Question about APC vs Degreaser vs Cleaner/Degreaser

[tattooman]

I've used SuperClean twice now with good results. The first time I used it full strength though looking back I see was it not necessary, the second time I used it 1:8 cut with distilled water. So my question is, do I still need an APC in addition to SuperClean, or can I used Superclean AS my APC **and** degreaser, by adjusting the dilution ratio to the application ? I imagine there may be some overlap with certain cleaner products, but I don't have enough experience to decipher this one. Any advice appreciated.

[Audios S6]

I wouldn't bother with another strong APC, but it's always good to have something less aggressive around to start with on jobs that don't require the heavy artillery. I like to use the old megs d114 for light duty work; but in general, a waterless wash/rinseless wash or similar is a good light duty option, even for interiors.

On the other hand, for a professional, it's nice to have a couple different chemistries around to address the wide variety of cleaning needs

[mwoywod]

I personally like have 3 different types of APC's/Degreasers but I know many guys prefer to keep it simple and have one degreaser at 2 dilutions.

If you do use a degreaser on interior leather, vinyl, or plastic I would encourage you to use something like distilled water, D114, D115, Uber Rinseless, Mckee's N-914, or a dedicated interior detailer to neutralize the alkalinity of the Degreaser.

There is alot of misleading marketing for APC's/Degreasers and although Mckee's Hi-Intensity APC+ is my favorite Interior Cleaner it is marketed as a "non-Alkaline cleaner" that never leaves behind any residue.

In reality Mckee's APC+ is still very alkaline with a pH of approximately 12. Because many APC's/degreasers have a pH of 13 I guess Mckee's thinks they can claim their formulation is "non-alkaline"? Honestly, I love every single Mckee's product that I've tried, especially the APC+, but I wish they would let the performance of the products speak for themselves rather than using false/misleading claims and deceptive advertising.

Overall, I think mostly all APC's/degreaser are pretty safe if they are diluted down properly and follow up with a damp microfiber towel to "rinse" or "neutralize" the surface. It's up to you whether you use an interior protectant, an interior detailer, a rinseless wash solution, or just plain water to neutralize the alkalinity of the degreaser.

A great maintenance APC is Nextzett 1z Blitz APC diluted 30:1. Also, I think you'd be surprise how effective using a product like Mckee's N-914 or Meguiars D114 for most situations where you're not trying to remove body oils or grease.

Good luck!

[inDetail]

I try to keep it as simple as possible. I prefer not have a ton of products around. My go to APC is Optimum Power Clean. Yes it's pricey and at 3:1 it's dilution ratio is not great but it's the sweet spot. Your looking at $ 2.00+ for every 32 ounce bottle. You get 16 bottles from each gallon. That's up there with the price of milk. What makes it great is the range of tasks at a single dilution ratio. At 3:1 you can go from leather and carpet all the way to filthy engines without picking up another bottle. Granted I use CG Grime Reaper at 20:1 for wheel wells and under carriage. It's a dirt cheap APC that does what I need and rinses clean.

[Audios S6]

There is alot of misleading marketing for APC's/Degreasers and although Mckee's Hi-Intensity APC+ is my favorite Interior Cleaner it is marketed as a "non-Alkaline cleaner" that never leaves behind any residue.

In reality Mckee's APC+ is still very alkaline with a PH of approximately 12. Because many APC's/degreasers have a PH of 13 I guess Mckee's thinks they can claim their formulation is "non-alkaline"? Honestly, I love every single Mckee's product that I've tried, especially the APC+, but I wish they would let the performance of the products speak for themselves rather than using false/misleading claims and deceptive advertising.

High pH does not always mean alkaline, although it's probably the most common way to achieve a high pH. It's fair to say that many of the high pH APCs are alkaline. And it's fair to say that alkaline solutions will tend to be high pH.

It has become common convention to call high pH solutions alkaline, but a chemistry professor will probably scold you for that simplification. You can achieve a high pH without using an alkaline, ammonia being one example.

I am frequently guilty of this simplification.

[mwoywod]

High pH does not always mean alkaline, althoubgh it's probably the most common way to achieve a high pH. It's fair to say that many of the high pH APCs are alkaline. And it's fair to say that alkaline solutions will tend to be high pH.

It has become common convention to call high pH solutions alkaline, but a chemistry professor will probably scold you for that simplification. You can achieve a high pH without using an alkaline, ammonia being one example.

I am frequently guilty of this simplification.

Thanks for the insights but based on high school chemistry lol I specifically remember learning that water has a pH of 7, which is neutral, a pH below 7 is acidic, and a pH above 7 would be considered basic (alkaline).

Ammonia which has a pH approximately 10-11 which I understand how that could be considered a "weak base" but that doesn't mean it's not still basic?

I was pretty certain that the pH scale measured how acidic or basic a substance is and that would really blow my mind if a chemist tried to tell me that a substance with a measured pH of 12 was not considered basic/alkaline.

[Audios S6]

Thanks for the insights but based on high school chemistry lol I specifically remember learning that water has a pH of 7, which is neutral, a pH below 7 is acidic, and a pH above 7 would be considered basic (alkaline).

Ammonia which has a pH approximately 10-11 which I understand how that could be considered a "weak base" but that doesn't mean it's not still basic?

I was pretty certain that the pH scale measured how acidic or basic a substance is and that would really blow my mind if a chemist tried to tell me that a substance with a measured pH of 12 was not considered basic/alkaline.

What I'm getting at is alkaline is a specific type of basic solution. It implies an alkaline earth metal is in the solution. Soldium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide being examples; sodium metasilicate as well. These are the most common chemicals in an APC or degreaser.

But ammonia does not contain an alkaline earth metal, and therefore a high pH solution of ammonia is not alkaline. It is basic, but not alkaline.

[mwoywod]

What I'm getting at is alkaline is a specific type of basic solution. It implies an alkaline earth metal is in the solution. Soldium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide being examples; sodium metasilicate as well. These are the most common chemicals in an APC or degreaser.

But ammonia does not contain an alkaline earth metal, and therefore a high pH solution of ammonia is not alkaline. It is basic, but not alkaline.

Thanks for putting things in layman's terms for me. All Alkaline solutions are basic, but not all basic solutions are alkaline in nature. Probably should've opened a chemistry book or did a search on the ol' google machine before my last post.haha

[JMak97008]

I've been considering using either OPC or Megs APC diluted to clean my interior leather and interior plastics, but am not sure if that's wise. So, now I'm considering whether to buy McKee's total interior cleaner in lieu of the APCs. Would appreciate any advice...

[mwoywod]

OPC diluted 7:1 or 8:1 is really fantastic on lightly soiled interiors where using an interior detailer or rinseless wash won't cut it. On heavily soiled interior surfaces use OPC 3:1 or 4:1