$0.41BEST $/OZ
Adam's Iron Remover is a ready-to-use, pH-neutral iron remover built on a light dose of thioglycolate plus Tiron, a second iron binder. It ranks #4 for value among 34 iron removers, at $0.41 an ounce in the 5-gallon size.
Key Chemistry
pH
7–8
Active
Thioglycolate
Active strength
≈4.5%
Expert Analysis
Adam's goes light on the active ingredient. Its 5–10% ethanolamine thioglycolate works out to about 4.5% thioglycolate, under half the category median. What it adds instead is Tiron, a second iron binder, which grabs dissolved iron and keeps it in solution so it rinses off. At pH 7–8, it's neutral and gentle on paint and coatings.
Key Differentiators
- •Scented with grapefruit oil to cover thioglycolate's sulfur smell.
- •Adam's says it's safe on single-stage paint, the finish without a clear coat found on many older cars.
- •Thinned to mist evenly over large panels, the opposite of gels like Griot's that are made to cling.
Ingredients
(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium mercaptoacetate
5–10%≈ 4.5% active thioglycolate (salt-normalized)
CAS: 126-97-6metal cleaner
disodium 4,5-dihydroxybenzene1,3-disulphonate
1–5%
CAS: 149-45-1chelating agent
2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol
1–5%
CAS: 112-34-5co-solvent
Alcohols, C11-15- secondary, ethoxylated
1–5%
CAS: 84133-50-6surfactant
water
N/D
CAS: 7732-18-5solvent
grapefruit oil terpenes
N/D
CAS: 68917-32-8fragrance
Grapefruit oil
N/D
CAS: 8016-20-4fragrance
Ethyl methylphenylglycidate
N/D
CAS: 77-83-8fragrance
beta-Ionone
N/D
CAS: 14901-07-6fragrance
Safety Profile
Signal Word
WarningEye Hazard
Causes serious eye irritation. (H319, Eye Irrit. 2)Skin Hazard
May cause an allergic skin reaction. (H317, Skin Sens. 1)Corrosive to Metals
NoFlammable
No
