Products and techniques for removing "road film"

S

superstring

New member
Hi Folks

A little while ago I started a thread about using Mequiar`s Super Degreaser as a pre-wash for removing road film/grime. I wondering what other products and techniques people are using for the same purpose? Anyone using Super Clean Degreaser, for instance?
 
A citrus based degreaser I find very effective to desolve the road film that is oily. Angelwax Cleanliness is one that you can use either in the foamcannon or in a pump sprayer bottle. Maybe not available in the US but Bilt Hamber Surfex HD and BH Auto-Foam is 2 very effective to desolve the road film. Those 2 is the best ones I have tested so far as they take care of most of the dirt on a car. One product that I would think and would try is 3D Orange 88 citrus Degreaser. And their newer 3D Super Pre-Soak and Super Duty Degreaser and Super Citrus APC. The problem is often to find a degreaser that rinse off easy. And is of a high alkaline ph level like Meguiars Super Degreaser is. They can be hard on your LSP and also masking it if not rinsed off clean.

I just saw a Youtube video where a detailer did a torture test on Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer. And he used Optimum Power Clean full strength and it seemed like it was gone after the first hit with it. And I think that it was too. At the same time the BSD was applyied right before this with no curing time. And I think that it`s need to be able to cure some at least. As it`s not so common to apply it and then douse it with chemicals. Water it can handle but more than that I think it`s much to ask. I have used BSD and also used alkaline based degreaser the next wash and did not noticed any degrading. Or the OPC is very strong and is mortal to BSD LOL. It`s known to be one of the most chemical resistant QD which many uses as a stand alone LSP. So sometimes I think these torture testing is done too soon and often not much of real world situation.

The dedicated prewash foams is also useally effective on the road film. Gyeon Foam and gtechnic w4 citrus foam is a couple of them. Maybe Griots Garage Foam Surface Wash.
 
2 things I wanna give a try this Spring in kinda thos capacity are Migliore Citro Shampoo and/or Polish Angel UltraRed. Dunno much about either yet so will be something new.

Always wondered how Gyeon Bug and Grime would work in this type of situation.

Migliore Citro
Citro Shampoo from Migliore is a powerful, low viscosity, citrus based shampoo used to strip any previous wax or sealant protection for a blank canvas. This is a necessity when performing a full detail which includes multi-step polishing. Citro Shampoo is excellent at agitating stubborn bugs and grime for easy removal. Citro can be diluted up to 1 part to 5 parts water.

Polish Angel UltreRed
Polishangel Ultrared is a powerful APC, pre-wash treatment for paint, rubber and plastic. It is highly effective on grime, dirt, tar, and other contaminants, but completely safe to use.

Ultrared is the ultimate APC cleaner, allowing the safe removal of tough grime, dirt, tar, insect, bird droppings, oil, grease and other environmental contaminants.

Just 15 seconds of reaction and even the most stubborn contaminants will be removed from all paint, glass, rubber and plastic surfaces - without leaving any residue.

The ultimate APC.

FEATURES:
Intensive APC cleaner
Safe on paint, rubber, plastic and glass surfaces
Gentle cleansing formula
Tough on grime, dirt, oil, insects, and other contaminants
Environmentally friendly, and safe to use
Click to expand...
 
SWEMT:
Your suggestions about European-only available wash soaps for removing traffic road film (TRF) is correct: they are not available in the USA due to EPA regulations that ban those specific chemicals that are very effective in removing TFR. Finding a wash soap that can effectively remove TFR and yet is "safe" enough for today`s vehicles OEM water-based paints (but NOT the waxes, sealants, or coating that are LSPs) is the "Holy Grail" of the touchless car wash industry. Seems the European chemists have some great solutions (no pun intended) in their soap formulations.

Needless to say, here in the USA the only effective way to remove TRF is by mechanical and physical contact; IE, a wash medium (microfiber wash mitt/chenille pad/boar hair brush/sponge/foam wash pad) must be used to wipe and wash away such TRFs. What soap is used plays a part, but not as much as the physical contact.

I have mixed Meg`s D101 APC or Optimum`s Power Clean with car wash soaps (I prefer Megs Detailer Line D110 Hyper Wash or their Professional No.62 Shampoo and Conditioner) on REALLY dirty winter-salt TFR-encrusted vehicles, but that is not my regular car-wash regiment. It is/has been reserved for that first spring wash on highly-neglected daily drivers who, due to winter weather conditions, just cannot get their vehicle washed. (Too frequent snows along with days-upon-days of sub-zero degrees Fahrenheit ambient temperatures, like this winter in Northeast Wisconsin!)

And seeing that Budget Plan did mention a citric-based vehicle wash soap, Migliore Citro Shampoo , I wonder if Meg`s NEW Detailer Line D113 Citrus Blast Wash & Wax would be good for removing TRFs.
 
Maybe try Valugard ABC. It’s approved by vehicle manufacturers and is available in the USA.
 
Purple power vehicle and boat wash is my go too. It`s very effective at salt, calcium chloride oily film removal. I foam it on let it dwell five to ten minutes before rinsing off. Then I go back over it again with light agitation to get that last five-ten percent. Really like it when I do the undercarriage. Cleans well in places where I can`t agitate. At eight dollars a gallon and how it works for me I haven`t thought of trying other stuff.
 
Lonnie said:
SWEMT:
Your suggestions about European-only available wash soaps for removing traffic road film (TRF) is correct: they are not available in the USA due to EPA regulations that ban those specific chemicals that are very effective in removing TFR. Finding a wash soap that can effectively remove TFR and yet is "safe" enough for today`s vehicles OEM water-based paints (but NOT the waxes, sealants, or coating that are LSPs) is the "Holy Grail" of the touchless car wash industry. Seems the European chemists have some great solutions (no pun intended) in their soap formulations.

Needless to say, here in the USA the only effective way to remove TRF is by mechanical and physical contact; IE, a wash medium (microfiber wash mitt/chenille pad/boar hair brush/sponge/foam wash pad) must be used to wipe and wash away such TRFs. What soap is used plays a part, but not as much as the physical contact.

I have mixed Meg`s D101 APC or Optimum`s Power Clean with car wash soaps (I prefer Megs Detailer Line D110 Hyper Wash or their Professional No.62 Shampoo and Conditioner) on REALLY dirty winter-salt TFR-encrusted vehicles, but that is not my regular car-wash regiment. It is/has been reserved for that first spring wash on highly-neglected daily drivers who, due to winter weather conditions, just cannot get their vehicle washed. (Too frequent snows along with days-upon-days of sub-zero degrees Fahrenheit ambient temperatures, like this winter in Northeast Wisconsin!)

And seeing that Budget Plan did mention a citric-based vehicle wash soap, Migliore Citro Shampoo , I wonder if Meg`s NEW Detailer Line D113 Citrus Blast Wash & Wax would be good for removing TRFs.
Click to expand...

IIRC d113 is only a citrus smell.

Yeah it seems like we have a larger offerings with TFR. But what I know it`s not much different from a weaker APC. What Bilt Hamber has in their products is very effective but don`t seem to that hazardious if you look at the SDS.
 
Bill D said:
Maybe try Valugard ABC. It’s approved by vehicle manufacturers and is available in the USA.
Click to expand...
Bingo. Sure some citrus-based product might work (I`d use P21s TAW), but IMO "A" is the right product for the job.

Though I`m still surprised that people (at least in the US) have to do anything special for this.
 
Hey, thanks to everyone for their replies.

Accumulator wrote: "Though I`m still surprised that people (at least in the US) have to do anything special for this"

Accumulator are you suggesting you don`t have "road film" in the US? ;)
 
BudgetPlan1 said:
2 things I wanna give a try this Spring in kinda thos capacity are Migliore Citro Shampoo and/or Polish Angel UltraRed. Dunno much about either yet so will be something new.
Click to expand...

I`m very interested to hear how you get on with these products, BudgetPlan.

I find the description of PolishAngel UltraRed on their site a little curious, though:

"PolishAngel Ultrared is the most ideal pre-soak on the market. It`s formulation is aggressive enough to destroy grime, oily films, layers of dirt, bugs and tar, yet on the other hand, is extremely gentle and safe on waxed and sealed surfaces."

Sounds great but I don`t really understand how it can strip "grime, oily films etc." and yet be "extremely gentle" on wax (in particular) and sealants. How does that work??
 
I have had success removing road film by pre-treating with a bug remover at full strength and adding some to my wash solution. I have tried McKee`s 37 Road Kill Bug Remover, Blackfire Bug Remover, and Poorboy`s World Bug Squash. All seem to do a decent job in removing road film.

YMMV
 
The subject title caught my eye
Lonnie pretty much summed it in post #4

Road film for me, is either
- Film from driving on wet rainy roads
- And or the wintery salt mess

I`ve tried many methods but it still requires mechanical agitation.
Last year, it was forecasted for a 24 or 36 hr rain day. This was going to be my ultimate pre-soak test
Pulled the car out of the garage, and let it sit in the rain.
The following morning, I used the pressure washer to do a HP rinse, and used of my pre-soak soaps.
It made no dent in the film and I still needed to do a non touchless - mechanical wash.

Eventually, someday, hopefully not a decade later, I`ll figure out a touchless wash routine ;-)
 
Some type of bug remover works well, but for my wash cycle it gets pricey. Every third for fourth wash I (or after rain) I like to substitute one ounce of Chemical Guys Honey Dew for one or two ounces of Purple Power Boat and RV..... My gallon of Honey Dew is still quite full so I will use it up before I purchase a new snow foam soap.... Within the same wash I will dry the car using a body solvent, Rustoleum Grease and Wax Remover. It puts quite a dent in the LSP, but I reapply afterward.

Whenever I am in the market I will probably move to the Griots Surface Prep as a TFR for every third of forurth (or after rain) wash and do the rest of the washes with Griots Surface Wash or the snow foam that Auto Fanatic is working on.

I also just used CarPro Reset for the first time after a trip to west Texas, the entire trip was full of rain and fog. I foamed CarPro Reset on to the vehicle as suggested and it didn`t touch the dirt. Moved onto my mix of Honey Dew and Purple Power and was able to rinse the vast majority of the dirt off before the mechanical wash.

I have used Super Clean as a TFR, but solely when the car hasn`t been washed for a couple of weeks and/or has encountered rain, but the use is rare. On my 17 yr old vehicle, I want to remove all the traffic film that I can and do so most gently, Super Clean can lean towards a bit aggressive and doesn`t give me the dwell time I`d like. Super Clean also leaves a residue in my experience and thats the main reason I don`t use it. Super Clean does really well in the foam cannon though.

Anglewaxx does make a good TFR, FASTFOAM. At $17.99 for 1000ml (buying four will get you just above a gallon), it is a little pricey, alternatives are cheaper for a gallon.
 
I would never use Reset as a foam but Reset FWIW, is a ahmazzzing shampoo. It`s my top tier - go to only shampoo. I don`t do ROI cost per oz, but it cleans well, lubricious and it does not require ~much~ in a 5 gal bucket.
 
mobiledynamics said:
I would never use Reset as a foam but Reset FWIW, is a ahmazzzing shampoo. It`s my top tier - go to only shampoo. I don`t do ROI cost per oz, but it cleans well, lubricious and it does not require ~much~ in a 5 gal bucket.
Click to expand...

I agree I would not use Reset as a prewash. Or any car soap for that matter if you only foam and rinse off. It can be effective to foam a car soap on afterwards you have done the prewash and start touching wash it with the foam on. But Reset is no economical foam soap. If you have some spots left on the paint after 2-3 wipes. I let it be and move on and come back when I`m done with the panel and it`s useally easier to be cleaned.

Even if I preach about prewash process it`s not the holy grail to be absolutely clean afterwards. The last dirt is needed to be aggitated to be cleaned off. So why do I do the prewash? It is so when I touching wash it will be easier to release the dirt and get to use less aggitations when doing it. Also it makes my wash media and rinse water way cleaner after a wash. So I could be rinse the loose dirt off and then touch washing. And get as clean paint as with a prewash. But with less of aggitations you minimize the risk of marring and scratches. Your LSP is often most affected by aggitations so you have a chance off a higher protection until you reapply the LSP. And I feel even when it has takeing longer time between washes than I would like. The contaminants build up has been less than ever before with this car. Next month it`s 2 years since I had it clayed and polished. And still I feel a smooth feeling after a wash on the paint. This have been with various LSP and also a couple of times I have feeled that the LSP has been done. I have gotten some marring and swirls and some RIDS during this time. But only a little I think has come by the washing and drying. The most defects on the paint has come by the need of takeing off the snow. We get fined here in Sweden if we have a build up of snow on our vehicals. So just natural build up from the driving is acceptable to have. The hood and the roof has gotten some marring from takeing the frosen on snow off.
 
mobiledynamics said:
Road film for me, is either
- Film from driving on wet rainy roads
- And or the wintery salt mess

I`ve tried many methods but it still requires mechanical agitation.
Last year, it was forecasted for a 24 or 36 hr rain day. This was going to be my ultimate pre-soak test
Pulled the car out of the garage, and let it sit in the rain.
The following morning, I used the pressure washer to do a HP rinse, and used of my pre-soak soaps.
It made no dent in the film and I still needed to do a non touchless - mechanical wash.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I`ve also tried this. It works to break up or soften some of the curb that builds up in seams, molding, etc. But in the end you still need to touch the paint to get it clean.
A pressure rinse followed by spraying the panel with ONR is my preferred method. Then follow up with a rinseless wash. Coatings help with the ease at which dirt comes off
 
TheMeanGreen said:
I have used Super Clean as a TFR, but solely when the car hasn`t been washed for a couple of weeks and/or has encountered rain, but the use is rare. On my 17 yr old vehicle, I want to remove all the traffic film that I can and do so most gently, Super Clean can lean towards a bit aggressive and doesn`t give me the dwell time I`d like. Super Clean also leaves a residue in my experience and thats the main reason I don`t use it. Super Clean does really well in the foam cannon though.
Click to expand...

What dilution were you using, TheMeanGreen?
 
Coleroad said:
Purple power vehicle and boat wash is my go too. It`s very effective at salt, calcium chloride oily film removal. I foam it on let it dwell five to ten minutes before rinsing off. Then I go back over it again with light agitation to get that last five-ten percent. Really like it when I do the undercarriage. Cleans well in places where I can`t agitate. At eight dollars a gallon and how it works for me I haven`t thought of trying other stuff.
Click to expand...

Same here! Love this stuff
 
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