Let's start some controversy: best degreaser?

So I grabbed a two and a half gallon jug a purple Power. It was only slightly more expensive than a gallon jug of super clean. I'll report back on what I notice as the difference between the two.

Purple power is not aluminum friendly.

I have always used Gunk "Super Concentrate", aka "S-C" mixed in proper proportion with mineral spirits or kerosene (around 9:1 solvent/SC) .  It does a very good job and after the soaking/scrubbing is done the part(s) are water washable.  Once you dry them off, I usually use compressed air, they are totally grease and oil free. You have to make absolutely sure that you don't get any water into your solvent mix, however, as it destroys its degreasing capability.  It isn't horribly expensive either since you dilute it 9:1.

Optimum Power Clean works the best for me. Cost effective and safe for the environment.

In reply to spitfirebill :

I disagree, but maybe because what you said is very vague.   I've used it tons on cast aluminum and rinsed with clean water and never had any issues.  I can see how it may not be great for polished but have no reSon yet to suspect it 

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

I go 50/50 with hot water

Justjim75 said:

In reply to spitfirebill :

I disagree, but maybe because what you said is very vague.   I've used it tons on cast aluminum and rinsed with clean water and never had any issues.  I can see how it may not be great for polished but have no reason yet to suspect it 

I think it used to say so on the label.  I went to their web site and got this.

Fair enough, it's never happened to me tho

Scottah said:

Oven cleaner. Use sparingly and cautiously. 

It does the job, but it is absolutely noxious. I only use it for the toughest jobs, and then with reservations.

I use Dawn Ultra or Simple Green, depending on what I'm doing and whether I can scrub it or not.

TJL said:

 

I stick with purple power since it cleans well and is a good price. Simple green and superclean are nice but too expensive. I keep a cheapo insecticide pump up sprayer full of some dilution of purple. Comes in very handy. 

 

The product people at Superclean tell us that it is roughly twice the strength of purple power.  I take it with a grain of salt, but it really is what they tell us (We sell SuperClean).

I had a customer discover that Joe's handcleaner works well to help liquify some really old (on a '40s or '50s truck) oily/asphalt-looking undercoating.  Works good in the laundry, too.  

I like superclean because I get it cheap at work.  Diesel fuel does the slow-soak duty, brake clean preps for paint (there are massive differences in brake cleans, btw), and superclean goes in the ultrasonic cleaner (because it's not a solvent and is relatively safe for aluminum).

spitfirebill said:

Purple power is not aluminum friendly.

Neither is superclean, to be clear