The pre-wash stage is arguably the most crucial part of the car wash process. Utilising a premium Citrus Pre-Wash significantly reduces dirt and grime on your vehicle before your wash mitt makes contact with the bodywork during the contact wash phase of the wash process. In this comparison of leading brands, the Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash competes against Mile Deep's RELEASE Citrus Pre-Wash.
Mile Deep RELEASE 'vs' Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash
Mile Deep
Mile Deep was founded in 2019 by Jody and Tim. Both of the founders confess to having been completely obsessed with cars whilst growing up. Their subsequent professional automotive careers span over 30 years and cover some of the most well known, high-end, luxury brands.
Gloss Fuel
The brand was founded by two friends who share a lifelong passion for motorsport, in particular the World Rally Championship. Rally is the high octane, high action motorsport where cars drive as fast as possible, on gravel roads and get dirty – very dirty. The friends also share a passion for cleaning and detailing cars – their own and the occasional rally car.
The founders have between them, a wealth of knowledge and know-how from the automotive engineering sector and graphic design and marketing disciplines.
Both are passionate about car care and detailing but noticed that the industry was falling behind on sustainability. Other industries are embracing more environmentally friendly solutions. Gloss Fuel are reducing plastic waste in the car care market. Their innovative ‘Refuel Packs’ and easy to recycle post and packing materials help achieve this.
Gloss Fuel aim to cater to the weekend warriors, experienced driveway detailers and car care professionals alike. Gloss Fuel offer an authentic, affordable and effective system of products. Ones which offer sustainability and a lower impact on the environment. Remember to reuse, refill or refuel your Gloss Fuel bottles with one of their eco-friendly refuel packs!
Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash Overview
Ease of use of Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash
Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash is a concentrate that requires dilution. The product label offers clear instructions and a simple dilution guide.
- Light Soiling: Add 50ml to 1000ml water
- Medium Soiling: Add 75ml to 1000ml water
- Heavy Soiling: Add 100ml to 1000ml water
Spray the diluted solution on affected areas and let it dwell for several minutes before rinsing thoroughly with a pressure washer. This should remove traffic film, dirt, and grime easily, without any physical contact.
Benefits of Using Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash
Many pre-wash chemicals from other brands, including Traffic Film Removers (TFR) and Citrus Pre-Washes, are caustic in nature, much like that from Mile Deep. While caustic products offer enhanced cleaning capabilities, they can also damage certain materials, especially textured exterior plastics, aluminium trim, aluminium suspension components, as well as delicate diamond-cut alloy wheels.
Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash, in contrast, is non-caustic and therefore does not harm your vehicle. Its formulation provides a balance of safety and effectiveness. Being non-caustic, it is significantly less harmful to any previously applied Last Stage Protection (LSP) products, whether that be a wax, sealant, or ceramic spray coating. Additionally, Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash serves as an excellent solution for removing baked on bug splatter and damaging bird droppings, and it is safe for use on all types of wheels and tyres.
Value for Money of Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash
Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash is a concentrated product, allowing users to dilute it with water to various strengths depending on the task. At a cost of £12.00 for a 500ml bottle, it offers exceptional value as it can produce up to 5 litres of ready-to-use product at maximum strength, easily capable of dealing with heavy soiling. To pre-clean the lower sections of an average-sized car, approximately 200ml-250ml of product is needed, resulting in a cost per application of about £0.60. Additionally, Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash is available in a 5 litre container for £35.00, reducing the cost per application to approximately £0.15.
Cons of Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash
If you prefer a ready-to-use product, the Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash may not suit you. However, its concentrate form can be a huge advantage. Simply mix a batch and pour it into a trigger spray bottle, IK Spray Bottle, or Pump Sprayer, and it's ready to use.
Mile Deep Release Overview
Ease of use of RELEASE Citrus Pre-Wash
Mile Deep RELEASE Citrus Pre-Wash is fairly easy to use. RELEASE is a concentrate product so needs to be diluted accordingly, with clean, fresh water:
- 1:1 part water: heavy soiling.
- 1:5 parts water: medium soiling.
- 1:10 parts water: light soiling.
Apply a single coat with a sprayer bottle or pump sprayer. Spray evenly on to the affected areas, typically the lower third/half of the vehicle. Allow to dwell up to 5 minutes (temperature dependent).
After approximately five minutes, rinse off with a high-quality pressure washer before moving on to the contact wash stage. The road film, dirt and grime should simply wash away with the water from the pressure washer.
Do not allow to fully air-dry before washing off, taking additional care in direct sunlight and/or higher temperature conditions. This product is caustic and allowing it to dry could be damaging.
RELEASE can be used undiluted for extreme soiling but may strip less durable Last Stage Products.
Benefits of Using Mile Deep RELEASE Citrus Pre-Wash
The primary benefit of using Mile Deep RELEASE is its ability to melt away traffic film, loosen dirt and strip grease & grime chemically, without any contact.
RELEASE Citrus Pre-Wash uses strong chemicals, Citrus oils and detergents. Citrus oils contain Limonene which acts as a strong degreaser. This ingredient helps to make this pre-wash very effective. The product works particularly well in winter months, in areas where roads are treated with road salt and/or grit to help prevent ice and snow build up.
Lastly, another big benefit is that Mile Deep RELEASE is a concentrate product. This means that a 500ml bottle of the product can make up to five litres of pre-wash, suitable for dealing with light soiling.
Value for Money of Mile Deep RELEASE Citrus Pre-Wash
Mile Deep RELEASE Citrus Pre-Wash is a concentrated product. This means that it needs diluting with fresh, clean water before use. RELEASE costs £8.00 (plus p&p) for a 500ml bottle, which represents below average value for money. To clean the lower sections of the average sized car, with heavy soiling would use approximately 100ml of product (diluted with water). This puts the cost per application at around the £1.60 mark which is very high. RELEASE is also available in a 5 litre container for a cost of £31.00 (plus p&p). This then puts the cost per application at a more reasonable £0.60.
Cons of Mile Deep Release
On the negative side it’s a caustic pre-cleaner, with no colour or scent. Caustic products aren’t dangerous, but the labelling really should make this clear. If you were to use this product, neat or diluted to a high strength, on a diamond cut alloy wheel which had a minor imperfection, kerb damage or rock chip, then you run the risk of aggravating the damage. The lack of scent and colour makes the experience of using the product less pleasing than others. Plus the cost of it is a turn off.
Mile Deep Release or Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash: Which should you choose?
Based on price per use, overall value, and the lower, safer pH value, we recommend Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash. Gloss Fuel clearly wins on value. The Gloss Fuel product has a very pleasant orange citrus scent, while the Mile Deep product has neither fragrance nor colour.
Both Citrus Pre-Wash products have excellent cleaning abilities, but Gloss Fuel Citrus Fuelled Pre-Wash stands out as it's a safer option, especially for vehicles that have previously had protection products applied, as it’s non-caustic. This adds another significant advantage to the Gloss Fuel product. In terms of value and user experience, it’s a clear winner.
Don't believe us? Then read what Pro-Detailer Magazine said when they tested both products head-to-head: "Given that Gloss Fuel was significantly more diluted than Mile Deep, the fact it was nearly as good at cleaning is very impressive indeed, and having a lower pH suggests it will be slightly kinder to any LSP, while it also worked out cheaper (60p per wash Gloss Fuel / £2.00 per wash Mile Deep). For a detailing enthusiast who doesn't want to buy 5 litres and needs to save every last penny, this is a flexible and potent option."
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Disclaimer: Both products tested were purchased and tested back-to-back by the reviewer. The review published here is the honest opinion of the product reviewer. All information and prices quoted were deemed to be correct at the time of publication. To notify us of any updates and/or corrections, please contact Gloss Fuel.
