Powdered Soap; Long-term test

[Buzzie8]

I tried KR a long time ago and bought a pallet of powder. I am pretty sure they supplied a free mixing tank. Can't remember what the minimum order was to get it though. Worth investigating.

 

[Waxman]

They have an offer in Kleen Scene magazine out now for free shipping on orders over $750. Good deal; give it a shot and try the powder.

Just think how many boxes of powder you can get for $750 compared to not even 3 drums of good presoak.

Wish I'd done this long ago.

 

[madscientist]

Trying to keep costs down, I really don't want to purchase a $250+ barrel mixer. It looks like something I could rig up with spare parts around the shop. Can someone give me the details on the motor used? I have some spare ones just sitting around that I could put to good use.

Dultmeier has the specs of the drum mixer motor listed on their website. You'll still have to buy a few things to make the mixer complete. It may be well worth the $250 to buy one, especially since you will save that much after the first two batches of soap you mix.

 

[bigleo48]

"Super Kleen is made by Simoniz. The simoniz version is called Power Solve." And the Simoniz version is cheaper than the KR?!

 

[bigleo48]

Jeff_L,

If you mix with warm water, it does seems to stay mixed as Waxman has pointed out. I have purchased some barrel mixers for my site, but before they arrived, I just used a cordless drill and a paint mixer adapter and my guys would mix it every day...took about 10 secs each time. So if your there everyday, then you can just buy one of these for $10.

 

[bighead]

get a small motor that runs off 120v, get a shaft with a mixer on the end, get a tub. Get a outlet that has a timer/programmable off/on, and program it for a run a couple times a day. For your time, the $250 is probably worth it.

I know a guy who uses the kleen white tire cleaner for surfactant... claims it helps penetrate the road film better, and that 5 gallons lasts him a year...

I'm just lazy and use blendco personally.... I tried the barrel mixer before i switched to blendco years ago, and I couldn't get a consistent enough mix for my liking.

 

[rph9168]

Check this out. Looks like the prices are relatively good for a mixer. They also have tanks for their mixers.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/search.aspx?search=Mixers&page=1

 

[Gabriel]

I have kind of had the same experience with powder. I do like it a lot better than liquids and it is both easier to use and cost less. I also use Blendco and it is easy and consistant. No problems in 9 or so years so we have stuck with it. Really have not found anything that will do the job as well. They made a change awhile back to a new constant mix barrel system and it has been flawless.

 

[MEP001]

Trying to keep costs down, I really don't want to purchase a $250+ barrel mixer. It looks like something I could rig up with spare parts around the shop. Can someone give me the details on the motor used? I have some spare ones just sitting around that I could put to good use.

I mix together liquid and powdered tire cleaner, and made a mixing blade out of a 3-foot stick of 1/4" threaded rod and a strip of stainless that I bent into a propeller shape. Cost about $4 for the rod, the rest I had. I just chuck it into a drill. I'll try to remember and get a pic of the blade I made.

 

[MEP001]

I used a pair of crescent wrenches to make the twist.

 

[Jeff_L]

Looks pretty good. I think I have enough spare parts around the shop to build one myself. I may have to start tinkering around with it after I get a few other maintenance items off my list!

 

[Stuart]

I have been using powder for over 30 years except for a mental lapse a few years ago to use liquid.
Not only do I believe my cars come cleaner- especially in my IBA- but I had many issues with fittings degrading faster.

I have a 100 gallon tank with a 1/2 hp motor strapped to the top with pvc pipe used to circulate/mix the soap with a timer. Then a diverter valve and float switch to send the mixed soap to my system supply tank as needed. Flow meters at the pump. I also use a shurflo pump at another location to move from mixing tank to supply tank.

 

[borumrm]

I am trying and like:

1. Kleen Rite Super Kleen Powder.

2. Trans Mate Wonder wash TM057.

I add some surfactant in when I mix.

I use the metering tips but like the idea of a flow meter I can adjust.

Cars look great; they look buffed, lots of them. May sound funny but it's true.

Waxman what surfactant to you add and how much? Are you using this in your automatics?

 

[borumrm]

I use a flow meter that all my presoak goes through to a non tipped injector. I titrate the presaok at a given flow on the flow meter so I know how strong it is. If I need a little stronger I just dial up the flow meter a little and I know I am getting stronger presoak. I can also watch the flow meter to make sure the draw stays consistent throughout the barrell. I use powder also.

Soapy, can you post a picture of how you have your flowmeter set up for you presoak? I am having a hard time visualizing what it looks like.

 

[Waxman]

kleen rite purple passion; 1/3 of a 5 gallon pail. yes in my touchfree automatic.

 

[mjwalsh]

We have been using Heavy Duty Presoak Warsaw Powder over 10 years now for the hi pressure soap in our 6 self service bays. The cost has gone up a quite a bit. Has anyone compared that specific product with the cleaning ability of KleenRite's Turbo Powder or other KleenRite powdered soap?

 

[soapy]

Here is a picture of my flowmeter setup. From the presoak tank I run through a screen mesh filter then through the adjustable flowmeter and then into the injector with no tip. I adjust the flow with the black knob for chemical concentration.

 

[MichaelGlenn]

I've been buying the Hi PH Blue Coral PreSoak for my Laser, 55 gallon drum is running almost $700 !
Not knowing any better and being new to the business... i've had much to learn $$. According to my soap guy, the Blue Coral is being applied at about 4oz per car, thus he says although I'm paying more for the chemical, i'm getting more out of it compared to other presoak products. /?

I've recently met another local operator who is also a distributor for JBS who swears by the powder product -- not to mention it would cost 1/5 of what i'm paying now. I mean holy crap, clearly I need a soap solution so I plan to try JBS.

As always, great discussion in the forum ! thank to all who contribute!

 

[ICEMAN]

Has anyone done an actual unit to unit test between powder and liquid. I would like to see numbers between cost and dilution ratios. I too would like to switch to powder but the ultra concentrated liquids do save on shipping, because i am not paying to ship water. Liquids also have a higher dilution as opposed to powders so do you really save money with powders. I have been washing for 30 yrs and used to use powders in the good ole days because that is mostly what we had. I would think viscosity of liquids between mixed powders and straight out of the bucket in bay presoaks would be different, so they would draw at different rates. Lets see some numbers

 

[bighead]

Has anyone done an actual unit to unit test between powder and liquid. I would like to see numbers between cost and dilution ratios. I too would like to switch to powder but the ultra concentrated liquids do save on shipping, because i am not paying to ship water. Liquids also have a higher dilution as opposed to powders so do you really save money with powders. I have been washing for 30 yrs and used to use powders in the good ole days because that is mostly what we had. I would think viscosity of liquids between mixed powders and straight out of the bucket in bay presoaks would be different, so they would draw at different rates. Lets see some numbers

I TOTALLY AGREE.... "significant savings" and "I save between 50-75%" just isn't enough for me. I'd prefer a precise cost breakdown, maybe even some tax returns, notarized of course. On second thought, I'm going to build a new car wash soon, so if one of you guys could do the pro-formas for me, that would be great... of course if those numbers don't work out, I will hold you personally responsible.

Get a life Iceman. Pay your chemical guy too much until you get a good enough command of what works, then slowly switch over if you want to save costs. If you don't want to get a command of what works, then pay too much (that's an option that some people employ, probably myself included) but don't expect these guys to do every little piddly thing for you.