Here are some straight facts about your truckwashing process. Ver-tech Labs manufactures a number of high performance truck/large vehicle cleaning products. Contact us today to speak to a truckwash sepcialist.
Are you wondering whether your wash solution is Corrosive or Damaging to your trucks?
Truthfully, at certain concentrations, almost any wash solution can be corrosive to or damage a truck. Here are some facts about wash solutions:
- Contact time matters. The longer the wash solution is on the vehicle the more likely it is to cause corrosion. Conversely, even very corrosive wash solutions will not cause corrosion if contact time is very short.
- Detergent components. Some acid and alkaline components of wash solutions can damage metal, some do not. Many wash solutions contain solvents. Solvents can damage certain types of paint, plastics and rubber, but not all solvents damage the same materials.
- Truck materials. A typical truck has different types and grades of metals, plastics and components. Different components of wash solutions will affect different components of the vehicles. For example, sulfuric acid is very damaging to steel but won’t damage aluminum. There is no universal rule for all types of chemicals on all types of surfaces
- Temperature. The temperature of the truck and the temperature of the wash solution will both affect the corrosiveness of a wash solution. The higher the temperature, the more corrosive or damaging the wash solution. For example, a black truck in southern Arizona during the summer will likely have a surface temperature higher than 150 degrees. Spraying certain wash solutions on that vehicle will almost immediately damage the vehicle. Spraying that same solution on the same vehicle in North Dakota during the winter will do nothing at all to the surface.
How can you protect your truck from potential damage by your wash process?
- Limit the contact time of a wash solution to 60 seconds or less.
- In hot weather climates, cool off trucks prior to applying wash solutions. Pre-spraying the vehicle with a little bit of water prior to applying the soap will prevent damage. It is not necessary to pre-spray all vehicles, just very hot surfaces, prior to applying detergents.
- Limit the water pressure used to flush the underside of vehicles. If higher pressure is desired, have the water impact the underbody at an angle, not straight up.
Find out more about Truckwashing at www.ver-techlabs.com