Best Degreaser
The Professional Helps You Pick the Best

Just what makes anything the best?

Finding the best degreaser will ultimately be the winning combination of benefits; but only you can decide what that winning combination is going to look like.

As a professional detailer, I have just as many—if not more—requirements than most of you. And like every other area of life, not all degreasers can claim the title of best engine degreaser or best all-purpose degreaser. Every formulation comes with its own set of benefits and compromises:

• How strong is the degreaser?
• How much does it cost?
• How easily can I get it?

But that’s only half the equation—and probably not even the most important part.

The better question is: What exactly are you trying to degrease?

• Engine and engine bay?
• Wheel wells?
• Tire sidewalls?

If you're like most car owners, your list probably only includes the engine. But the reality is, "degreaser" is just a label—a marketing term used to sell specialty products.

At its core, you're simply looking for a product that can cut through oil and grease. And in basic terms, that could mean many types of cleaners.

Manufacturers use the word degreaser to imply a stronger cleaner than an all-purpose cleaner or a general-use cleaner. And while that’s mostly true, it’s not always true—bringing us back to the key question:

What exactly are you trying to degrease?

Best Degreaser and the Winning Combination

I will tell you the (3) types of degreasers I have professional experience with:

Chemical Guys Orange Degreaser on Amazon

Chemical Guys Orange

• Powerful Grease-Cutting Action – Breaks down oil, grime, and grease fast.
• Multi-Surface Cleaning – Perfect for engines, tires, tools, and more.
• Professional-Strength Formula – Designed to tackle the toughest messes.
• Fast-Acting Performance – Quickly dissolves stubborn contaminants.
• Highly Versatile – Ideal for automotive, garage, and industrial cleaning.
• Customizable Strength – Dilute for light, medium, or heavy-duty cleaning.
• Restores & Revives – Brings back that clean, like-new look to parts and tools.

Simple Green PRO HD Degreaser on Amazon

Simple Green Pro HD – The All-in-One Cleaner & Degreaser

• PROP 65 Compliant & Non-Corrosive – Tough on grime, safe on surfaces.
• Professional-Grade Strength – Built for contractors and heavy-duty cleaning.
• Multi-Purpose Power – Works on floors, walls, industrial equipment, and appliances.
• Automotive & RV Ready – Ideal for vehicle cleaning and degreasing.
• Commercial & Industrial Use – Perfect for kitchens, baths, pressure washing, and more.
• Fast & Effective – Cuts through tough grease, grime, and stains with ease.
• Metal-Safe Formula – Strong enough to clean, gentle enough to protect.
• One Powerful Solution – Your go-to cleaner and degreaser for any job.

3D Orange Degreaser on Amazon

3D Orange Degreaser

• One Product, Ultimate Clean – A premium organic citrus degreaser for interior & exterior surfaces.
• Multi-Surface Formula – Cuts through dirt, grease, and grime on plastic, vinyl, metal, leather, carpet, and more.
• Eliminates Oil & Residue – Removes stubborn buildup without leaving stains or streaks.
• Perfect Balance – Stronger than a basic cleaner, gentler than a heavy-duty commercial degreaser.
• Proudly Made in the USA – Over 25 years of trusted car care innovation.
• Tried, Tested & Trusted – Experience the cleaning power of a citrus degreaser that delivers results!

Darren's professional tips for using the best degreaser

I accept that these (3) degreasers might seem a bit confusing under the topic of finding the best degreaser. People will naturally associate a degreaser with engines, machinery, and the like.

If you clicked on any of the links above and read the descriptions you will see a theme between all of the products: they can serve many types of uses- not just cleaning and degreasing engines.

As both a professional detailer and car owner, I love it when a single product can serve many uses.

The products above can actually replace other products you may already have or think you need to get:

• All-purpose cleaners
• General use cleaners
• Upholstery shampoos
• Carpet shampoo
• Etc.

The reality is that each of these products can be used to clean virtually every type of material for both the interior and exterior of your car.

I have literally cleaned all the following materials of a car with each of these products:

• Engines
• Wheel wells
• Tire sidewalls
• Wheels
• Car upholstery
• Leather car upholstery
• Interior plastic door panels
• Etc.

Darren's Tips: After you decide which type of degreaser represents the best degreaser in your world, begin by reading the manufacturer's labeling and start from there based on what you are trying to clean.

Just know that any of these can be diluted down with tap water to create a "safer" cleaning product. If you find yourself in doubt and you want to test the effectiveness and safety of any product, just test an area in an inconspicuous area; once again, I have used all these products either full-strength or diluted down to clean virtually any material of a car.

You will be surprised at how versatile all these products can be and how many other dedicated products can be eliminated by using only one of the products from above.

I also use any of these products in my home for my cleaning duties around my house.

When it comes to vehicles of any kind you can follow my guide here that can be used for any of the products above and they could represent your starting point:

• Engine cleaning and degreasing: full strength
• Wheel wells: full strength
• Wheels and tire sidewalls: full strength
• Miscellaneous cleaning of spots on exterior paint: full strength
• Upholstery Shampoo: dilute 4:1 (one part product to 4 equal parts water)
• Car Leather Cleaner: 4:1 dilution
• General Purpose Cleaner for Interiors: 4:1

Chemical Resistant Sprayers

PRO Sprayer Bottles on Amazon

Versatile & Durable Spray Bottles

• Adjustable Nozzle – Switch from fine mist to a powerful 15-ft stream with a simple twist. (Adjust before use.)
• Clear & Lightweight – See contents at a glance; safer and lighter than glass.
• Ergonomic Trigger – 3-finger design reduces hand fatigue for comfortable use.
• Chemical-Resistant – Holds any type of liquid product needed.
• Upgraded Spray Head – Leak-proof design with a precision valve, stainless steel spring, and clog-free venting system.
• Multi-Purpose – Ideal for detailing, household cleaning, gardening, and DIY solutions.

If you're using any of my recommended cleaners or degreasers, you'll need reliable sprayer bottles.

Many brands make big claims about their bottles and sprayer heads, often leading people to overpay. While not all sprayers are created equal—some are definitely better than others—the ones I recommend will get the job done without draining your wallet.

Darren's Tip: If you are cleaning any of  the following items when working on your car I highly recommend you get a pump chemical sprayer that you can use to dispense the degreaser from:

• Wheels/Tires
• Wheel Wells
• Engines

These specific cleaning tasks will require large amounts of your chosen degreaser and using a pump chemical sprayer will save you a ton of time, along with any hand fatigue due to repeated and prolonged spraying.

Happy detailing!

Sincerely,

Darren Priest