So you’ve been seeing this on bottles everywhere, pH. What does it mean? What is it exactly?

Im glad to see that the industry has made its way into the realm of understanding that the delivery of science in the form of information, is just as important as the delivery of science in the form of products.

Many nights I personally have had “Ah Ha” moments once I realized what chemicals or application process had a lot to do with the outcome of things. Pondering over the thought of why the results were good or bad when it came to detailing, has been attributed to the “Brand” of products in the past. Now these results are more of understanding what’s in the bottle, as opposed to whos’ name is on it. Knowing about how PH works is one of those things that, once you understand the importance of it, it helps you get to the finish line with better results. Lets Dive in!

pH stands for “Potential of Hydrogen” and has a lot to do with how chemicals react with each other in water. pH is measured in a range between 0 and 14. Zero being extremely Acidic and 14 being the highest level of Alkalinity. This is important to detailers specifically because having a low or high pH solution can cause adverse results depending on the surface it’s applied to. Spraying a highly acidic, or very low pH solution on glass will cause etching and damage the glass. At the same token, putting a extremely high pH solution on carpet or upholstery will fade or discolor it. Examples of these extremes would be battery acid with a pH of 0-1.1 and Bleach ranging in at 13 or so.

When used in appropriate capacity, these pH ranges can also be our mightiest weapon in the battle of conditions and results. Wheel cleaners in the acidic range can be great at busting off brake dust as where general purpose (GP) cleaners usually range in at 9-11 and can be used to clean up the Lollipop stuck to the arm rest in the 3rd row seat or bust out the stain under the floor mat from the wasted soda from 2 weeks ago. knowing the contents of what you are trying to clean make the choice of cleaner a little easier because all stains and messes are not created equal, but that’s definitely another story in another post.

After it’s all said and done, pH can be our best friend or worst enemy when it comes to detailing. Understanding the role it plays and how the pH scale is applied can make or break the end results of any detailer on a beautiful sunny day fit for detailing!