Presoak Chemical Issues

[DiamondWash]

I am having a hard time trying to get vehicles clean in my touchfree bay. I am useing a 2 Pass Hi Ph Chemical and even tried the Hard Water version they make and I still get a haze on the vehicle. I have tweeked with the temps, the dwell times, tip size, speeds, tested my water hardness to be 0-1 drops, I am glad I have a Softgloss in the next bay, I heard a few other operators are having troubles with getting vehicles clean. I guess I'll have to switch back to good ol Tide or Cascade.

 

[vinh]

I too have been having trouble getting the 2 hiph presoak to work well. I am going back to low ph with abf for first pass and then hiph when my last drum is empty.

diamond, which machine wash more for you - touchfree or softgloss?

I am considering adding another bay for a softgloss.

 

[DiamondWash]

I love the SoftGloss hands down, I have had more success with my SoftGloss then my OHD no chemistry involved on a daily basis, I am in the process of educating my touchfree customers about FoamBrite and that's not the 80's style type bristel brushes that gave friction washes a bad name for so long so if you are going to install a Softgloss you will be impressed with the results and no I am not saying the Ryko SoftGloss is better then other friction type systems on the market it is just the Mfg your distributor sells and if you have a good relationship with them then you are on a good road to success, as for upgrading your exsiting OHD with a Radius I would go with the SoftGloss why spend a ton of money on a system you currently own that does the exact same that a Radius does, it all comes down to chemicals, you could have 2 guys with pump up sprayers spraying on chemicals on both sides of the car and rinse it off with a pressure washer but if the chemicals aren't working then you are not changing anything. Having both wash options at your wash is a smart idea that give the customer a choice if they are still unsure of friction units then you have a touchfree option just insure that your chemicals are working up to par.

 

[soapy]

What chemical titration are you using? What brand of chemical? Most larger chemical companies have different formulas for different types of soils. Most companies now will give a free trial supply to test to see how it works for you. It does not hurt to try a few different types until you find one that works.

 

[DiamondWash]

What chemical titration are you using? What brand of chemical? Most larger chemical companies have different formulas for different types of soils. Most companies now will give a free trial supply to test to see how it works for you. It does not hurt to try a few different types until you find one that works.

We are currently using Ryko Supreme Clean it was working great no issues and then we started seeing our wash quality going down as for titration the Ryko tech has it at a green tip on a 0.83 injector I know that's not the best info all paper work is at the wash, I was told a while back that switching to a 2 Step Lo Ph and Hi Ph style works better in the winter season and 2 pass Hi Ph in Spring and summer seasons I don''t know if that's true.

 

[Waxman]

My experience has been that certain times of year in my area make cleaning tougher in the touchfree.

Like after some rainy weather when the cars aren't getting washed much then a few dry days come and they wash it is tougher to bust the film off.

Think about it; the dirt is just building up on the finish each time they drive and even when the car just sits. In the Northeast we've got lotsa dirt that comes off with the leaves from the hardwood trees, as well as tree sap and pitch from the softwoods. Lotsa mud, road construction, etc.

The simple/quick way to try for more cleaning is to sample new soaps like soapy said or boost up your concentration at least for the mean time. Maybe look at your spray nozzles too for they can get worn and negate cleaning power.

 

[randy64]

Around the beginning of last week it got real hard to cut the road film around here. I've had some customers call to see if I had done something to there settings.

 

[bigleo48]

Around the beginning of last week it got real hard to cut the road film around here. I've had some customers call to see if I had done something to there settings.

When it happens here, my attendant will help. It's not too bad but generally if people are really picky I point them to the SS bays and show them how to use it.

Big

 

[whitescout]

Diamond,.... did you have a week or so of no rain,..... and then a real good, soaking rain for a day or two just before the problems cleaning cars??????


If this is the case, I will say that the problem is, that you are not using a low PH soap. The road film, dirt, grime, haze,... whatever you want to call it, is oil and antifreeze that was on the road, and is now all over the car. You need Low PH to clean it.

 

[DiamondWash]

I currently ordering some differant chemicals from C.A.R Products they are Lo and Hi Ph chemicals even says it removes "eyebrows" I like the new website they just finished and the online ordering is great but we'll see how the chemical works. And no we have not had any rain lately just nice weather 60's I would like to try Ryko's new Lo and Hi Ph chemicals but I don't think they will give me anymore free chemicals but never hurts to ask though.

 

[steve01]

Diamond - any luck switching chemicals? I have the "road grime blues" around here as well from touch free customers. Like you, if someone complains I just route them through my Softgloss, but I would rather have them satisfied with the wash they want instead of the one I want them to have.

 

[DiamondWash]

Well here's a progress report, I am having way better washing with the 2 step process that's what we we're setup for a number of years now it seems I will be going back to that way for the winter, but I do know that during the summer the 2 pass of Hi Ph did work as well. I see a lot of washes here in the metro area doing a Hi-Impact or Hi Pressure rinse pass before applying presoak I though this to be a no no due to the fact that it will dulute the chemicals further and it won't stick to the vehicle as well.

 

[MEP001]

You'll often see a water-only pass on machines that apply a low-pH presoak first, particularly in summer months, to prevent etching the paint.

 

[rph9168]

Unless most vehicles have a lot of gross soils I would not recommend a hi pressure or any rinse before chemical application. In addition to the concentration of the solutions it is very important to have good coverage and dwell time before rinsing. Having hot or warm water also helps as well. How well either high pH/high pH or low pH/high pH depends on the general composition of the soils to be removed and the weather conditions. Generally I have seen the best, most consistent results with a two step lo/high approach, especially in colder climates.