I've been experimenting with a new d-limonene cleaner, Orange Tough 40 by Spartan, for the past couple weeks. This product was referred to me by my brother, Tim, who owns a commercial janitorial company in my town.

Holy Cow! It works well!

I was originally looking for a pretreatment product to spray on the lower valances, to remove tar, bugs, etc, before foaming and washing the car.

What I got was much, much more. I've tried a few other d-limonene "citrus" cleaners, over the past few weeks, but this one outperformed them by far.

Unlike many d-limonene cleaners, this one emulsifies in water, allowing it to be diluted incredibly far without separating.

Orange tough 40 is biodegradable, and the company claims that it is a "safe" alternative to harsh petroleum based solvents, products containing butyl, acids, etc.

It has a low PH: 9 I'm relatively happy with that. I was originally looking for something betweekn 7.5 and 8.5

Considering that I've been using Meg's products: super degreaser, apc and apc +. I think they range from 11 to 13.5! Wow!

Listen, I've sang the praises of super degreaser in the past, but I'm a changed man and I have experienced problems with it and meg's regular apc as well (They tend to want to dull black interior plastic). No problems with APC + and I'll probably keep it around until I'm 100% sure on this new product.


So how well does Orange Tough 40 work? Freaking Awesome!

My first experiment was on my brothers work van, which had thick tar behind the rear wheel wells, on the paint. Mixed 1:1 and still had a slight gel consistency. Clang to the surface well and smelled awesome! The thick tar began melting off onto the ground! One swipe of a rag and it was gone. . .1:1 was a bit much.

I got curious and brave and started trying the product at 10:1 on door jams. Spraying the product on dirtier areas, foaming the jams with my cannon (meg's shampoo plus) and then brushing with my wheel woolies 1" detail brush (love this brush btw, expesive though)
Pressure wash the jams out and they are left Laser Clean!

Did a little research and from what I read, I felt it would be safe on interiors. Diluted 15:1 and tried on a very dirty Toyota Solara interior with light tan leather and carpet. It was a very strong cleaner at 15:1 could definitely go 20:1. The leather was extremely dirty almost to the point of no return. It's hard to describe how this product works as it's a solvent and much different than a regular caustic apc. You can literally just spray and spread it evenly with your hand (wearing a glove of course) or a soft brush, let dwell and wipe away easily with a microfiber. It "melts" the grime.

Also tried on a newer Kia Optima with those really tightly woven seats, that are hard to clean. They were black and very grimy with what looked like a combo of make up and nasty body grease. Sprayed lightly and evenly at 15:1, scrubbed with a medium bristle upholstery brush, wetting the brush as I went, and extracted with hot water. Laser clean I tell ya! Laser clean! After drying with a couple smalls heaters and the vehicles own heat, there was no residue, water rings, wicking etc.

I'm still experimenting with the dilution ratio for pretreating lower valances. It seems to work incredible well between 2:1 and 10:1 depending on the severity of the tar and grime. I think 1:1 and 2:1 could be reserved for very extreme heavy tar cases.

One more thing. This product smell awesome. It leaves a fresh, clean citrus scent. No need for additional scent sprays.

My mind is still not completely set on this product, but I'm well on my way to being a believer and throwing out all of my other APC's. I'd like to try a few more surfaces and test it more on wheels and engines.

Here's what the company has to say about it:


Orange Tough 40 Informative Bulletin Page 2
SAFER THAN TOXIC SOLVENTS OR HARSH CAUSTICS:
Orange Tough 40's d-limonene base replaces harsh caustics and toxic solvents such as
petroleum distillates, chlorinated solvents, strong acids and butyl. Users like Orange
Tough 40's organic natural degreasing ability and pleasant deodorizing orange
fragrance. No highly toxic vapors to breathe. Orange Tough 40 is non-flammable when
diluted in water. Non-corrosive...safe on most paints, aluminum and other metals...can
be used on nearly every surface.
ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND:
Formulated with environmental needs in mind, Orange Tough 40 is biodegradable and
phosphate free.
DIRECTIONS FOR USE:
Some individuals may be sensitive to ingredients in this product. Before use,
read product label and MSD sheet.
General Cleaning & Degreasing: Dilute Orange Tough 40, 1:10 (12 oz./gal. or 90 ml/l
of water). Apply with automatic or rotary scrubber, mop, brush, sponge or sprayer. Use
solvent-resistant trigger sprayer or stainless steel sprayer. When used on floors,
pick up or rinse thoroughly to remove residue and prevent slipperiness. Flush out
scrubber with plain water after use.

Hot Dip Tank/Pressure Washer:
Use up to 60oC/140oF at 1:10 (12 oz./gal. or 90 ml/l

of water) to 1:20 (6 oz./gal. to 45 ml/l of water).

Dilution Oz./Gal.

Areas for Use Ratio water
General degreasing tasks (vending machines,
garbage and trash containers, machinery, tools, etc.) 1:10 12 oz.
Floors* (vinyl tile, quarry tile, ceramic, marble) 1:20 6 oz.
Concrete floors, driveways and walls 1:10 12 oz.
Aircraft cleaning 1:20 6 oz.
Carbon exhaust/Cosmoline/Smoke trails 1:10 12 oz.
Car underbody and rust proofing 1:10 12 oz.
Oil well drills and other equipment 1:10 12 oz.
Hot and cold parts dip 1:10 to 1:20 6 to 12 oz.
Industrial equipment 1:20 6 oz.
Crop dusters, sprayers 1:10 12 oz.
Tractors and other farm implements 1:15 9 oz.
*






Use of Orange Tough 40 will dull floor seals, finishes and some types of protective

coatings. Do not use to degrease concrete floors prior to application of New Generation

100 Epoxy Resurfacing System.

Orange Tough 40 Informative Bulletin Page 3
SPECIFICATION DATA:
Total Active Ingredients - 65-70%
pH (Concentrate) - 9.0
Specific Gravity - 0.960 @ 24oC/75oF
Density - 7.99 lbs./gal. @ 24oC/75oF
Flash Point (Cleveland Open Cup) - 145oF
(Tag Closed Cup) - 124oF
Solvents - d-limonene
Viscosity - 25 cps
Stability:
a. Shelf @ 24oC/75oF - One year min.
b. Accelerated @ 49oC/120oF - 60 days min.
c. Freeze/Thaw - Withstands a min. of 1 freeze/thaw cycle.
Miscibility - Forms emulsion in all proportions of hot and cold water; emulsifies water
insoluble solvents and oils.
Rinsability -- Rinses completely with hot or cold water and leaves no film.
Biodegradable
Phosphate free
PACKAGING:
Orange Tough 40 is packaged in attractively lithographed, lined steel 55-gallon drums
and 5-gallon pails; and gallons, four per case. Label copy is provided in English and
Spanish. Secondary labels are also available.
Be sure to read all Directions, Precautionary and First Aid Statements on product
labels before use of this or any Spartan product. If questions remain, consult
your employer or a physician. Material Safety Data Sheets for all Spartan
products are available from your authorized Spartan distributor or by visiting
Home - Spartan Chemical Company.
GUARANTEE:
Spartan's modern manufacturing and laboratory control insure uniform quality. If
dissatisfied with performance of product, any unused portion may be returned for credit
within one year of the date of manufacture.





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