Car wash secrets revealed: The untold chemistry behind knocking out dirt and grime.

Washing your car might seem like a relatively straightforward affair, but in order to effectively clean your vehicle there is incredibly complex chemistry involved.

We’ll unearth the secrets behind effectively cleaning your vehicle and how you can get that new car feel.

The primary detergents involved in getting the majority of your vehicle clean has been given the general name of “presoaks”. These presoaks are divided by pH (which is scale of how acidic or alkaline it is).

There are low pH presoaks (below 7) which are acidic and high pH presoaks (above 7), which are alkaline.

"The neutralisation in this instance is a benefit, not a drawback, and creates a one-two knockout punch against dirt & grime."

When you drive around, your car accumulates a layer of soil comprised of dirt, greases, salts, bugs, bird droppings and more. When these soils are left untreated on the vehicle they can damage the protective clearcoat.

So removing this road film is the NUMBER 1 thing you can do to prolong the life of the vehicles surface. Which is why presoaks (both low & high pH) are generally applied to a vehicle at the best car washes and allowed to dwell in an effort to raise the soil off the surface of the vehicle.

What does low pH presoak do?

Low pH presoaks help by lifting and removing inorganic soils (non-living things like sand and salt). This acidic presoak is great at removing more granular and inorganic road film like tiny clay particles. Whilst the acidic strength of a low pH presoak is critical, the determining factor of an effective one is the choice of acids and surfactants (used to lower the surface tension). These strengths are constantly measured and tested to ensure they are working effectively.

Pictured: Vehicle with heavy inorganic material comprised of dirt, sand and mud, prior to entering Nu Wave's Automatic Car Wash.

What does high pH presoak do?

High pH presoak assist by lifting and removing organic soils (living things like bugs, greases and bird droppings). This alkaline presoak is comprised of alkaline builders and surfactants to help to remove and emulsify organic material, while effectively neutralising any acid on the vehicles surface. Road film on cars almost always have some form of oily material so it’s crucial to the presoak process.

Pictured: Vehicle in Nu Wave's manual wash bay using their high pH signature bug remover presoak.

The one-two knockout punch against dirt and grime!

When both Acidic (low pH) and Alkaline (high pH) presoaks are applied to the same surface, there’s a neutralisation that takes place. When one is applied, it starts to lift the soils and then the second product is applied, reacting with both the opposite pre-soak and the soils increasing the removal of the soils. The neutralisation in this instance is a benefit, not a drawback, and creates a one-two knockout punch against dirt & grime.

Pictured: Mercedes after multi-layered low & high pH presoak in Nu Wave's touch-free RAZOR automatic wash.

The chemistry involved in cleaning a vehicle is very complex but when used effectively, tested and monitored often it ensures you can drive away with the feeling of a brand new car. 

For best results, it's recommended to wash your car weekly which helps to ensure your clear coat stays in tact, protects your paint and removes soils quickly before they can damage your vehicles protective layer.

Nu Wave Car Wash’s Touch Free Razor Platinum Wash has a multi-layered low and high pH presoak process to knock out dirt and grime. Manual wash bays are also equipped with acidic (low pH) presoak, in all bays, and alkaline (high pH) bug remover presoak, in selected bays.

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