Best Value
$0.35/oz
Positioned for enthusiast detailers who want alkaline cleaning power without the extreme caustic exposure of products like Meguiar's Hot Rims or D143. The Optimum brand is well-regarded in the detailing community for the founder's (Dr. David Ghodoussi) polymer chemistry expertise. This product bridges the gap between mild pH-neutral cleaners and aggressive caustics.
Key Chemistry
pH Level
Active Mechanism
surfactant primary with alkaline boost
Surfactants
0 (nonionic)
Expert Analysis
Optimum takes a distinctly different approach from the Meguiar's alkaline cleaners. While it's still alkaline (pH 11.5), the formulation is surfactant-forward rather than caustic-forward. The 10-20% ethoxylated alcohol loading is exceptionally high for a wheel cleaner - most products use 1-5% surfactant. This high surfactant concentration provides primary cleaning through emulsification and soil suspension, while the modest alkaline boost (only 0.6-1.8% metasilicate + trace NaOH) provides supplementary saponification. This balanced approach achieves strong cleaning while maintaining a more moderate safety profile (Skin Corr 1C vs 1A, STOT SE vs RE). The purple color is purely aesthetic - no iron-reactive chemistry here.
Key Differentiators
- •Surfactant-forward formulation (10-20% ethoxylated alcohols)
- •Lower metasilicate concentration (0.6-1.8%) than competitors
- •pH 11.5 - moderate alkaline (less aggressive than Meguiar's)
- •Skin Corrosion 1C - mildest corrosion subcategory
- •STOT single exposure (Cat 3) not repeated exposure (Cat 1)
- •Excellent SDS transparency with narrow concentration ranges
- •Low VOC (6 g/l)
Potential Concerns
- ⚠Still DANGER classification - causes severe skin burns and eye damage
- ⚠Skin sensitization risk (Cat 1)
- ⚠Harmful if swallowed (Cat 4)
- ⚠Transport regulated as UN3266 Class 8 Corrosive
- ⚠Purple color may be confused with iron-reactive chemistry - it is NOT
- ⚠'Acid-free' marketing may imply gentle - still corrosive
Ingredients
Source: sds section 3
Safety Profile
Skin Corrosion 1C is the mildest corrosion subcategory - less aggressive than Meguiar's products. STOT is single exposure only (Cat 3), not repeated exposure like Meguiar's (Cat 1). Overall a more moderate safety profile despite DANGER signal word.