While there is no doubt that using aluminum, brightener helps make the trucks in your fleet look shiny and clean, it’s NOT all good…in fact you should think of it as a necessary evil rather than as a magic potion.
Pros of Aluminum Brightener
- Removes oxidation, dirt, and grime from aluminum and steel
- Helps dissolve hard to remove caked-on grime
- Makes vehicles look temporarily bright and shiny
Cons of Aluminum Brightener
- Eats away at paint making it dull and lackluster over time
- Pits glass damaging windshields and windows
- Harsh chemicals are hard on the environment
- Burns stainless steel making it turn purple or black
When washing your fleet, your mobile truck washing service should not use aluminum brightener as a standard practice, but rather as a supplement to a routine wash. When used, it should only be used sparingly and then only on parts of the truck and not on the whole.
Many services will use aluminum brightener 100% of the time on 100% of the truck. Let’s face it, it’s easier! When you use aluminum brightener, you don’t have to scrub because the chemical actually eats away at the dirt. But as it is eating away at the dirt, so too is it eating away at the finish on your trucks.
LAZRTEK, on the other hand, brush washes every vehicle by hand. Most dirt and grime can easily be removed this way. To give your truck fleet that extra shiny appearance, we suggest using aluminum brightener periodically, every other time on a bi-monthly cleaning schedule, or every 4th wash on a weekly cleaning schedule. Then, we only spray it on the surfaces that need it and will benefit from its use; the wheels, catwalk, fuel tanks, and other areas that might need it.
The bottom line: there is just no substitution for good old-fashioned elbow grease. Taking shortcuts to remove dirt and grease may give you the immediate result you’re looking for, but in the long term, routine use of aluminum brightener will prove to be harmful.
Contact LazrTek Shreveport for a complimentary demonstration wash or a quote to wash your truck or fleet. Call Chad 318-347-2188, visit our website, or Book an appointment on Facebook.
