The Best Engine Degreasers In 2023

Top 5 Best Engine Degreasers 2023:

1. Krud Kutter Original Concentrated Cleaner/Degreaser
2. Simple Green 19128 Crystal Industrial Cleaner/Degreaser
3. Oil Eater Original Cleaner/Degreaser
4. Purple Power 4320P
5. Chemical Guys CLD_201_16 Signature Series Orange Degreaser

Let’s be real here.

Nobody really likes degreasing their car engine. Or the persons who enjoy this type of grueling work are too afraid to admit it.

But, if you want your engine to last longer and perform better, it would be a good idea to give it a good clean with an engine degreaser.

Driving your car to a carwash and giving it a good rub down, unfortunately, isn’t enough. This is equivalent to cleaning your room by hiding all the dust under the rug.

Your car engine can get just as dirty as the rest of your car, if not more. The road is full of dust, mud,  soot, all a plethora of other pollutants, all sticking to the hot engine block.

If you neglect your engine, you might end up stuck in the middle of nowhere. This is why it’s essential to keep your engine sparkly clean.

What’s more, a clean engine will run better, the various intakes and moving parts won’t get clogged down, and you’ll be able to spot issues such as oil leaks as soon as they appear.

Unfortunately, the market is flooded with these products, and choosing the best engine degreaser for your needs can quickly turn into a nightmare.

Don’t worry, though. You are in the right place. In this article, we give you an in-depth look at the five best engine degreasers on the market. Not just that, but we also teach you how to pick one in our buying guide.

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5 Best Engine  Degreasers In 2023: Detailed Reviews

Here are our top five picks for the best engine degreaser of this year. We made sure to include a wide selection of brands and types, so there’s something for everyone. 

1. Krud Kutter Original Concentrated Cleaner/Degreaser – Editor’s Choice

The first place on our list goes to a degreaser you’d probably pass by if it was lying on a store shelf. By looking at the Krud Kutter’s packaging, you’d think it’s just some off-brand cleaner. And you couldn’t be further from the truth.

This engine degreaser will get the grease from just about any surface. From exhaust pipes to ovens, barbecue grills, to engines, this degreaser will leave it sparkly clean. Most importantly, The Krud Kutter will cut through all dirt and grease that’s collected on your engine.

This degreaser is water-based, so you don’t have to worry about it destroying your lawn if you spill it. And on top of that, it’s high-concentrated so you can adjust the strength by diluting it. What’s more, the Krud Kutter comes in a one-gallon jug, you will be covered for years before you’ll have to restock. 

The Krud Kutter is one of the most versatile engine degreasers we’ve ever seen. You can also use it to clean oil stains from your driveway, clean permanent marker, adhesive stains, and much more. 

2. Simple Green 19128 Crystal Industrial Cleaner/Degreaser – Runner Up

The second spot in our list of best engine degreasers goes to a product that is well known amongst car enthusiasts and professional detailers. Enter, Simple Green 19128 Crystal Industrial Cleaner/Degreaser.

The 19128 Crystal is highly-concentrated and comes in a one-gallon jug packaging. This means you’ll be covered for a long time before you even start thinking about restocking the engine degreaser.

Its potent formula will go through just about any time of dirt and grime with ease. No matter how long you neglect your engine, Simple Green will help you do the job quickly and efficiently.

Unlike our first choice, this degreaser features a unique chemical formula, so you’ll have to be careful about how you use it. You should be especially cautious if you’re prone to allergies. Thankfully, those are the only bad news.

On the top side, the Simple Green 19128 Crystal is FDA-approved, non-abrasive, non-flammable, and even odor-free. On top of that, you can use this product to clean other things like oil stains and even chimneys.

3. Oil Eater Original Cleaner/Degreaser – Most Affordable

Are you on a tight budget, but still want to give your engine a facelift? Then you might be interested in our third pick.

Oil Eater Original engine degreaser, despite its aggressive name, boasts a mild, non-abrasive formula that simply goes through dirt and grime. It’s also highly-concentrated so you can adjust its strength according to how difficult the cleaning job is.

Oil Eater is non-toxic, non-corrosive, non-hazardous, and it’s even USDA approved for use on non-food surfaces. This engine degreaser is completely petroleum-free, and it’s also acid-free, so you don’t have to worry about it killing the environment.

This engine degreaser is also quite versatile. You can use it to clean oil stains from all sorts of surfaces, from concrete to stainless steel. Not only that, but you can also use it to remove grease stains from your carpets.

The only thing this degreaser won’t take care of is the most stubborn of stains. However, once you factor in the price, this is more than a reasonable sacrifice to make. After all, you’re already getting a pretty decent deal as it is.

4. Purple Power 4320P – Best Environmentally-Friendly

Looking for a decent environmentally-friendly engine degreaser that’s also affordable? If the answer is yes, then we recommend you give Purple Power 4320P a try!

When it comes to this degreaser, we’re not talking about Puppy Power, but Purple Power. Unlike Scooby Doo’s annoying little nephew, this product has actual power!

Purple Power industrial cleaner/degreaser is another product that isn’t just good for touching up your engine block. You can also use it to get rid of other stubborn stains such as oil stains, scotch tape residue, permanent marker stains, and other stubborn stains.

The best thing about this degreaser is that it’s powerful enough that all you have to do to clean your engine is spray it down and let it do its magic. After it’s done reacting, just spray down the engine with a water hose, and you’re done!

And since this product is non-abrasive, phosphate-free, and completely biodegradable, you don’t have to worry about it ruining your front lawn. However, you will have to be careful when using it on aluminum or plastics because it can corrode it.

5. Chemical Guys CLD_201_16 Signature Series Orange Degreaser – Best For Engine Degreasing

So far, we’ve been talking about products that aren’t necessarily designed just for degreasing the engine. This is why for our last pick, we’ve decided to showcase you a product that’s specially made just for cleaning your engine.

Chemical Guys Signature Series Orange Degreaser is not orange just to be more appealing.

Hell no!

The Chemical Guys have managed to harness the cleaning power of citrus to bring you this powerful engine degreaser! It’s powerful formula quickly emulsifies dirt, grime and oil stains, making your cleaning job that much easier.

You can use this cleaner on other parts of your car than just the engine. You can also use it to clean your undercarriage and even get rid of caked-on dirt from the suspension and rims. It also works wonders on other surfaces, allowing you to get rid of oil stains from your garage in a matter of minutes.

The only issue with this product is its price-to-quantity. For the same price, you’d pay for a gallon of cleaner, you only get 16 ounces with this one. However, this is relatively okay since it’s specially designed to keep your engine clean.

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What Are Engine Degreasers And Why You Should Buy One?

So, before we teach you how to pick the best engine degreaser for your needs, you first need to learn what they actually are.

An engine degreaser is a cleaning product that removes oil and grease from hard surfaces. Most engine degreasers contain ingredients that react with pollutants chemically, making your job of cleaning the engine a bit easier.

These products aren’t too different from their industrial counterparts. However, engine degreaser fluids for “civilian” users are far milder. Mainly because they have to be safe to use and not cause damage when they get in direct contact with your skin.

Also, you can use these products on other things than just engines. Since they have a weaker formula than industrial-grade degreasers, you can use them to clean different surfaces such as rubber, plastic, and even paint. 

Engine degreasers primarily prevent the wear and tear of your vehicle’s engine. After all, dirty parts break down way faster than clean ones. Engine oil and grease continuously build up and can accelerate the wear and tear, which will cost you in the long run. 

These products also help you get rid of dirt and grime with ease. Why? Well, since engine degreasers work the same as soap in the way that they suspend dirt and oil particles in an emulsion, they make your job a lot easier.

No matter what type of degreaser you go for, you can rest assured that your engine will run better and last longer if you keep it clean. Not to mention how a clean engine can contribute to higher resale value.

After all, a clean engine is a happy engine.

Related Read: The Best Oil Drain Pan

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4 Factors You Need To Consider When Buying An Engine Degreaser

Now that you know what degreasers are and why you need one, it’s time to learn what factors you need to keep in mind when looking for one.  So, here are the four factors you need to consider when browsing for the best engine degreaser for your needs!

1. Type

Engine degreasers can be roughly divided into two types, water-based and petroleum-based. Both types come with their own set of pros and cons, and there is no right choice. You should choose the type you think will be most useful to you.

To help you make a more informed decision, here’s a quick breakdown:

• Petroleum-Based Degreasers – are usually cheaper than their water-based counterparts. This is because petroleum is a naturally stronger cleaning chemical than water, which means you don’t need a lot of it to get the job done. However, they are much more abrasive than water-based degreasers. Hence, you have to be more careful when using them because they can easily damage your paintwork.
• Water-Based Degreasers – are generally more expensive than their petroleum-based counterparts. However, they are far less abrasive, which means you can use them on more sensitive surfaces such as plastic and rubber. They are also more environmentally friendly, so you don’t have to worry about the run-off killing your lawn.

2. Dilution And Versatility

After you’ve determined what type of degreaser you’re going to go for, it’s time to consider whether you are going to use it just on your engine or to clean other parts of your vehicle.

Some degreasers are excellent for cleaning hubcaps, exhausts, some parts of the paintwork, and even the interior. However, some of these surfaces are more sensitive than others.

For a degreaser to be efficient, it has to handle built-up dirt and grime on your engine with ease. This means it has to have a powerful formula, which means you will have to dilute it so you can use it on more sensitive surfaces.

This is why we recommend you get a more powerful degreaser that can be diluted if you’re planning on cleaning more than just your engine.

3. Cleaning Power

If you want to get rid of dirt from your engine as quickly as possible, you are going to need a pretty powerful degreaser. For the best effect, you should go for a highly-concentrated degreaser or a high-strength aerosol spray degreaser. 

Some brands clean better than others, regardless of concentration. Although you can’t numerically describe how good a degreaser is, you can always take a look at the customer reviews or purchase a sample.

If you’re a professional car detailer, we recommend you get engine-specific degreasers. They generally don’t have to be diluted, are easy to use, and cut through the dirt and grime quite quickly. Some brands will even lubricate your engine.

If you’re a standard user, a high-concentration engine degreaser will do just fine.

4. Safety

The fact that so many brands are bragging how safe their degreasers are, begs the question, are they really that safe?

The answer is yes, as long as you follow the instructions. Some petroleum-based brands will surely damage your clothes and irritate your skin. This is why you should be careful when using them and carefully follow the instructions.

If you feel uncomfortable around dangerous chemicals, then you can always go for a water-based degreaser. Yes, they are, in general, less effective than their petroleum counterpart. Still, they won’t damage your clothes or your skin if you accidentally spill it.

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Final Word & Our Recommendations

Before you head out and start the grueling work that is cleaning your engine, let’s round up the results.

If you’re looking for the best engine degreaser money can buy, we recommend you go for Krud Kutter Original Concentrated Cleaner/Degreaser. Not only does this product cut through dirt, grime, and grease, but it’s also incredibly versatile.

Our runner up is the Simple Green 19128 Crystal Industrial Cleaner/Degreaser. Not only does this product’s powerful formula do an excellent job at cleaning your engine, but it’s also wholly odor-free.

If you’re looking for the most affordable option, you might want to check out the Oil Eater Original Cleaner/Degreaser. Even though it doesn’t have the most potent formula on the market, it will still get the job done, and you’ll save more than a couple of bucks.