Enviromentally/Personally safe products..

[Russ@Exclusive]

I personally care about the environment and detailing definitely is not number one on an environmentalists friends list. But, I also care about my own personal health and have been trying to find products to use that would be 100% safe without the use of a respirator, gloves, or any other protection.

As many of you may have heard that a member over at another forum is seriously ill for symptoms of respiratory failure and we all can understand that this may be from detailing chemicals and products. I really think we all would agree that some of these chemicals may not be the safest to use and that together we can come up with a line of chemicals for nearly every scenario in detailing that can be safe in all ways.

I am calling upon this community to help me construct a list that would contain detailing tools/product alternatives that are safe for us. Non-dusting polishes, naturally cleaning wheel cleaners with no acids, safe fabric cleaners/protectants, and car washes with no harsh chemicals.

I don't know about you but I'd rather spend an extra few bucks per detail and be around for a even a day longer. If I personally had the finances I would try my best to actually develop safe products and I really think it would be nice to see people like Troy carry safe products or even products to protect us (respirators, nitrile gloves, ect.) or maybe Steve making a new SSR with no dust or an environmentally safe line

But in all seriousness this is something I believe we as a community should and can do. Why do we have to use these products that are killing us?

[Pockets]

Good idea there....im sure Steve will chime in but our APC is both strong and biodegradable to protect the environment and can do the same cleaning as our S+R can do

[Russ@Exclusive]

I actually was looking into getting your APC. Currently I use Megs APC and I love how strong it is but I really don't like how strong it is.

Are there any acids in it and how much safer would you consider it to Megs?

[Poorboy]

Originally Posted by Russ@Exclusive

I actually was looking into getting your APC. Currently I use Megs APC and I love how strong it is but I really don't like how strong it is.

Are there any acids in it and how much safer would you consider it to Megs?

no acids

we sell to Lockheed / Martin , you know the place where they make fighter planes ...all of our product had to pass Government and EPA and OSHA regulations to be used at their facilities. We literally had to jump through hoops and then jump higher
They took samples in the air, on the ground, in the wash drains and we passed is that good enough

[Russ@Exclusive]

Definitely good to hear. But back onto topic, is anyone here up to working together to compile a list of environmentally safe chemicals?

[RTexasF]

"Respirator, gloves, or other protection"?? From What? "Why do we have to use these products that are killing us?" Okay, the tree hugger thing is all fine and well but the items we use to clean our house are stronger than those used to clean our ( & customer's) cars. To me this is just a bit much. Yes, I know there are new lines aimed at the "green" thing and I imagine we'll see them go by the wayside before long due to cost and being ineffective. What is so deadly that "we" are using to take care of our cars? Sorry but I think it is crap.

Your opinion is that they are killing us and mine is that you've gone over the edge and lost it. So who is correct? I look for products that do the job, period! Poisoning the planet is not my goal, getting top notch products that work is my goal.

[Mr. Clean]

Originally Posted by Russ@Exclusive

Definitely good to hear. But back onto topic, is anyone here up to working together to compile a list of environmentally safe chemicals?

Ummm, no. Why don't you start one? If it is truly that important to you.

FWIW, there are a number of car washes and APCs which are labeled as biodegradable, but is that going to qualify the product as "safe"? You are going to have to establish more definitive criteria than "safe".

[Russ@Exclusive]

Trust me, I am far beyond a tree hugger nor am I caught up in the whole "green" bs thing but I would rather live a long healthy life while still detailing cars for a living. And as for things that are deadly that is used daily to clean cars is stuff like the acids in your degreasers/rim cleaners like HCl (unless you use other products like p21s that contain no acids), abrasives in polishes like aluminum oxide, the list goes on. I am not too concerned with the environment but more-so my own personal health.

Originally Posted by Mr. Clean

Ummm, no. Why don't you start one? If it is truly that important to you.

FWIW, there are a number of car washes and APCs which are labeled as biodegradable, but is that going to qualify the product as "safe"? You are going to have to establish more definitive criteria than "safe".

To be totally honest, I really do not know too much about that many products and what they contain. I hoped some people would know of "safe" products. I mean, yes, safe can be a very broad term that I really should've expanded on. By safe I mean something you would not need to wear gloves or any protection while using.

[Ronkh]

EcoAutoCT
Probably does, or at least what he uses.

Good guy, knows his stuff.

[Mr. Clean]

Originally Posted by Russ@Exclusive

...To be totally honest, I really do not know too much about that many products and what they contain. I hoped some people would know of "safe" products. I mean, yes, safe can be a very broad term that I really should've expanded on. By safe I mean something you would not need to wear gloves or any protection while using.

I know that you are very new to this, but this is just common sense! Why on earth would you not wear gloves? I wear heavy duty wash gloves anytime I'm working on tires and wheels and wheel wells, not just to protect myself from the wash solution, but just to save my hands from cuts and nicks from sticking my hands in and out of places. If you are doing any volume of work, there is just no sense in having you hands in wash solution all day long, your hands shrivel up. I wear nitrile gloves when using dressings, not just for fear of the chemicals, but just because I don't feel like getting the dressings on me and then transferring that to an unintended surface.

Gloves are just one tool that you will need to learn to use if you decide to do this either full or part-time. Hopefully you already know some of the others.