Citrus Cleaners Have Taken Center Stage in Detailing

Are you amazed at how many specialty cleaners that are available to clean your vehicle? Wheel and rim cleaner, tire cleaner, brake dust remover, engine degreaser, white wall cleaner, tar remover - the list goes on. Ever wonder what the pros in Dealerships and Detailing Shops use? In those businesses, concentrated citrus cleaners have replaced them all and taken the center stage.

Why? Simple – they work, and work extremely well where time and results matter. Citrus cleaners work as well or better than the caustic counterparts that we are all used to using. Citrus cleaners are also cost effective and versatile. For example, a good professional-grade, concentrated citrus cleaner now replaces a lot of specialty products that professional detailers needed to use in the past. Citrus cleaners easily dissolve and lift grease, oily residue, grime and dirt without harming or discoloring the surface.

The principal component of a good, professional grade citrus cleaner is something called d-limonene. D-limonene is extracted from the oil found in peels of citrus fruits, a natural solvent that is also biodegradable. As with any product, the quality and performance difference is related to how highly concentrated the ingredients are, including d-limonene. For example, more “orange” cleaners are showing up on retail shelves, some of which are scented or colored orange, or both - and aren’t really suitable for heavy duty cleaning tasks. A good professional grade citrus cleaner is highly concentrated and is able to be diluted all the way down to 1:50 for general cleaning tasks.

Other than simply working better, there are many reasons detailing pros use citrus cleaners. Citrus cleaners replace dangerous, flammable solvent-based products, are safer to use, environmentally friendly, non-caustic, and much more economical and cost effective. Citrus cleaners degrease, clean and deodorize at the same time while leaving behind a clean surface with a pleasant scent.

For example, cleaning and degreasing under the hood is a snap with a good citrus cleaner at the coin car wash. Here’s how: Simply pop the hood, spray the cleaner from front to back, left to right, then right to left - getting coverage in all the nooks and crannies. Throw in some quarters, select rinse and spray away all the crud. Once you’re done, shut the hood and rinse off the excess from the outside finish. Go for a short drive to dry it off and it will look like brand new.

If you’ve owned a utility trailer, RV or camper, you undoubtedly experienced those dreaded black streaks that run down the sides from the roof, which can be a real challenge to remove. To easily remove them, substitute a good concentrated citrus cleaner as you would for soap. Wash as normal and rinse. The results will be a clean shiny surface with no black streaks. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? It really is that easy with a good citrus cleaner.

Cleaning and removing brake dust from wheels, and tires with a citrus cleaner is a breeze. Liberally spray a concentrated citrus cleaner directly on the surface and select high-pressure rinse and you’re done – usually no need for scrubbing. Citrus cleaners also do a great job at removing adhesive residue, cleaning concrete floors and countless other uses.

Try a professional-grade citrus cleaner next time in your cleaning regimen. Other than getting better results, it will make things a lot easier on you and your wallet.