Duel Autocare
Nitty Gritty
Pre-Wash & Degreaser
Size
Nitty Gritty is our alkaline pre-wash and degreaser — a concentrate that breaks down road grime, traffic film and ingrained dirt before your mitt goes anywhere near the paintwork. Dilute it to suit how dirty the car is, spray it on, let it dwell, then rinse. Everything it lifts is dirt that can't scratch your paint during the wash.
At A Glance
Why You'll Love It
Most swirl marks come from washing, not driving. By lifting grime before the contact wash, Nitty Gritty removes the grit that would otherwise be dragged across your paint by a mitt.
Three to five minutes of dwell time is all it needs. You can watch the grime start to run before you've touched the car — then rinse and move straight on to the wash stage.
Dilute it lightly for a regularly maintained car, or run it strong for heavy traffic film, farm mud and winter salt. The same bottle handles a weekly wash and a proper deep clean.
It's a concentrate, so most of what you're spraying is water you already have. Even the smallest bottle covers a run of washes, and the 5 litre works out far cheaper per use.
What Does Nitty Gritty Actually Do?
Traffic film is the dull, greyish layer that builds up on a car between washes. It's a mix of road grime, exhaust residue, oil and brake dust, bound together and stuck to the paint by the oily part of that mixture. Water alone won't shift it, and neither will a rinse — which is why a car can come out of a jet wash still looking flat.
Nitty Gritty is alkaline, which means it breaks down the oily bond holding that film to your paint. Alkaline simply describes where it sits on the pH scale — the opposite end from acidic — and it's the right end for shifting grease and road grime. At a pH of 11 to 13 it's strong enough to work quickly, which is why it's diluted rather than used neat, and why it's safe on paint but not on you.
Once the film is broken down, it rinses away instead of sitting on the paint waiting for your wash mitt. That matters more than it sounds. Almost all the fine scratching you see in direct sunlight comes from dirt being dragged across paint during washing — so the less dirt there is when you start, the less damage each wash does. It's a difference you notice over years, not in a single afternoon.
Is It Right For You?
- Anyone who wants to reduce swirl marks and fine scratching over time
- Vehicles carrying heavy traffic film, road salt or ingrained winter grime
- Regular washers who want a proper two-stage routine
- Professional valeters and detailers who need a reliable pre-wash
- High-mileage, commercial or off-road vehicles
- Anyone without a foam cannon who still wants an effective pre-wash
- Your car is only lightly soiled and washed regularly — try Assault instead
- You want thick, clinging foam for the look as much as the clean — Nitty Gritty is built to work, not to sit
- You're after something that doubles as a shampoo — this is a dedicated pre-wash, not a contact wash product. Try Bahama Blue
- You need something safe on bare or corroded metal without immediate rinsing
- All paint types and colours
- Glass
- Plastic trim
- Rubber seals
- Bare or corroded metal without immediate rinsing
- Any surface where the product could dry before rinsing
How To Use Nitty Gritty
Start with a thorough rinse using a hose or pressure washer. This clears loose debris and lets the Nitty Gritty reach the bonded contamination underneath rather than sitting on top of dried mud.
How much you dilute depends on how dirty the car is — there's a full breakdown in the dilution ratios below. Add the product to your pump or hand sprayer and top up with water, taking a little care while you're handling the concentrate.
Spray it on, working upward from the lower panels. Cover every painted surface, and pay particular attention to wheel arches, sills and the lower quarter of the car, where traffic film builds up most.
Give it time to work, but don't let it dry on the surface. On a hot day or in direct sunlight, work one panel at a time and rinse each section before it dries.
Rinse the whole vehicle with clean water. The paint should look visibly cleaner before you start the contact wash — and you can now wash knowing the heaviest contamination is already gone.
Dilution Ratios
| Strength | Ratio (water : product) | 1L sprayer example | Best used for | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 10:1 | 909ml water + 91ml Nitty Gritty | Lightly soiled, regularly maintained cars |
|
| Medium | 5:1 | 833ml water + 167ml Nitty Gritty | General use, moderate road grime and traffic film |
|
| Strong | 3:1 | 750ml water + 250ml Nitty Gritty | Heavily soiled vehicles, post-winter grime, farm or commercial use, engine bay |
|
| Neat / Spot | Undiluted | Direct to problem area | Wheel arches, sills, heavily ingrained areas, oil and grease |
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Always dilute before use unless spot treating. Never allow Nitty Gritty to dry on the surface. Rinse thoroughly after every application. For more on how dilution ratios work, read our dilution ratios guide.
H315 — Causes skin irritation.H318 — Causes serious eye damage.H412 — Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects.P101 — If medical advice is needed, have product container or label at hand.P102 — Keep out of reach of children.P264 — Wash hands thoroughly after handling.P280 — Wear protective gloves / eye protection.P305+P351+P338+P310 — IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing. Immediately call a POISON CENTER or doctor.| Product Type | Pre-Wash & Degreaser |
|---|---|
| Format | Alkaline concentrate |
| Sizes | 500ml · 1 Litre · 5 Litre |
| Application | Pump / hand sprayer |
| Dilution Range | 3:1 to 10:1, or neat for spot use |
| Dwell Time | 3–5 minutes |
| Rinse Required | Yes |
| Scent | Grapefruit |
| Suitable For | All paint types and colours |
| pH | Alkaline · pH 11–13 |
| Physical State | Liquid |
| Colour | Pink |
| Storage | Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep cool. |