The concept of Ultra Concentrated Car Wash Chemicals has been around for a long time. The oldest are in the form of powders. More recent products have been made in a semi-solid state and for many years manufacturers have been working to increase the concentration of liquids while maintaining or improving performance.
Liquid products have proven to be convenient to use and it is easy to maintain solution consistency with today's metering systems. Liquids also do not require sophisticated high maintenance equipment to reconstitute them or additional labor to mix or blend as they go into solution very easily.
Powdered products at first glance seem to be the ultimate "ultra concentrates" in that they shouldn't contain any water. The problem with powders however is that they may contain fillers that add to the weight without adding to the cleaning ability. Additionally, the chemist is restricted in the amount and quality of liquid ingredients that may be added to a powdered product and still keep it dry enough to handle easily and prevent unwanted reactions between ingredients. Powders require more labor to mix and are subject to inconsistent solution strength and if not totally dissolved will cause severe pump wear.
Other solid forms of detergents can also suffer from inconsistent solution strength problems similar to the powders. They may also include "non-active" ingredients to hold the product together and/or prevent unwanted reactions or degradation. These solid forms also have similar formulation limitations to the powders in that as a chemist you are restricted from utilizing a full arsenal of available chemicals.
Unfortunately, if superior performance is of primary concern, some water in the products has been a necessary evil. Technology has however moved forward in this arena as well.
Chemists are finding new ingredients that allow more and more concentrated products to be developed without sacrificing performance. In addition, as new ingredients are developed that are more effective on the target soil, it becomes possible to achieve greater performance even at similar concentrations. By utilizing a liquid concentrated format the chemist has the widest array of chemical options available to address cleaning issues.
The best ultra concentrated formulations still require an amount of water that maintains a liquid form for ease of application, the best ingredient options and solution consistency.
Product application in today's equipment requires reconstituting the ultra-concentrated product to manageable and adjustable dilution ratios for application performance and economy.
Higher technology products do require greater knowledge by the user. As concentrations and performance increase, so does the value of the product. Metering becomes more critical and extra care is required when handling and applying these products. Even a small inconsistency in the draw of products can amount to significant waste and be costly to the operator.
Ultra Concentrates are the future of car wash chemicals and will continue to improve in performance and value as technology moves forward. Operators should be considering when and for what application ultra concentrates make sense in their washes. The greatest rewards will go to those who learn about the options and manage them most effectively.
