Top 3 Engine Degreasers [Easy Clean]
It is important to consider taking proper care of your car’s engine. It makes a good impression on anyone when you show them your clean engine.
Having the best engine degreaser will make your engine good-looking, as well as maintain its performance. Not only that, the degreaser can allow your car to run smoothly for longer.
In this article, we will be discussing all engine degreasers. We will discuss their benefits and some of the most popular types. Let’s start by discussing what to do before getting an engine degreaser.
What to do Before Using an Engine Degreaser?
- The Battery – You want to check your electrical connection for tightness and disconnect the battery if possible. This way, you avoid shorting any electrical parts.
- Clean off Dirt – This may not be necessary, but it helps remove more dirt. Vacuum out or blow out all the dust and dirt. You can use a soft brush to help remove some of the stuck-on dirt.
- Get all your Tools – Avoid using a pressure washer and go for a regular hose to prevent water from entering electrical connections. Get brushes, degreasers, rags, and anything else needed.
What is an Engine Degreaser?
Before proceeding with the discussions, we should first define an engine degreaser. An engine degreaser is basically a fluid that consists of chemicals that get rid of oil and grease.
These are the hardest substances to clean or eliminate on your engine. It is a product that’s not only for cleaning but also acts to increase your engine’s lifespan.
Using this product for your engine has a lot of interesting benefits. It can make your car look better maintained, good looking, and a lot newer. The engine will also run smoothly if it’s clean.
Using an engine degreaser can help you detect grease and oil leaks. Detecting leaks at an early stage won’t cause many problems to your engine, as you can have it repaired immediately.
Cleaning your engine can save the repair charges, as it is also proven by professionals that it can prevent mechanical problems. If your engine is clean, you will get a reasonable value if you want to trade or sell the car.
In case you notice petroleum or dust on your engine, you should use an engine degreaser. They are useful when cleaning your engine.
Use a degreaser if your car engine hasn’t been maintained or cleaned for a while. It can help you quickly and easily remove built-up dirt and grease and make it look new in no time.
Types of Engine Degreasers
Now that we talked about the top five recommendations, we will now discuss some of their types. This section is also considered critical as your decision may be based on what type you need.
Also, this will help you shorten the list of your choices in finding the best engine degreaser. Below we will discuss six of its most popular types.
- Environment-Friendly Degreaser: This might be considered the most highly recommended one out of all the types. Its components, mostly include baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, soap, and cornstarch, are very effective in cleaning engines.
- Metal Solvent Degreaser: This type of degreaser is normally used in machinery and vehicles. It is also rendered effective in removing grease from bearings, joints, and motors.
- Petroleum-Based Degreaser: This product contains distillates and ethanol, working best for vehicles and their parts. Aside from grease removal, it is also used for removing residues from gasoline, oil, and other lubricants.
- Vapor Solvent Degreaser: This might be different from all the degreasers in this list. The part of the vehicle will be placed on top of the vapor, wherein the vapor does its work.
- Foam Degreaser: This type of degreaser is normally applied to electrical appliances and car engines. You just have to wipe after application without using water.
- Ultrasonic Degreaser: The ultrasonic degreaser uses an advanced formulation called ultrasonic waves to remove residues and grease from engine parts.
Top Picks for the Best Engine Degreaser
Choosing the best one is going to be frustrating, especially if you don’t know what you’re looking for. We are going to talk about some of their outstanding features, as well as their pros and cons. This can help you narrow down your choices.
1. Gunk FEB1 Foamy Engine Brite Engine Cleaner – 17oz.
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You can have an easy job if you use this foam engine cleaner. It comes in a 17oz. Can and can easily spray on your engine. This one is good for some grease and dirt, but if you want something stronger, try original or heavy-duty Gunk spray can cleaners.
Customers really like how easy it is to use and that it does a fairly good job. Some say it may be a bit difficult to work with when spraying at angles or on wide areas.
Pros:
- No scrubbing is needed.
- Easy to use and safe on all engine parts.
- Sprays off with water, so there is no need to use your hands and a rag.
2. Chemical Guys CLD_201_16 Signature Series Orange Degreaser (16 oz)
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The Chemical Guy Orange Degreaser is strong and fast-acting, and many customers say it works great at degreasing your engine. You can use it to degrease your engine, tires, rims, and tools.
Because it is concentrated, you can dilute it for various applications, as stated on the bottle. It can be used to clean most of the fluids that may have spilled on your engine, including motor oil, coolant, hydraulic fluid, blinker fluid, and diesel fuel.
Pros:
- Fast-acting and strong
- Just Rinse off with water
- Uses citrus extras to cut through grease well
- Versatile – Use for many jobs in the garage or house.
3. Oil Eater AOD1G35437 Original 1 Gallon Cleaner/Degreaser
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Oil Eater is designed to dissolve grease safely on many surfaces. It doesn’t have harsh chemicals and is water-based and biodegradable.
It features a concentrated formula that dissolves tough grease and allows you to remove dirt build-up on surfaces. It can be used on engine bays, wheel arches, and undercarriages that need cleaning. Also, the formula is excellent for removing years of grease and grime build-up.
The best thing about this product is the many uses that it can have. Use it in the house to clean up some floors and carpets and as a prewash for laundry.
Also, if you dilute it to 20:1, you can use it to clean the kitchen counters and cover or paint surfaces. At 3:1, you can use it to clean paint brushes, tools, and various grimy machinery.
Pros:
- This water-based product is non-corrosive, non-hazardous, and contains no acids or abrasive or petroleum solvents.
- Cleans a wide variety of items.
- It can be used on engine bays, wheels, and undercarriages.
- Heavy-duty grime and grease remover
Factors to Consider when Choosing the Best Engine Degreaser
Before we conclude this discussion, we will tackle what makes a good engine degreaser. Sure, all of the brands mentioned above are great, but some of their features are more outstanding than others. You should also be informed of these important factors to make a sound decision.
- Contents: You have to check the contents of your degreaser. You have to look for the ingredients that will not only clean your engine but also maintain it. Another thing, the formula should not contain harmful and toxic chemicals. You should also look for a non-flammable and biodegradable degreaser.
- Safe for any Surface: The one you should purchase should not cause damage to the surfaces it is being applied on. It should be safe on plastic, rubber, steel, as well as paint.
- Odor Generation: Most degreasers generate an odor that may be harmful when inhaled. Choose one that is odorless or has an artificial scent and is something you can use for longer periods of time.
- Does not Leave Residue: You should not worry about cleaning up the extra white residue left by some degreasers. You should look for one that leaves no spot on the surface.
- Versatility: You should find a product you can use for other cleaning jobs besides cars. There are many options in the list above that you can use for household and general maintenance.
Should You Use Soap to Degrease Your Engine?
Soap is possibly the safest method of degreasing your engine. I will probably take a little extra time, but you can ensure that it won’t have any issues with corrosion, bad smells, skin and eye irritation, or harmful chemicals.
If you want a good clean, try a soap that can degrease but is mild, such as a dish soap cleaner. The video below gives a great example of using soap.
Conclusion
Now that you have learned about engine degreasers, we hope you can make a better decision now because you will be able to make an informed decision about the best engine degreaser.
If you are looking for other products that can be used for your engine or your car in general, click here and learn more.
