave film or residue behind. I just busted open my gallon and it seems to be really good

[AGOatemywallet]

In a nutshell ,there powerful ingredients ,I don't want to get into the whole scientific formulation ,butly is more of a concrete cleaner .

There are lots here who would enjoy hearing a scientific discussion.

- Why would APC leave white streaks on different types of materials

- What exactly is butyl and how does it contribute to these white streaks?


No nutshell required at all