Car Wash pH

C

CharlesW

The Rainmaker
Rather than take the Opti-Coat thread any further off-topic, I started a new thread to address a reference to the pH of Dawn Dish Washing Detergent and Meguiar's NXT Car Wash.
First off, I need to say that as is often the case, I have no idea what I am talking about.
Secondly, there seems to be a lot more to cleaning products than pH.

It also seems that a cleaning agent needs to have a pH of at least 8 to do its job.

Anyway, the MSDS for Meguiar's NXT Car Wash lists a pH of 8.5.
The MSDS for Dawn dish detergent lists a pH of 9-9.2.
(I don't happen to use either one on my vehicles.)

I have no idea what the pH of a product means in the world of car care.
FWIW, I use laundry detergent/soap for laundry, dish detergent/soap for dishes, and car detergent/soap for cars.
 
Poorboy said:
Super Slick & Suds is ph neutral at 7 ;)
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Interesting.
A good example of how pH evidently has very little to do with the performance of a shampoo.
If pH was the governing factor, SS&S has the same pH as water and wouldn't clean any better than plain water.
That evidently is not the case so like I said earlier, there is a lot more to cleaning agents than pH.

Also, addressing the NXT wash being much more harsh than Meguiar's Gold Class car wash.
The Gold Class wash MSDS shows the same 8.5 pH as the NXT.
 
CharlesW said:
Interesting.
A good example of how pH evidently has very little to do with the performance of a shampoo.
If pH was the governing factor, SS&S has the same pH as water and wouldn't clean any better than plain water.
That evidently is not the case so like I said earlier, there is a lot more to cleaning agents than pH.

Also, addressing the NXT wash being much more harsh than Meguiar's Gold Class car wash.
The Gold Class wash MSDS shows the same 8.5 pH as the NXT.
Click to expand...

Leave it to CharlesW to bring up the complex topics for discussion. ;)

Probably a rehash, but for any new members not familiar with what we are talking about pH or the degrees of acidity (below 7.0) and alkalinity (above 7.0). Soil is considered an acid, so we clean (neutralize) with an alkaline cleaner. There is a lot more to it than that, but let's start (and stop) there for this post.

I'm certainly no chemist, but I am Mr. Clean :cool: and as I understand cleaners (detergents) pH levels are not the only component to the equation. You have surfactants and other solvents which all work together. As those surfactants and solvents have evolved and improved high pH levels are not always necessary to have an effective cleaner. Though I don't think that high alkaline cleaners are necessarily outdated.

Hanging around some of the carpet cleaning guys I've overheard conversations regarding pH and how you don't want too high of alkalinity if cleaning certain carpet fibers. This would certainly be a concern if you find yourself cleaning a vehicle equipped with wool carpeting.

I'm going to assume (always dangerous ;)) that this has something to do with my comment in the other thread. Notice, I did include qualifiers such as "perception" and "sense" in my statement. :) And again, it has been a while since I last used any NXT car wash, but those are the impressions it left with me.
 
Mr. Clean said:
I'm going to assume (always dangerous ;)) that this has something to do with my comment in the other thread. Notice, I did include qualifiers such as "perception" and "sense" in my statement. :) And again, it has been a while since I last used any NXT car wash, but those are the impressions it left with me.
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Actually, I wasn't referring to your comments at all. Sorry about that.

What I thought I remembered was quite a few posts on different forums regarding the "harshness" of NXT wash compared to the Gold Class.
Never having used MXT wash, I have no idea as to how it performs.
It did seem to have a fairly short shelf time in the discount stores.
Was it expensive?

One thing about the internet, you can usually find some "expert" opinion to quote to verify your position.
In checking Dawn pH with Google, I found references as low as 8.1 pH to as high as 12 pH.
Who is right? Probably none of them.
My figures may not be any more accurate, but they did come from the Mfg.'s MSDS.
 
:DNo, it wasn't expensive. As I recall it was right in line with the Gold Class. And perhaps that was its undoing. Two comparably priced products from the same company and limited shelf space. I had switched over after my first bottle to the NXT. Maybe it was it's purple color. :redface: :D
 
Meguiar's is great at having multiple choice products.
I just did a quick check and came up with 7 different car shampoos. I'm not sure they don't have a few more. :)
Gotta have something for everyone, I guess.
 
Meguairs deals with different channels. It is no uncommon for product makers to make similar products in different brand lines. I would like to understand the OTC market better since you see products come and go each year.

For example, if Meguairs cannot get enough places to stock it, it will not sell enough to justify it. Meguairs had some interesting brushes but they stopped selling those...given the number at Big Lots that made many more than they sold through normal channels.
 
I tested NXT wash with pool test strips and it came in around 9ish ph range. I tested Kit car wash and it came in around 7 ph.
 
wannafbody said:
I tested NXT wash with pool test strips and it came in around 9ish ph range. I tested Kit car wash and it came in around 7 ph.
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What did your Dawn test with your pool strips?

I don't really even know why I ask that since it seems that pH is not terribly important for a car shampoo.

FWIW, I have probably used at least 20 different car washes over the years and I don't think any of them ever "stripped" my wax/sealant in a noticeable amount.
I wouldn't truly know since I apply more wax/sealant every 4 to 6 weeks if not more often. I think Turtle Wax would have enough durability for my use. :)
 
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