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Thoughts on other chemicals??

csmith

Member
I’ve had this 5 bay wash of mine for a little over 10 years in middle TN. When i bought the place they had already been using blendco chemicals, so i just stuck with it. I’m just curious with what everyone else is using and how everyone thinks this compares to other soap company’s.

thanks in advance!!
 
I’ve never used any blendco products but have heard good things about them. I’d say if you feel some of their products are not working/performing as well as you would like and/or if the costs are becoming prohibitive to maintain, then that is when it is a good idea to shop around. You also want to make sure you have exhausted the possibilities with your current supplier and chemicals line with regard to product choice, dilution, etc. If you are still coming up short, that would be the time to make a switch.

I’ve switched things out many times over the years - mainly when I felt that there were other products that became available that could outperform what I was currently using, or when a more “updated” or “next generation” type of product came out.

For example, when Simoniz came out with their hot wax, it was one of the early carnauba products and I saw it was making a visible difference on cars and operators were making nice profits on it, so I started using it. Eight years later, I just switched to Shine on with Vantagloss by Quest because I had heard - mainly on this forum- that Quest was using some new polymers and producing top notch products in the sealant and protectant category. I tried it and it is definitely an step up from what I was using. The switch was the right thing to do for me.
That’s how most of my chem changes have happened over the years. But sometimes doing nothing is the best thing to do too.
 
cssmith, are you using Blendco's Super Sat line with HPH powder? That's what I inherited when I bought my wash and the customers are always complimenting the quality of the soap/foam. Last year my chemical costs were 5.7% of gross which is a little below the 2020 self serve average in the latest Auto Laundry survey.

All that said I'm reluctant to change. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
 
Yeah, blendco make pretty good stuff. I wouldn't have a problem using them but I like to switch things up and like a little variety, I don't think my customers care though.

As far as other lines, there is some real crap out there so be prepared to experiment.
 
There's lots of good & bad. 1 that is both,,is "Just Peachy " from Kleen-Rite. Works great, smells great, but leaves a green drip on cars that EVERYONE, myself included, swears it's antifreeze. I was forced to switch because of that.
 
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I use KR Low PH Soap for Pre Soak and HP Soap. Gave up on their regulars SS HP and Pre soak because of gelling issues. I use Kleen white for engines and wheels and Just peach for Wax. Cherry Blossom for FB.
 
Blendco, Quest, Blue Corral, Lustra, Turtle Wax, Armorall/Zep, Warsaw those are gonna be more towards your top shelf Lines. For a self serve any of those would be descent. I have seen Blendco at sites setup correctly and there tire cleaner just blows away everyone else's bc you can jack up the alkalinity unlike the others.
 
Blendco is a good chemical. It is on the expensive side though. I used to use it but have switched over to the KLeenrite/simoniz products from kleenrite. I buy a high PH powder from kleenrite and mix in a surfactant through a dual tip injector like blendco and get the same results for less than 1/3 the cost I was spending on Blendco.
 
Like Soapy, I use Lots of Simoniz I get from Kleen Rite. I also mix a powder alkaline detergent with foam additive and make some very nice, rich HP and Foamy brush detergent that cleans well.

I use Simoniz FC3 Wax and love it.

I like JBS Glow foam for my 3X foam in SS and Foam polish in touchfree.

Last Winter I used my first real trial of "Winter" foam brush and 3X foam and I have to say it was awesome and I will do it again this year. It was some chemical I bought 'second hand' from someone who does clean-outs. Magic Finish I think was the brand...
 
the product I have been most pleased with is the Simoniz Banana peel foam brush. It is loaded with surfactants so with the monster foam brush heads it glides over the surface nicely . a beautiful rich lather that unlike all the other foam brush fragrance's does not attract bee's and wasp. maybe because banana plants do not make flowers? not sure. but the customers really like it. never found a really good tire cleaner ???
 
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