Koch-Chemie Acid Shampoo A "Asa" Acidic Car Wash Shampoo A 22kg

Acid Shampoo A neutralizes pre-wash and protects car wash brushes

What is Koch-Chemie's Acid Shampoo A "Asa"? A highly acidic concentrate for gantry car washes and car wash tunnels with conventional process water treatment. It binds hard limescale residues, neutralizes the alkaline pre-wash on the body, and extends the life of the wash brushes. Not suitable for biological process water systems, raw aluminum, anodized aluminum, leather, or manual hobby washing.

Acid Shampoo A "Asa" is an acidic car wash shampoo from Koch-Chemie in Unna, based on an acidic active ingredient mixture with an acid-stable surfactant. The acid converts calcium and magnesium carbonate from the process water into water-soluble salts — limescale disappears as a dissolved compound in the wastewater, instead of crystallizing as a deposit on brushes, paint, and car body. The surfactant remains stable in an acidic environment, foams reliably, and lays a thin gliding layer on the paint, which prepares it for subsequent drying.

Thus, Asa is not a cleaner in the classic sense, but the second step in the car wash workflow: after the alkaline pre-wash, before drying. It removes mineral residues left behind by foam and pre-wash, and shifts the pH value on the car body from alkaline back to the neutral range. This dual role, cleaner plus neutralizer, is precisely why car wash operators cannot replace Asa with a pH-neutral shampoo without visibly losing drying quality and brush lifespan.

• 1,500 car washes per 22-kg drum. With a consumption of 8 to 15 ml of shampoo per vehicle, a car wash operates for almost three weeks with one drum. The 225-kg container is sufficient for around 15,000 washes, i.e., about three months of full operation in a medium-sized gantry car wash. Boutique detailing shampoos are simply not viable with this volume logic.
• Brush service life from approx. 12 to 18 months. The acid binds calcium from the alkaline process water before it crystallizes as limescale on the polyethylene bristles. Without this step, brushes in hard water become calcified within months, develop sharp edges, and damage clear coat. With Asa, they empirically last about 50 percent longer.
• Pump dosing neat up to 1:10. 15 to 30 ml foam or 8 to 15 ml shampoo per vehicle, dosed via the car wash pump. Manual bucket washing is not intended; mixing by hand regularly leads to overdosing and paint damage.

Practical tip from Detailing1: We often receive inquiries from car wash operators who cannot explain paint damage on the bonnet. From our experience, we almost always see the same pattern: the shampoo dries section by section between application and rinsing because the paint surface in summer is significantly hotter than the air, even at 30 degrees Celsius outside temperature.

As soon as the water evaporates, the acid concentrates to almost 100 percent and etches visible marks into the clear coat — detailing professionals call this clearcoat etching, i.e., micro-etches that can no longer be polished out.

The professional rule: check the paint surface with an infrared thermometer to ensure it's below 25 degrees, rigorously divide the vehicle into small sections, and measure exactly one minute from application, then rinse thoroughly with at least 120 bar high pressure before the next section begins. Is the car wash in the sun? Do not use Asa.

Pump dosing 1:10, one minute, rinse immediately

Acid Shampoo A is applied exclusively via the car wash's dosing pump — neat or diluted up to a maximum of 1:10, depending on the degree of soiling and water hardness. The car wash dispenses 15 to 30 ml as foam or 8 to 15 ml as shampoo per vehicle.

The maximum contact time is one minute, measured from application to the paint. This limit is non-negotiable: with the high acid concentration in the concentrate, Asa reacts within seconds as soon as water evaporates and the acid concentrates on the surface.

This means for you: no manual bucket washing, no second section before the first one has been rinsed, no pause between application and high-pressure rinsing. The car wash control system therefore automatically stops the acid application after 50 to 55 seconds in most gantry systems and immediately releases the rinse cycle.

The sequence in the car wash workflow is fixed. First, an alkaline pre-wash — for example, with Pre-Foam efficient — dissolves insects, oil, and organic road grime. Then Asa as the main wash. It removes mineral residues and shifts the pH value on the car body from alkaline back to the neutral range.

Only on this neutralized surface may the sealant be applied. Anyone who reverses the order will either get wax on dirt or beading on residual alkali. Both visibly reduce the drying quality.

Before commissioning any car wash, compatibility must be checked in an inconspicuous area. Manufacturer's specification — and in the event of an audit, the only safeguard against paint damage to OEM special paints or re-painted body parts that are no longer factory-coated.

Phosphates, raw aluminum, and leather stay out

Asa has clear limits that must be checked before use — otherwise, profitability is lost and the car wash operator pays extra.

First limit: biological process water treatment. The phosphates contained are a fertilizer for the microorganism cultures that clarify process water in modern bioreactors — they lead to eutrophication in the circuit, disrupt the bacterial balance, and require extensive readjustment. If bio-process water → other pre-cleaners without phosphates, such as Pre-Wash B. If conventional treatment with flocculation and sedimentation → Acid Shampoo A plays to its strengths here.

Second limit: acid-sensitive materials. Raw, unpainted aluminum on polished wheel beds, anodized coatings, and cracked chrome with micro-cracks react with the acid and become dull or stained. Asa is not intended for tire detailing or deep rim cleaning — for this, the Koch-Chemie range offers special wheel cleaners such as Felgenreiniger extrem with an adapted surfactant mixture.

Third limit: no interior, no leather, no unprotected polypropylene. Not even in high dilution. The acidic effect remains in the pH range, even at a 1:300 dilution, where leather coatings and PP structures are attacked. For convertible tops, interior cleaning, or raw plastic bumpers, the special products from the COLOURLOCK line are the right choice.

And the status that regulates sales: Acid Shampoo A is classified as a corrosive industrial product and is not approved for private customers — purchase from Detailing1 requires verified proof of commercial activity, i.e., a business license, GISA extract, or commercial register extract. Private customers looking for acidic wash for manual bucket washing in 1-liter format are right with Reactivation Shampoo — same chemical DNA, child-proof packaging, manually applicable.

22 or 225 kilograms. The container size depends on throughput.

The target group for Acid Shampoo A is narrow. The choice between a 22-kg drum and a 225-kg IBC container is not a question of size, but a question of the car throughput per month and the storage strategy of a car wash operator or large reconditioner. If both factors are honestly calculated, the right container will be chosen.

The 22-kg container (SKU D1-KCX-311022) is theoretically sufficient for approximately 1,500 standard washes with 15 ml of shampoo consumed per wash. This suits smaller gas station gantry washes with 30 to 50 washes per day, fixed reconditioning stations, and mobile reconditioners with fixed container equipment. The drum can still be moved with a forklift or pallet truck.

The 225-kg IBC (SKU D1-KCX-311225) represents the economic logic for large-scale facilities: direct connection to the permanently installed dosing system and a range of about 15,000 car washes per container. This positions Asa as an industrial solution that lasts almost three months in large car wash tunnels with 200 vehicles per day — and in this segment, it is one of the most cost-effective components in terms of overall cost-per-wash.

Those who hesitate between the containers should honestly calculate storage space and forklift access. The 225-kg IBC requires a permanently plumbed dosing station and a suction connection preparation — if you don't have both, you're better off with two or three 22-kg drums per quarter, as it eliminates decanting. Conversely, the IBC is clearly superior economically with a car throughput of around 100 vehicles per day, as it dramatically reduces logistical costs per wash.

Storage for both containers should be frost-free between 5 and 30 degrees Celsius, closed, separated from food and animal feed — and with the prescribed personal protective equipment when decanting: chemical-resistant nitrile gloves, EN-166 safety glasses, closed work clothing. Acidic industrial chemicals do not tolerate disposable latex gloves.

The one insider value that data sheets rarely explicitly state: Asa-operated systems with conventional process water treatment empirically extend the service life of polyethylene wash brushes from approximately 12 to 18 months. For a brush set that quickly costs a four-figure sum, Asa use pays for itself solely through the saved spare parts. If this is the only information from this text, it is the most economically relevant.

Application of Acid Shampoo A "Asa"

Pump Dosing in the System Workflow

Acid Shampoo A is applied exclusively via the dosing pump of the gantry car wash or car wash tunnel. Dilute neat to a maximum of 1:10, depending on water hardness and degree of soiling. The target consumption per vehicle is 15 to 30 milliliters as foam and 8 to 15 milliliters as shampoo.

The sequence in the system cycle is fixed: first the alkaline pre-wash, for example Pre-Foam efficient, then Asa as the acidic main wash. It dissolves mineral residues, neutralizes alkaline residual water on the body, and prepares for drying. Only on this neutralized surface may the preservative be applied.

The maximum contact time is one minute, measured from the application to the paint. With the high acid concentration in the concentrate, Asa reacts within seconds as soon as water evaporates. Immediately after the minute has passed, rinse thoroughly with at least 120 bar high pressure before working on the next section.

Notes: Acid Shampoo A is classified as a corrosive industrial product and is approved exclusively for commercial users. Before decanting, wear chemical-resistant nitrile gloves, not latex disposable gloves, plus EN-166 safety goggles and closed work clothing. Not for biological process water treatment due to phosphate content. Do not use on raw aluminum, anodized aluminum, cracked chrome, leather, or unprotected polypropylene. Check paint temperature with an infrared thermometer to ensure it is below 25 degrees, never work in direct sunlight. Store frost-free between 5 and 30 degrees, separate from food. Before each initial use, check compatibility in an inconspicuous area.