In Marc Harris & Jacob Bunyan‘s article, 5 car detailing products for beginners their number one choice is Optimum’s Power Clean.  I am going to try to touch on a few reasons why I think they listed this product as the first on their list.

Power Clean really is a wonderful APC.  I wanted to understand why one should use Power Clean over Opti-Clean. Seeing as they have similar names I wanted clarification. I decided to shoot an e-mail off  Dr. David Ghodoussi of Optimum. He quickly gave me a better understanding between the two products, and when Power Clean should be used. David says,

“For regular washing and cleaning, you can use 1 oz. of No Rinse with two gallons of water for a bucket wash or Opti-Clean at the proper dilution for a waterless wash. Both of these products have polymers that encapsulate dirt particles to protect paint during cleaning and leave a glossy finish behind. Neither product will remove oils or waxes from the surface. If you want to clean oils, waxes, break dust, etc. that is when you want to use Power Clean….”

This is a great product for almost any surface that needs cleaning. It can be used for everything from tires to carpets,  Power Clean removes dirt, and almost always with just a little bit of agitation and then a rinsing. Power clean can be diluted up to a 3:1 ratio. I prefer to use it right out of the bottle with no dilution.

Often times emblems have dried wax stuck on, in, and around them. An area like this is ideal for Power Clean. I spray and then agitate with a DI Boars Hair Brush. Usually, I will do this as a pre-cleaning before washing the car ensuring further cleaning of the emblem. 

As you can see with a simple spraying and light agitation, the wax is removed and the emblem is brighter and completely clean. 

Power Clean is also an amazing pre-cleaner for bugs.    

Simply spray and let it dwell for a minute or two. I will mist the area at times to ensure it doesn’t get dry, not enough for the product to run off the paint, just enough to keep it wet.

I then follow up with a nice lubricating soap like Chemical Guys Maxi Suds along with a nice gentle sponge. You can see how effective this product is even after one light wipe with a DI Sheepskin Wash Mitt. There is no need to induce additional marring into the paint, let the product do its job, and don’t scrub, wipe gently.

The finals show exactly how effective Power Clean is.

Power clean is also great to assist in breaking up beading caused from polishing oils.  Below, the beading breaks instantly once sprayed with Power Clean. Ensuring those oils are completely removed is very important for your LSP to properly adhere and Power Clean works perfectly for this job.

If you are looking for a powerful yet safe APC, look no further than Optimum’s Power Clean.  It really is an amazing all around cleanser that does dirty work and gentle cleaning.