Presoak for HP soap?

[Haines]

A while back I took over a wash and the previous owner used KR chemicals. So far I have been unimpressed with the purple passion presoak.

https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-1941-purple-passion-presoak-car-wash-detergent.aspx

It seems to separate and turn to jelly and creates a mess. I am going to switch to another product, but was curious if I could add a foaming agent to the Purple Passion and use it up in the FB or HP Soap?

https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-2726-simoniz-foam-additive-5-gallons.aspx

Thoughts?

Unfortunately the previous owner must have liked this stuff because I am sitting on several five gallon pails in the ER. I hate to just throw it out.

Thanks for your responses!

 

[PEI]

I would think that if it was not separating and turning to jelly that it would be safe to use for a HP Soap.

Since it is separating and turning to jelly, you need to think hard about whether you should use it. If you use it, will it gum up the mixing system. will it keep your customers satisfied, will you constantly have to remix it? While using it will save you money and prevent it from going to waste, if it creates a bad experience for your customers it will do more harm than good. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Gave up on the PP Pre soak a while ago for this reason.

i now use their Low PH soap as the pre soak.

 

[Randy]

Are you trying to use the Purple Passion right out of the 5 gallon pail or are you mixing it with 10 gallons of water? I’d mix it all together in a 55 gallon drum add the right amount of water, use hot water and then add 5 gallons of foamer and run it rich until it’s all gone.

I hate to say this but most of the KR brand liquid concentrate soap products are garbage!! We tried them all over the years and had nothing but problems with them, we used them according to the instructions on the container and mixed 5 gallons of product with 10 gallons of water. They’d separate or drop out of solution, it would get a snot/slime in the hydrominder tank, this is a bacterial growth, the only way to stop the snot/slime is to put swimming pool bleach pellets in the hydrominder tank. We used JBS Fonic now and couldn’t be happier. It doesn’t separate or get the slime/snot in the hydrominder tanks. For presoak we use KR Super wash #KRWW50, it works great.

 

[Haines]

I agree about not using it if it's gummed up, I meant on the pails that seemed ok. Just was looking for a way to use up what's still usable.

After I get it used up I planned to switch to the powder mix that Randy uses.

Randy, yes I'm mixing the pail with water as per the instructions. Are you saying to use it up in the HP soap or FB?

 

[loewem]

Based on my experience with KR soaps I wouldn't try to use up any of the soaps that you have. The pre-soak you mentioned did the same thing for me. After I realized that it was gumming up I dumped the chemical and pumped water through the system. Then I mentioned the problem on this forum and someone suggested running vinegar through the system. Did that, but ultimately had to take my low pressure manifold apart piece by piece and clean it out. The pre-soak had crystalized and it was a nightmare to clean out. Screwed up two flojets in the process that i had to clean out and replace some parts in.

Randy warned me about problems with KR chemicals, but I had already purchased pre-soak and foam brush and didnt want to waste them. So I mixed up the pre-soak. Never tried the foam brush so don't know, but I wouldn't chance it.

 

[MEP001]

A lot of products like that one are so weak in detergents that there's nothing to prevent algae from growing in the tank. I just recently had to remove one and clean about a pound of slime out of it.

 

[mac]

I can't help but be amused by reading how products from a supplier who sells the cheapest things on the market, are junk. And why would anyone have to go through that mixing process? Just plain dumb.

 

[soonermajic]

I use Vanilla Crème & it works good. I mix it with 10 gallons of water.
Do you mix the Fonic Wash Concentrate w/ water ?

 

[Haines]

I guess I haven't had any problem with the KR soaps other than the Purple Passion. My high pressure and FB soaps are both KR and I haven't had any problems with them; granted I haven't run anything else, so I guess I don't have much to compare them to.

My concern about using the Purple Passion in FB or HP is that it would damage paint? If I'm not mistaken the actual cleaning action of the FB is more the mechanical action of the brush rather than the chemical; that's why I thought that might be an ideal place to use up the Purple Passion. BUT, if it's going to plug up my foamers with slime etc., obviously it's not worth it.

Thanks for the input. I just ordered some of Randy's recommended powder.

 

[loewem]

This pic kind of shows the mess I made using the KR pre-soak. I threw some drop cloth over equipment that I didn't want to get crap all over and then I blasted my pre-soak air manifold with compressed air. Didn't think to cover some automatic chemical that was sitting about 10 feet away. What View attachment 1002 a mess I made using that stuff.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I can't help but be amused by reading how products from a supplier who sells the cheapest things on the market, are junk. And why would anyone have to go through that mixing process? Just plain dumb.

Similarly I am amused when people never try other stuff and may be paying triple what they need to. I must have tried at least 100 products. 95 gave good results. 90 gave good show and results. A couple had mixing / solution issues. So, for 90 out of 100 it came down to cost.

 

[MudMoney]

When I first got into the SS business in 1989 used Blue Coral as a salesman had contacted me.I didn't have a clue on what to use.The biggest draw back was price and shipping.I went to ICA convention that year and asked all the vendors to supply me with a free sample of their product.I paid shipping on some and others shipped free. That was powder & liquid,took me about a year to find out what worked best in my area and I didn't make the choice on price alone.I've been using the same company for 27 years now. Convention is coming up again might be a good time for other operators to experiment.

 

[Greg Pack]

The purple passion I tried years ago wouldn't clean anything well. Find a scented presoak designed to be used in a touch free and try it for a self serve presoak.

As far as using the current product up- I would dilute the concentrate, and use a bigger hydrominder tip. Most high foaming alkaline or neutral products use anionic surfactants and will mix together. In other words you could probably mix this with most tire cleaners, foam brushes,high pressure soaps, and presoaks without a problem. waxes and foaming protectants are usually cationic so are a no-go. Just pour some of each concentrate in a clear cup, stir , and let them sit a day or so and you will know if they are compatible.

Throw a piece of scrap copper pipe in the chemical tank. It might help some with slime if it is bacterial growth.

 

[soapy]

If you look at the MSDS sheet on purple passion from KR you will find out that it is a neutral presoak. I don't think it has much cleaning action in itself but is a decent foamer. Being neutral is why algae will grow in it some times. I use it as a foam agent in my High PH presoaks. I am replacing it with other foamers now. To keep it from sliming up a few drops of bleach per bucket will kill all the algae.

 

[EricW]

The gummed up pails, are probably an effect from cold weather. Save them for summer, and you should be fine. Cold weather and surfactants are difficult for some manufactures

 

[Haines]

Thanks for the tips guys, I appreciate it!

 

[Waxman]

I use my same 2 products in HP soap ( self serve ) that I use in my IBA: Simoniz Correct Powder and Simoniz Foam Additive.

I also use it in my foamy brush. No scent, but it's hard to beat the cleaning power and low cost.