When Krudkutter went, Fluxaf Pro Clean stood in and stayed
This article about Fluxaf Pro Clean degreaser and cleaner for decorating was originally about Krudkutter Original, a favourite degreasing product at Traditional Painter. However Krudkutter was discontinued in the UK in 2015.
Potted history of the best in eco cleaners for decorating
While Krudkutter Original was out the frame, several of the kitchen painters at Traditional Painter were happy to use Pro Clean from Fluxaf, and it continues to prove itself a brilliant substitute – a powerful concentrate that can be diluted (1:1 up to 1:100 or more) to make it suitable for many tasks, from very heavy degreasing and wax removal through to cleaning whiteboards.
In the scheme of things, Pro Clean seems to be closer to an industrial product than Krudkutter Original, and at this time, bearing in mind the huge amount of kitchen and furniture work we do, Fluxaf Pro Clean as well as the Graffiti Cleaner have continued to prove very reliable degreasers and wax removers.
The downside of Pro Clean for general use is the need to dilute it dependent on the task, so you also need to carry additional bottles of assorted mixes, all of which requires a certain amount of thinking!
During 2015, Fluxaf introduced Power Clean which is sold as a ready-to-use, easy-to-use degreaser and adhesion-enhancer suitable for most hard surfaces and painted surfaces. This gives the trade and DIY a more like-for-like and convenient replacement for the old Krudkutter product.
For the sake of transparency, Krudkutter has since been taken over by Rustoleum and the brand has been reintroduced to the UK. We don’t seem to have had much feedback here on the “KK Original revived”, which may or may not be the exact same formula of old.
When we have more feedback on the relaunched Krudkutter and the “ready-mixed” Power Clean, we will let you know how they fit into our daily battle for perfect surface preparation.
Meanwhile this is what Pro Clean could do and still does – a lot!
We have been trialling Fluxaf products for a couple of years. Pro Clean was one of the company’s favourite products and we found it did perform really well. However, it is fair to say that Krudkutter was an established cleaner and a favourite in the trade, so, despite its credentials, and cost, Pro Clean was over looked by the team here.
As ever, necessity is the mother of invention, and when the writing was on the wall with increasing supply issues from Krudkutter, Pro Clean was given a fairer trial.
I would say that any transition over to Fluxaf’s star cleaner has been painless.
Whatever Krudkutter did, so does Fluxaf Pro Clean. And then some more. (It is more of an industrial type formula, for want of a better way to compare a concentrate to a ready-mixed formula.)
– Pro Clean is very cost effective. Coming in concentrate form, it can be diluted to suit a task, so you don’t need to buy a bunch of different cleaning products.
– Customer support is vital and Fluxaf Pro Clean has the full backing of the company behind it. Vliegenthart are very hands-on and also seem to be able to develop new ideas and adapt to the market very quickly. Eco friendly and painter friendly too, you can literally contact the people who develop this product and ask a question!
Fluxaf Pro Clean- Practical
Preparation is the key, particularly in kitchen painting, where durability is vital, and good adhesion is dependent on a sound clean base. Preparation needs to be thorough, which means it is usually time-consuming. Fluxaf have addressed these factors.
Fast to apply – Before the modern eco cleaning era, it was good practice to wash down your chosen surface with sugar soap, using a bucket and sponge, and then rinse with clean water. Sugar soap works, but a lot of water around wooden kitchen doors, especially with open joints or damaged surfaces, is not a good idea.
Fluxaf have a very robust but controlled spritzer spray bottle with a comfortable handle, and a little goes a long way, making application easy, fast and accurate and controlled. (If you carry one bottle mixed at 1:10 you are covered for most kitchen-cleaning eventualities.)
Easy rinse – There is no chase the foam or scuzz. Wipe over with clean water, and any residue can be wiped off and surfaces left clean in no time. Microfibre cloths are a useful addendum to the cleaning kit.
Eco and not citrus
Krudkutter and other eco cleaner brands tend to favour the citrus fruity flavoured cleaner smell. Pro Clean is a safe eco friendly cleaner, but it doesn’t smell citrus-like, because it is not based on the fruity flavoured natural D-Limonene degreaser. However, it does smell nice in its own way, and does cut safely and effectively through the most stubborn stains with finest eco aplomb.
Adaptable
Wax – For kitchen and furniture painters, old wax is the enemy of conventional paints, and can be a big problem to remove. Not any more: This is the Pro Clean experience of kitchen painter colleague, Martin Guest in the W Midlands.
When faced with an excessive wax build up on a wooden kitchen, not even his stock of Krudkutter Original could cut it, so he turned to Fluxaf. They advised him.
apply the product diluted with warm water 1:1 and then neutralise with clean water… the result was fantastic – the wax “changed it’s state” and turned into a dry tea-like substance, falling away from the wooden surface… incredible!
Crayon and tile grout Pro Clean removes painted or crayoned ceramic tiles and grout with a quick spritz and wipe over with a rough kitchen scourer. Ideal in houses with young artistic kids!
General household cleaner Play with the different dilutions and Pro Clean will clean ovens, windows, whiteboards, and deal with most clean up emergencies around the house.
Arm yourself with spritzers and label each different dilution rate to have every cleaning eventuality covered.
UPDATE July 2018: Any other questions on Fluxaf, or if you want to purchase Fluxaf products, contact Ben at Ray Munn Paints or ask questions on the forum. Please note, we do not sell any decorating or paint products, and do not receive any commission on sales of products we have recommended.
– 1 :10 for general degreasing and cleaning
– 1:1 in warm water for very heavy wax
– up to 40:1 and 100:1 for other tasks.
Lee Simone has written a superb article on eco degreasers comparing Power Clean from Fluxaf and the re-launched Krudkutter and more. Never let it be said we shy away from cleaning!
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