Engines do lots of work, and often in messy conditions that involve dust and other forms of stains, especially grease and oil. But that does not justify giving them minimal maintenance attention. They should be kept clean using a degreaser. And not just for their aesthetic appeal, but also because degreasing makes them last longer.
For instance, a clean engine will reveal issues like leaks early enough before they turn into full-blown issues that could cause additional damage to other engine parts. As you can imagine, choosing a degreaser is not easy.
Some of these products might even be too strong and corrode your engine, which explains why the following list of the 10 best ending degreasers is important to anyone who wants to maintain the health of their engine and keep it clean and appealing.
Best Engine Degreaser – Reviews
10Oil Eater AOD1G35437 Cleaner Degreaser
As its name so clearly indicates, this product eliminates any grease that comes across its path, it could be on engines and other surfaces and substances. Surprisingly, it is quite safe, despite its amazing cleaning strength. It has no acids, petroleum solvents or other abrasives – this is a water-based product.
It has even gotten the nod from USDA, although it is still not appropriate for food prep surfaces. In addition to engines, it can also be used to clean up the floors, tools, exhaust hoods, and other things that have grease or oil stains on them.
9DuPont Motorcycle Degreaser Chain and Sprockets
Yes, motorcycle engines count as well. This particular degreaser is capable of effectively cleaning motorcycle engines with speed through a simple process. You only need to spray and wipe and the job is done.
So, no need to rinse off the degreaser with water afterwards. And for all its great degreasing power, this is still a very safe product as it is made of biodegradable materials.
8Purple Power (4320P) Industrial Strength Cleaner and Degreaser
With its dual ability to clean and degrease, this product is an ideal choice for many people in need of a reliable cleaning product for their engines. Besides grease and oil stains, this product will also get rid of other stains on contact, even the really tough stains.
It will work on almost any surface on an automobile, and its applications will spread to areas such as homes, sea, and farms. Finally, despite its industrial strength, this product is not abrasive, flammable or made using phosphates.
7Simple Green 13421 Pro HD Heavy Duty Cleaner
This professional-quality cleaner is designed to offer a degreasing clean up for engines and other automotives. It can even be used around the home in kitchens and bathrooms. Another big advantage of using this particular cleaner is that it is very safe on metal, which means it will not corrode your engine as you remove the grease and oil stains on it using this product.
The product will even go a tad further and remove other forms of stains including tough grime. It should also come as a relief that the product is not toxic, which makes it a lot safer.
6Krud Kutter KK32 Original Concentrated Cleaner/Degreaser
If the manufacturer’s description is anything to go by, this product will get rid of grease from just about anything, including engines, exhaust fans, ovens, BBQ grills, and so forth. This cleaner slash degreaser is incredible versatile as it can work on a remarkably large number of surfaces, including fabric.
So, you can expect that your engine will look new and shiny after you clean it using this product. And although it is a heavy-duty cleaner, it is also safe. As a matter of fact, it is made using a water-based, non-toxic, biodegradable, xylene-free, and non-flammable substance that makes it safe enough for daily use, despite its amazing cleaning strength.
5SuperClean 101724 Cleaner Degreaser
The SuperClean Cleaner Degreaser dissolves grease and gets rid of oil, wax, tar, and even dirt effectively and with speed. Use convenience is also one of the benefits of using this particular degreasing product.
Secondly, it does not contain any harmful products as it is made using biodegradable and phosphate-free substances.
4Spray Nine 26832 Heavy Duty Cleaner/Degreaser and Disinfectant
Within a single bottle of 26832is a product that can clean, remove stains, mold, mildew, disinfect, and deodorize, and degrease. The product is ready to use at the time of purchase, and it is especially designed to offer an accelerated cleaning experience.
Furthermore, in addition to engines, this product can help clean things like concrete, sinks, plastic, tires, tools, stainless steel and other surfaces and objects.
3Meguiar’s D10801 Super Degreaser
Meguiar’s hit a home run with this degreasing product. And super is just the name for it because it is exceptionally strong. It is also fast-acting and can do the toughest cleaning jobs.
Other things making this degreaser so popular in the market include the fact that it does not leave behind any residue. The fact that its usage process involves spraying on and wiping off is a huge plus as well. And if you like your engine to have a nice fragrance after a clean up, then this degreaser will be just perfect.
2Simple Green 19128 Crystal Industrial Cleaner/Degreaser
Crystal Simple Green cleaner/degreaser is simply great, especially to people who need the right product to rid their engines of grease stains. This degreaser has no fragrance, and more importantly, it is very strong, and therefore capable of getting rid of the toughest stains.
That is because it is a cleaner as well as a degreaser. The product will also be perfect when cleaning engine parts. Other than that, this is a non-toxic, non-hazardous, and biodegradable substance that will prove itself worth the price and the hype.
1S100 12005L Total Cycle Cleaner Bottle
Engines need some maintenance, and degreasing is not typically the easiest of chores, unless you are using this spray-on, rinse off cleaner that penetrates all parts of the engine and leaves them sparkling clean. This product will work on anything from motorcycle engines to car and truck engines or even industrial engines.
Safety is also one of this product’s greatest strengths – it can work on paint, chrome, rubber, plastic, and alloy surfaces among others. No wonder it so easily outdoes most rival products in this market category when it comes to customer satisfaction and number of sales.
Can’t Find What You’re Looking For? Check these suggestions:
How to Clean An Engine
Car owners have a variety of different reasons for wanting to clean up their engine. Some people want to help increase the sale value of the car and some people just want it to look better. No matter what reason you have for cleaning your engine, you can easily get it done with the right tools and a little bit of time.
Engine degreaser isn’t the only tool we’re going to use for this project, however. We will need a few other tools to help you get the job done and make sure that your engine is in good condition. And you’re also going to need to know just how to clean the engine. With that in mind, we present to you the following steps to a cleaner engine.
Tools Required
Before we start, it’s important to gather together the right tools. Below are some of the things you’re going to need to start off with:
- Engine Degreaser
- Air Compressor or Shop Vac
- Soft Nylon Scrub Brush
- Drip Pans
- Plastic Sheeting
- Plastic Bags
- Microfiber Towels
- Wrench
- Pliers
- Screwdriver
- Hose
Prepping the Engine
The first thing you’re going to want to do is to make place drips and plastic sheeting underneath the vehicle so that the runoff from cleaning the engine doesn’t go down your local storm drain. In many localities, it’s illegal to dump wastewater into the sewer system, so be sure that you have a way to catch this wastewater so you can get rid of it properly.
Another thing you’re going to want to do is to make sure that your engine is cool. If it’s been recently run, then you may want to let it sit for at least an hour. You don’t want to try to clean a hot engine so let it sit while you get together all of your supplies.
There’s one more thing to keep in mind before you begin cleaning your engine. Take a few moments to not only go over the instructions on your degreaser label but also go over your car’s manual. Reading the instructions and the precautions will give you a better idea of how to use your degreaser and which parts of your engine you should be especially careful cleaning.
Step One: Remove the Battery
The first step we’re going to take is to disconnect and remove the battery. Using your tools, disconnect the negative battery cable first and then disconnect the positive one. When that’s been done, you can then remove the battery and put it somewhere safe. If the battery needs to be cleaned, you can do it once you’ve finished the car engine.
Step Two: Cover Sensitive Parts
Make sure that you cover the sensitive electronic parts of your engine using plastic bags. This includes the alternator, fuse boxes, relay boxes, and distributor. If you’ve been having electrical problems with your car, you are probably going to want to skip using water from a hose on your engine because that could exacerbate your electrical problems.
Step Three: Remove Dirt & Rust Particles
Using either an air compressor or a shop vacuum with a hose attachment, make sure that you go over your engine to remove any loose particles. Make sure to get into all portions of the engine compartment for best results.
Step Four: Apply Engine Degreaser
Avoiding sensitive electrical components, apply engine degreaser to the engine. Try to get into the areas that collect grease and then allow the engine degreaser to soak on the engine for approximately 15 to 30-minutes, depending on upon your product.
Step Five: Scrub Parts
Scrub parts of the engine with your nylon scrub brush to remove stuck on dirt and grease. Once you’ve cleaned an area, then rinse it off gently and move on to the next part. You don’t want to soak down the entire engine, so if your not sure how much water can be used on the engine, then it’s better to err on the side of caution and use less water. When in doubt, do the engine in stages and allowing the engine parts to fully dry between stages.
Step Six: Clean Battery Contacts
Degreaser might not be sufficient to clean the corrosion off of the ends of your battery cables. You can clean them either using CLR or by using a paste made out of baking soda and water.
Step Seven: Allow Engine To Dry
You’ll absolutely want to make sure that your engine is fully dry. This might only take a few hours on a hot afternoon, but on cooler days it may take overnight for the engine to dry. Don’t rush this part of the process. You want the engine to be fully dry before you attempt to start it.
Step Eight: Clean & Return the Battery
Carefully clean up your battery and place it back where it belongs. Now reattach the battery terminals to your battery. Assuming that everything is dry, your vehicle is now ready to be used as normal.
Additional Tips
Degreasing your engine gives you an opportunity to take a good hard look at many different parts of your engine. While you’re under the hood of your car and your engine is nice and clean, it’s time to look for some trouble spots that may be developing but may have slipped your attention.
You can check for oil and coolant leaks while you’re under the hood. There are UV reactive dyes that can be added to both your oil and coolant to make it easier to see if there’s a leak. Using a special UV light, you can then see the location of the leak.
One Last Thing…
As you can see, while it may take some time to properly degrease your vehicle’s engine, it’s really not all that difficult, and the positives really make it worthwhile. A clean engine not only looks better but also runs better.