Zep Citrus Degreaser -- Dilutions

well im going to give it a shot...... if it melts my paint, oh well LOL.

Also, never buy the POWERMAX orange cleaner at lowes. it is too strong for anything..... worked awesome though in my powerwasher.

 

Optimum Power Clean @ 3:1. I haven't used the product at full strength due to the results I have had at this ratio. I have cleaned a few engines, wheel wells, wheels, and tires all at 3:1. Also note that I was a very avid user of P21S Total Auto Wash and Meg's APC+.


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the zep degresser stained my chrome window trims on my old audi when I used it for paint, so now I use it to soak my buffing pads, clean tires, n clean my wash media. I make sure I rinse throughly..

 

I also use zep citrus on paint. I dilute it 3:1 for panels, carpets, and wheels that have been maintained. I use it at either 2:1 or 1:1 for really dirty wheels.

 

I read about your issue Fankie since i did some searching and came up on a thread you made and am a little afraid to use it on my paint now.

Thanks man I will use these dilutions as well for my wheels, enginebay, carpets. You and Dust2Glory state you use it at 3:1 on panels; for stripping lsp's I am guessing? How do you apply it with a foam lance or foam gun or do you just spray it on the panel directly. I bought one of those pressurized sprayers today so I am wonder if this is ok to use with Zep Citrus at 3:1 to strip LSP's off. Also whats the dwell time approximately?

 

I started using it in about 2008. It was recommended to me by a few people I trusted here on DB and they did not steer me wrong. I have used it on 100's of cars with no problem whatsoever. My dilution rates are 4:1 for paint, wheels and underhood. I also use Zep purple at 4:1 when I want something stronger. I use it (Citrus) on bad leather with the RG pad and follow up with steam and have had amazing results on trashed leather. I like 303 cleaner if the leather is in good shape. Zep purple at 4:1 pulls shit out of tires like very few others for a fraction of the price.

 

I spray directly to the panel from my spray bottle. What I normally do when stripping LSP's is, I'll first soak the car with water, then I spray Zep CD 3:1 on all painted panels, then I do a dawn soap, Zep CD mix in my foam gun.

 

Rich thanks for your input. I will be using it at 4:1. I was told to try this product from JL. He has helped me out on quite a few questions I have had, just as you have. You both have always given me good advice. I was going to by the Zep glass cleaner as well but decided to wait. I am going to get the ammonia free one that is safe for tinted windows. Next time I will pick it up I read on another thread that you use this to clean glass and some interior surfaces. It seems like that gallon will last quite a while at the high dilution it states to use it at. Thanks

Thanks man I was wondering how to apply it. I think I will use it at 4:1 and see how it works then if I need to I will go lower.

 

Here's a stupid question...but when you say 4:1...do you mean 4 parts of citrus to 1 part water or the other way around?

 

4 parts water to 1 part citrus degreaser.

 

Try picking up Zep Big Orange... Its only available directly from zep... But the stuff works awesome on bugs, tar, etc and it's safe on paint

 

Unfortunately, I never get really nice cars to detail, no one around here has them so I'm stuck doing filthy vans and the like. Many of them have not been washed for several months (or more), so my standard car wash soap (Megs Gold Class) wasn't really doing as good of a job as I had hoped. Would Zep Citrus be the answer? I need something that is relatively cheap to use and preferably OTC so I can pick it up as I run out.

The only thing is I don't have a foam gun, I only have a cheap fertilizer sprayer. It does alright but how much product should I be putting in the sprayer? I could never figure out how much I should be using.

 

I've got a gilmour foam gun I'm probably gonna get rid of here pretty soon.


But yes, Zep Citrus is your answer. I would mix it with your gold class.

In your sprayer, I would fill it about 1/8th full of Zep and the rest water and go from there

 

I have used a lot of different soaps out there and I can honestly say there is nothing wrong with OTC Megs Gold Class. add an ounce or 2 of Zep to your wash solution and say goodbye to LSP. Or even cheaper save your Gold Class for maintenance and wash the rig with Dawn,which will save your Zep for other parts of the car.

 

You guys are crazy.

 

Just curious, but why?

 

be careful with it around plastic trim etc or letting it dry. I did get some spotting on a car with single stage paint once. I wet the car down, put it in my lilttle garden sprayer at 5:1 and then foam the car to give it some extra dwell time.

10:1 for interior panels. I sometimes use it to clean nasty leather, but I spray it on the towel and scrub.... concentrations of the stuff can spot the leather.

 

OP: I use Zep Citrus degreaser on my towels in the washer as recommended by AZN_C300 and it works miracles. I dilute 1:1 in a sprayer and mist over heavily soiled spots on the towels.

 

Same here, I am wondering why you said this Emile?

 

So mixing it 4:1 in a 32oz sprayer bottle means adding 8oz. of this ZEP degreaser and 24oz of water to fill the spray bottle completely?

Just wondering, I know it's 1st grade math, but on one of my sprayer bottles, there's a mark (line) for 1:10 and 1:4 dilutions and the 1:4 seems well below where 8 ounces would be if I put that much in there.