APC Review: DP vs. BF vs. CG

AC in OC

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This is my first review, so here goes...

I needed to clean my rubber floor mats in a bad way. I have a few different cleaners and thought it would be a good trial to see who could do the job the best. I have three different APC - A sample of BLACKFIRE Interior Cleaner; a sample of DP Cleanse-All Exterior Cleaner; full bottle of Chemical Guys All Clean+.

Since they were basic rubber mats that you can get at any auto parts store, I wasn’t worried about using anything too strong; they’re tough and can handle it. It was interesting to try out different cleaners to see what effect they had on the material – if any – and how well they clean the surface. One was water based, another alkaline, and another citrus based.

So, I split the job into 4 parts – two on the passenger’s side and two on the driver’s side. On the passenger’s side, I used BLACKFIRE on the top half. On the bottom half, I used DP Cleanse-All. On the driver’s side, I used Chemical Guys All Clean+. What I tried here was using different dilution ratios, since it was the same cleaner. Top half got the 20:1 ratio, and the bottom half got the 10:1 ratio.

BLACKFIRE makes the statement: “a versatile, water-based cleaner for all leather, vinyl, velour, carpet, headliner fabric, wood, plastic, and metal. It is designed to be both gentle and effective, and it contains no harmful ingredients.BLACKFIRE Interior Cleaner uses Swedish non-ionic surfactants to safely clean all interior surfaces.”

BLACKFIRE Interior Cleaner, dashboard cleaner, vinyl cleaner

DP makes the statement: “This strong alkaline cleaner is powerful enough to cut through grease on engines and baked-on brake dust on roughcast aluminum wheels. Detailer’s Pro Series Cleanse-All Exterior Cleaner works as a: bug & tar remover; wheel cleaner; tire cleaner; engine degreaser; convertible top cleaner; vinyl & plastic cleaner; chrome cleaner.

DP Cleanse-All Exterior Cleaner works as a bug & tar remover, a wheel cleaner, a tire cleaner, an engine degreaser, a convertible top cleaner, a vinyl

CG makes the statement: “Chemical Guys All Clean+ Citrus Based APC utilizes all-natural citrus extracts combined with advanced surfactants that provide unmatched cleaning ability on any surface. Use Chemical Guys All Clean+ Citrus Based APC to clean everything from tires to upholstery.”

Chemical Guys All Clean+ Citrus Based APC

So enough jibber-jabber, onto the pics…

As you can see, filthy.

01_APC.jpg


Tools: a variety of spray bottles & Mother’s stiff tire brush.

02_APC.jpg


The contenders.

03_APC.jpg


Before applying the APC’s, I sprayed the mat with water. This is just the cleaners dwelling. BF had no foaming action, while the DP had some,

04_APC.jpg


After a good scrub and rinse, here’s BF…

07_APC.jpg


… and here’s DP.

06_APC.jpg


Next up, CG All Clean+. A pic after some agitation with the brush.

08_APC.jpg


Close up of 20:1 ratio.

10_APC.jpg


Close up of 10:1 ratio.

11_APC.jpg


All said and done, all the cleaners performed well. I had to put an equal amount of “passion” into scrubbing with the brush for each quadrant.

CONCLUSION:
Starting with BF, it did well and didn’t have any overpowering chemical smell. It didn’t have a pleasant smell, but it didn’t linger either. I noticed it didn’t have any sudsing action, but it still cleaned it. With DP, it also performed well. I could tell it had a stronger chemical scent to it that lingered a bit longer, enough to make me cough a little. With agitation, there was some sudsing action, and cleaned it.

If you are looking at bang-for-your-buck, DP would win, as it is $19.99 for 32 oz. and can be diluted to 1:1 if needed, whereas BF is $17.99 for 20 oz. with no dilution ratio. When comparing the BF and DP, it’s close, but I would give a slight edge to BF for good cleaning ability without the strong chemicals, and the fact that it is a dedicated interior cleaner that is safe on all surfaces and can tackle some pretty dirty stuff.

Onto the driver’s side with CG All Clean+. Both dilution ratios appeared to clean well, just as well as the other two, with nearly the exact same outcome. The scent was more pleasant than the other two, and had more sudsing action when agitated. If I had to choose between the two dilution ratios, then I’d go with the 20:1, as it handled the job just as well as the 10:1, making your dollar stretch more.

It’s priced at $8.99 for a 16 oz. bottle, and can be diluted to 20:1 or 10:1 for extreme bang-for-your-buck.

In the end, Chemical Guys All Clean+ Citrus Based APC is the winner overall.

Apologies to Roshan if this review wandered into your “Thrifty vs. Fifty” territory. It wasn't my intention to do so; it just happened to go this route. Besides, I’m not as technically savvy as him to post a video, nor do I have a nice Camaro. :xyxthumbs:

Thanks for viewing!
 
Lol no I'm happy to see other reviews like this! Makes me have less work to do and in the end it helps all AG members save money... Which is what we all want to do :) well, except when it comes to waxes lol!

Anyways great review! APCs tend to be the best bang for your buck! And with all the amazing reviews all clean is getting I may have to pick a bottle up. I always like to have some interior cleaner on hand though, because you know that is safe, whereas some apcs can stain. That is a moot point on the mats though as i don't think you can even stain those :laughing:

My favorite sample I normally get from AG is bf interior clean, so nice product choice!
 
Also interesting to see a tire brush used on mats, I think that may be a new one ;)
 
Lol no I'm happy to see other reviews like this! Makes me have less work to do and in the end it helps all AG members save money... Which is what we all want to do :) well, except when it comes to waxes lol!

Anyways great review! APCs tend to be the best bang for your buck! And with all the amazing reviews all clean is getting I may have to pick a bottle up. I always like to have some interior cleaner on hand though, because you know that is safe, whereas some apcs can stain. That is a moot point on the mats though as i don't think you can even stain those :laughing:

My favorite sample I normally get from AG is bf interior clean, so nice product choice!

Thanks! I would've hated that you're in the process of making a review and I beat you to the punch. I definitly would recommend getting a bottle of the CG. You can get at least 10 spray bottles out of it. The BF is a good one for sure, and kudos to the people who grabbed it on the last BOGO.

Also interesting to see a tire brush used on mats, I think that may be a new one ;)

True, you gotta use what ya got, right? Besides, the mats are rubber and say "Goodyear." :laughing:
 
Very nice review.

I would gather that DP, being an exterior only cleaner, is more powerful than the others when put against really tough grime, such as tar, etc..
 
I recently did a test similiar to this myself to see which cleaner works the best on rubber mats. My personal end conclusion was a interior cleaner meant for plastic vinyl and rubber as it also left a slight protection behind which has made wiping off after salty days very easy.

In my personal test i used
- Adams APC (10:1)
- Adams Interior Cleaner (2.5:1)
- Meguairs APC+ (10:1)
- ONR (at waterless wash ratio)

My order of performance

1st - Adams Interior Cleaner (clean looking finish with some protection)
2nd - Meguiars APC+ (clean look, no protection)
3rd - ONR (fairly clean, kind of to shiny, not much protection)
4th - Adams APC (at 10:1 it was still very strong and left a dull dry look)

Best bang for the buck product Meguiars APC+ 2nd best outcome, with the best price per oz.

Not Thread jacking, your review was great. I can never find time to spend the time it takes to sit down and type one up with pics.
 
I recently did a test similiar to this myself to see which cleaner works the best on rubber mats. My personal end conclusion was a interior cleaner meant for plastic vinyl and rubber as it also left a slight protection behind which has made wiping off after salty days very easy.

In my personal test i used
- Adams APC (10:1)
- Adams Interior Cleaner (2.5:1)
- Meguairs APC+ (10:1)
- ONR (at waterless wash ratio)

My order of performance

1st - Adams Interior Cleaner (clean looking finish with some protection)
2nd - Meguiars APC+ (clean look, no protection)
3rd - ONR (fairly clean, kind of to shiny, not much protection)
4th - Adams APC (at 10:1 it was still very strong and left a dull dry look)

Best bang for the buck product Meguiars APC+ 2nd best outcome, with the best price per oz.

Not Thread jacking, your review was great. I can never find time to spend the time it takes to sit down and type one up with pics.

No worries about thread jacking. I think it's a good place to discuss other products people have had success with. I personally haven't tried the products you've listed, and since you have listed their strengths, I may be open to trying them out.

Also, thanks SON1C for the link. I read your review before and completely agree. If anyone else has personal experiences with APC, this can be a good catchall for future reference.
 
Also, you were getting much better spraying action with CG using a better spray head. More product = better results, with this type of test, that is...
 
fyi.....
This is not an APC BLACKFIRE Interior Cleaner, dashboard cleaner, vinyl cleaner

Blackfire has an APC and its labled as succ.
 
fyi.....
This is not an APC BLACKFIRE Interior Cleaner, dashboard cleaner, vinyl cleaner

Blackfire has an APC and its labled as succ.

Oops... :o You would be correct. It did a good job none-the-less. I'll have to pick up a sample of the "All-In-One All Purpose Cleaner" next time.

Thanks for the correction.
 
I'm going to be posting a comparison of LATA to Zep 505 on tires. Hopefully tonight.


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk
 
I'm going to be posting a comparison of LATA to Zep 505 on tires. Hopefully tonight.


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk
Richy, what do you use on tires if come across uncoated/delicate wheels?
 
The Zep 505 will do just fine. Just make sure it doesn't run onto the wheel. It clings well, much better than many other products, so that really helps control where it goes. Maybe rinse sooner, like do 1/2 the tire at a time. The 505 is great!


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for the reviews. I picked up a bottle of CG on my order. Glad I did.
 
You're welcome. You won't be disappointed with it. Very good product that's versatile - inside & out.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using AG Online
 
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