When I worked in the trade the cleaners used to spray the cars with "TFR" (Traffic Fiml Remover). This was diluted, sprayed on and then left on the cars for a few minutes. After a short while you would see long streaks of grime running down the sides of the car. You could then lightly hose off the car, leaving it sparkling underneath. It's great for getting salt and other winter debris off without risking scratching with a sponge, although for best results I always used to use a bucket of hot water, autoglym and a sponge afterwards.
I've used a product called "Muc Off" (originally developed to clean mountain bikes) to similar effect (heavily diluted as it warns not leave on paintwork for long periods), but was wondering if anyone knew a retail source of the proper stuff?
No Dosh - but then who has?
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(Traffic Fiml Remover).
Fiml? FIML? What was I thinking.
Try film.....
No Dosh - but then who has?
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'Traffic Film' (or fiml!) sounds like a marketing term for 'dirt'. I'm not sure anything special is required - anything really fierce will require a re-polish, I imagine.
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The stuff we used at the Ford and Rover dealerships I worked at had a mild solvent action so it disolved the nasty oil-based goo that mixes with salt, mud and assorted other cack at this time of year, without disolving the paint or your windscreen rubbers!
Wouldn't use it on a car that hadn't been polished in the last 3 or 4 months though.......
No Dosh - but then who has?
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I bought the last lot from Partco Motor Factors.
Once used it neat on the tractor engine and it turned the red paint orange before I washed it off.
MM
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Thanks MM, I shall give Partco a try.
I seem to remember that it has to be diluted to about 1-100 or less and that it comes in different strengths for LGV and PLG use. Not to be used without some care and attention!
No Dosh - but then who has?
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I think we get ours (for the lorries) from Central Auto Supplies, same idea as Partco really. It comes in 25L drums, although you can get it in 5 litre cans.
When I used to drive clapped-out Maestro vans for a courier firm we used to keep a trigger bottle in the van in the summer, containing a 10:1 mix of TFR, although the trigger bottle was labelled "BUG F*$@" - great for dissolving/removing squashed flies before washing the vans! It also worked really well on brake dust on front wheels, and watered down even more it brought the boss's white Escort cabrio roof up a treat!
Mind you, if you have any grazes or cuts on your hands it makes them sting lots...
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Mind you, if you have any grazes or cuts on your hands it makes them sting lots...
Ooooh, I remember that one! Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about the paper cut I forgot I had.....
No Dosh - but then who has?
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TFR is also sold as Chassis Wash and is used in commercial vehicle hot spray washing equipment. We buy it in 200 ltr drums and it is a cheap (around 80p/ltr) product for general degreasing anything from concrete floors to dirty engines depending on the dilution strength.
It is strongly alkaline and in neat form, has a pH of almost 14 ; ie, as strong as you can get - about the same as neat bleach. Now you wouldn't wash your pride & joy with bleach would you ?? :-o
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If this magic Fiml Remover is so caustic that it has to be diluted and washed off in a hurry, how do you make sure there is none left in any unreachable crannies?
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When diluted properly it won't cause any damage. In order for it to work you need to leave it for a few minutes, but obviously if you leave it to dry you have to start again....
A simple sluice over with the hose for a couple of minutes is all that's required to get it off. If spraying it on gets it into the nooks and crannys, the same method should be good enought to get rid.
Following the reference to Partco I gave my local one a call. It comes in a number of strengths/formulations, including a very mild version for cars. Wouldn't want to use the truck degreaser variety! The light version is £20 for 25l, which will last myself and my neighbour a fair few decades.
The trade have used this stuff for years. It's also used in a large number of car-washes prior to the foamy bit (technical term). The MD of the Ford Dealership I used to work for had a Cobra (the real thing, not a Sierra + Fibreglass) and had used TFR for years on it with no problems.
No Dosh - but then who has?
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Several contributors' remarks about TFR having a pH of 14 when concentrated suggests that it is (at least partially) a caustic alkali - like oven cleaner. Thirty years ago ICI employees at Winnington regularly used to claim from the company for the damage to their car roofs caused by factory fallout, which was more likely to be s**a-ash (carbonate), which is less alkaline than caustic. Need I say more ..
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...my not spraying it into unreachable cavities?
Sorry!
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Andy,
Just read your profile so understand your issues with car cleaning.
'snot an ordinary car, it's an Alfa!
:o)
No Dosh - but then who has?
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Mark - why doesn't your filter system allow me to type "s**A-ASH" ?
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£$\"^\"%& if I know !
Actually, I suspect you were typing soda ? If so, the first three letters were the issue. Isn\'t it annoying how it doesn\'t affect my notes though ! ;-)
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IF it has a PH of 14, anyone putting a dilute mixture of it (in volume) down the drains must be breaking some law surely?
madf
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Isn't it annoying how it doesn\'t affect my notes though !
Not really. There are ways around it. s0da, for example.
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