Meg's APC+

C

CharlesW

The Rainmaker
There was quite a bit of discussion about the pH of Meguiar's APC+ and the possible damage to materials it might be used on.
So, I sent the following e-mail to Meguiar's Customer Sevice.

Right now I am using this product for many cleaning projects. Carpet, vinyl, carpeted mats, wheelwells, tires, upholstery. It seems to be doing a great job.
But, I have been told that the very high ph of APC+ is not good for many of those things. Is the continued use of APC+ going
to do damage to those items?
What product should I be using?
Do I have to use a specialized product for different materials?
I guess from reading your literature. I thought the APC+ should work for all the areas I have been using it.
So, maybe I was wrong.
Help, please.

Charles

The following message is in reply to my e-mail.

Thank you for your interest in Meguiar's products.

As long as you are using the proper dilution rates as noted on the APC+, you can safely use it on all of the surfaces you listed.

If you should have any further questions, please feel free to contact
me at any time.

Thank you,

Jason Kenyon

Surface Care Specialist

(800) 347-5700 ext.175

Other than the fact that I may be using a little stronger than recommended solution for carpets, I feel a little more comfortable with the product.
I do think I will change my "do everything" ratio to the 12:1 recommended for carpet. Most of my cleaning projects don't really need a strong cleaner and the difference between my 10:1 and the recommended 12:1 is not likely to have much effect on my normal cleaning.
Right now, I think I will continue to use the APC+ with out being too concerned about doing any damage. Maybe in 10 years I will regret it.:dunno :D

Charles
 
Hey,

I bet Mike Phillips over on showcargarage.com can elaborate more on this subject. He gives extremely informative replies and often goes out of his way to get an answer if he can't provide it himself
 
Thks Charles..Ive swung over to APC + (mostly because of your posts) and will be interested in getting it right..
jeff
 
Once again Charles you have gone over and above to provide valuable information to us all. I hope you never leave DC, I have found your advice and expertise always of high caliber.

THANK YOU!
 
First most carpet is made of polypropylene (PP) and other modern materials that resist stains, wear, and harsh chemicals. However the backing material, insulating foam, cloth, and other materials such as nylon for strength and are not PP. Many luxury vehicles still opt for wool blends and other luxury materials.
Here are some thoughts on those:

http://www.facilitiesnet.com/MS/Mar01/mar01housekeeping.shtml

http://www.carcarecouncil.org/Interior/carpet.shtml

No offense aimed at Meg's or Charles (especially Charles!) but I would not have expected Meg's to say anything else. They advertise to use it on carpet and they are unlikely to contradict themselves and so I'm not sure what level of faith I have in their reply.
 
rhillstr said:
First most carpet is made of polypropylene (PP) and other modern materials that resist stains, wear, and harsh chemicals. However the backing material, insulating foam, cloth, and other materials such as nylon for strength and are not PP. Many luxury vehicles still opt for wool blends and other luxury materials.
Click to expand...
Basically, I just vacuum, mist the APC+ on the carpet, agitate it with a soft fiber brush, let it dry and vacuum again. I have only used it on uphostery one or two times. I think I might go back to using a regular upholstery cleaner for the cloth seats in the van. The luxury wool blends won't be much of a problem in any of our cars. :D
Maybe it will be a good test of APC+. If mycarpet falls apart in the next ten years or so, I will know it was a mistake.

Charles
 
This weekend I was at Home Depot and picked up ZEP Heavy Traffic carpet cleaner. It worked better than I thought. My wifes car had serious stains from the kids and they all came out. Some were over a year old.

I sprayed it on, scrubbed with a wet MF, blotted with a dry MF and vacuumed wit the Shop Vac.

Worked like a charm

I was suprised
 
Dalton said:
This weekend I was at Home Depot and picked up ZEP Heavy Traffic carpet cleaner. It worked better than I thought. My wifes car had serious stains from the kids and they all came out. Some were over a year old.

I sprayed it on, scrubbed with a wet MF, blotted with a dry MF and vacuumed wit the Shop Vac.

Worked like a charm

I was suprised
Click to expand...

Same here, I was also impressed. My other carpet cleaners are Stoner and Folex. I'll use the Folex for small ,fresh spots and switch over to the Zep entirely once I use up the Stoner
 
If we're talking strictly carpet cleaner I've had good success using 4-Stars upholstery and carpet shampoo and it is very economical.

The nice thing about a product like APC+ is keeping one product where you may otherwise have to keep three or four. Like Charles, I've not had any issues using a standard 10:1 dilution for just about anything. At first I was very careful to keep multiple spray bottles with dilutions according to the label but that became a chore. It seemed I would run out of one dilution only to have to mix up another small batch for the day or job and the dilutions were a PITA. 10:1 or even 12:1 as CharlesW pointed out, will work very well and should safely cover most bases when used properly.
 
People have been using APC+ for years so I'd think if it were to do damage someone would have brought it up already. JMO
 
Well it sounds like the jury is in. Again I claim no amount of personal experience with Meg's, just Eimann Hi-Intensity and have no long term results to claim either. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.
 
rhillstr said:
Well it sounds like the jury is in. Again I claim no amount of personal experience with Meg's, just Eimann Hi-Intensity and have no long term results to claim either. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.
Click to expand...
Yep!
Typical detailer conclusion.
Maybe, then again maybe not.
The best, but there might be something better.

Hey, I guess if you are comfortable with it, use it.
If you aren't comfortable with it, use something else.

It was interesting to learn quite a few things about pH and it's effects on many things.
I would have to admit that much of the discussion was waaaay over my head.

Charles:)
 
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