Dubbin1 Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Dr G, I was glancing through a thread on another forum and saw a post where someone mentioned salts being used in some car wash shampoos. Can you tell me if any of the Optimum washes have salts in them and if this is even a true statement. If it is true is it really even an issue? Thanks Dwayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubbin1 Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 Bumpy Bumpy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunky Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I'm sorry Dwayne, I thought I answered that...nope, no salts in Optimum Car Wash. I guess I answered it on the other forum and forgot to post here also. You did. I asked the question earlier about salts. Mr. G. said there were no salts in Optimum. I know one poster claims salts are very bad but my guess for people living in roads with salt the salt in soap is nothing. I know softened water contains some salt as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEE DOG Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 You did. I asked the question earlier about salts. Mr. G. said there were no salts in Optimum. I know one poster claims salts are very bad but my guess for people living in roads with salt the salt in soap is nothing. I know softened water contains some salt as well. Dwayne, I think I missed that post on this other forum. Can you Pm me a link? Dr. G, would you guess there is much truth to that salt rumor in general with other brand soaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubbin1 Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 Sorry Dog I really don't remember what forum it was on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunky Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Sorry Dog I really don't remember what forum it was on. This is what Chris posted on DC. I was asking about salt and lubricity. BTW, I saw Woolite's MSDS (they list every ingredient and its purpose). Salt was mentioned to improve viscosity. The answer is yes. Lubricity can come from the hydrocarbon portion of surfactants or it could come from additives such as silicones and fluorocarbons. The lower the coefficient of friction is, the higher lubricity the product offers. Optimum Car Wash is bodyshop safe and does not contain any silicones or fluorocarbons. Its great lubricity comes from an optimum blend of surfactants with very low coefficient of friction. Additionally, we use surfactants that are very mild and do not strip waxes or sealants. A car wash formulation can be thick due to the high concentration of surfactants. Alternatively, the soap can be made with as low as 7-8% surfactants and be thickened by adding table salt which forms a 3 dimensional matrix with the surfactants to form a gel. The best way to gauge the concentration of a soap is not by the viscosity (thickness) but rather by the performance at a given dilution ratio. In the case of Optimum Car Wash, we do not add any salt to the product. I actually used another brand soap today and noticed that unlike Optimum the suds drop to almost nothing when I start washing the wheels. Optimum can sustain suds far longer. From what I gather from David G's comments it has less soap despite being quite thick. (my speculation) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor G Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Dr G, I was glancing through a thread on another forum and saw a post where someone mentioned salts being used in some car wash shampoos. Can you tell me if any of the Optimum washes have salts in them and if this is even a true statement. If it is true is it really even an issue? Thanks Dwayne Dwayne, As Chris already mentioned, Optimum Car Wash does not contain any salt. However, table salt (sodium chloride) is used in some soaps as a thickening agent. The amount of salt used in these formulations is in general between 1-2%. Even if someone adds 1 oz. of a soap that contains salt per gallon of water, the level of salt is in the range of 1-2 parts per ten thousand which is negligible for salt. Additionally, as the soap is rinsed off, any salt that was in the solution will be removed. Therefore, in my opinion this is just another scare tactic some use to make a sale. Instead of worrying about salt, people should choose their product based on performance characteristics and not marketing gimmicks. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. David, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubbin1 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 This is what Chris posted on DC. I'm pretty sure it wasn't on DC that I saw it but thanks for showing me what Chris had to say. Dwayne,As Chris already mentioned, Optimum Car Wash does not contain any salt. However, table salt (sodium chloride) is used in some soaps as a thickening agent. The amount of salt used in these formulations is in general between 1-2%. Even if someone adds 1 oz. of a soap that contains salt per gallon of water, the level of salt is in the range of 1-2 parts per ten thousand which is negligible for salt. Additionally, as the soap is rinsed off, any salt that was in the solution will be removed. Therefore, in my opinion this is just another scare tactic some use to make a sale. Instead of worrying about salt, people should choose their product based on performance characteristics and not marketing gimmicks. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. David, Thanks Dr G, I kinda figured it wasn't an issue but just wanted to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubbin1 Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share Posted January 22, 2011 Just found the thread where I saw that at, it was on TID. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunky Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 My question about salt was the result of some posts on another forum where a someone who has identified themselves as a chemist has made a big deal about the dangers of salt in car soaps on paint. My opinion from asking questions that it is not a practical issue since we deal with salt on the roads,salt in water (those who have softened water), and living near the ocean. In the grand scheme, it is negligible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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