Car Detailing - What products are your go to?

[DFB FGXR6]

For this post, I'm covering two alkaline-leaning soaps within the Koch Chemie lineup. One is simply stunning, one is somewhat underwhelming.

Koch Chemie Auto Shampoo AS

I tried Auto Shampoo a few years ago when the brilliant GSF had been out of stock for several months. My thinking was, if GSF was so good, then AS would surely follow suit. Wrong.

https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...ehicle-shampoo

Auto Shampoo is a mild alkaline soap with a pH of 9.0, which sits in the middle of the neutral GSF and the pH 12.0 Super Foam. This higher pH means it will clean better than GSF, but without the stripping ability of something like Super Foam. Despite claims otherwise, this is not a high foaming soap, no matter the dilution.

In use, while slick and offering good cleaning ability, Auto Shampoo is not a WOW product. The subdued lemon scent is pretty forgettable, slickness is fine, suds are fine, overall...................it's just fine. I get the feeling that the original intent for this soap was for use in commercial car washes applied via the spray gun. The higher pH and cleaning ability, and the low foaming ability support this belief.



How To Use -

Auto Shampoo can be foamed or used in a bucket, but its far better used for bucket washing.

1. Fill you bucket with water, then add 100ml of AS, then agitate with a blast from your hose to foam it up.

2. Wash the vehicle as usual, working top to bottom and rinsing out your wash media in the bucket between sections.

3. Rinse thoroughly.



Usage Tips -

- Koch Chemie Suggest a 150:1 dilution for bucket washing.

- If you are going to foam Auto Shampoo, skip straight to the 5:1 ratio, which would be about 160ml of soap to 840ml of water.

- Auto Shampoo will produce a very thin film when foamed.

- I've found it a great soap for your wheel bucket, the higher alkalinity certainly helps.

- Avoid using in direct sunlight, or on hot surfaces. Avoid letting it dry on the surface.



Koch Chemie Active Foam AF

Like Auto Shampoo, Active Foam at pH 9.5 is a nice middle ground in terms of pH and cleaning ability. Unlike Auto Foam, this soap actually foams, it would want to considering the name.

https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...active-foam-af

Active Foam can be used as a pre-wash snow foam or used for contact washing. It's strong enough to deal with road grime and bugs, but without being a sledgehammer. However, unlike Auto Shampoo, it can put a dent in your wax or sealant. On a coating, it will act as a deep cleanser and rejuvenator.

Active Foam is one of those products that instantly proved to be a winner. Foam quality is excellent, as is its cleaning ability on wheels and as a pre-soak prior to contact washing. And the scent, ooohhhh the scent. A quick whiff of the bottle reveals a somewhat strange, but pleasant aroma. But once you start foaming it, the sandalwood scent spices the air and lingers for hours after use. It's so addictive! And the scent makes Active Foam somewhat unique, most decon/high pH soaps are unscented. I know fragrance doesn't have any practical benefit, but it certainly adds to the overall user experience and makes you enjoy the task more.



How To Use -

I've been using Active Foam as a mid-strength wheel cleaner and as a pre-wash snow foam. The following is for use as a pre-wash...............

1. For foam cannons, add 100ml of Active Foam to 900ml of water.

2. Foam the vehicle, allow to soak for as long as possible to break down dirt, grime and bugs.

3. Rinse thoroughly.

4a. Re-foam with a pH neutral soap for the contact wash. Or.............

4b. Re-foam with Active Foam for a deeper clean/decon wash.

5. Rinse, then dry.



Usage Notes -

- Koch Chemie recommend a 300:1 ratio for bucket washing, which would be 50ml to 15-litres of water.

- For foam cannons, KCx suggest a dilution ratio between 20:1 down to 7:1. I've found it very capable at 10:1.

- Don't allow this product to dry on the surface and preferably avoid direct sunlight.

- I've been mixing Active Foam to make a 500ml solution (50ml to 450ml of water). This is enough soap to clean four wheels/tyres/wheel arches, then enough to foam a dual-cab Ranger. This way you aren't left with soap sitting in your foam cannon and losing its foaming ability.

- If you want to mix up a full foam cannon, consider using demineralized water to ensure stability while stored.



Final Thoughts -

As mentioned at the beginning, one of these soaps is a winner, and one is a midfield contender.

Auto Shampoo does nothing wrong, other than not foaming well, but it doesn't excel at anything either. Active Foam on the other hand is a winner across the board. It's a product that nails the job title while providing an exceptional user experience. Highly recommended!