The only reasont hat you end up with a buffered acid is because you did not put enough Alkaline into it to fully neutralize the acid.
I guess we need to do some basic chemistry and get an understanding of how the two step method works, versus soap and a brush, and a one step method.
Remember that it all boils down to workig with the soiled surface, and getting the soil and grime to release its Ionic hold on whatever it is attached to.
The two step method works like this.
You spray on the acid, and it gets all of the little Ions to line up in straight lines, instead of being tangled up like a rope. What little adhesion that is still inherent in their character is severely weakened due to the acid being applied. When you go over with the soap, it neutralizes whaever acid is remaining so that it is not harmful to you, me and the fishes in the sea. The remainder of the soap finishes breaking the weakened ionic bond of the dirt, and makes it literally fall off of the truck or whatever other surface you are using the chemicals on.
If you are washing with a one step, or straight soap, it weakens the bond somewhat, but it is a lot harder to break the ionic bond, because all of the little ions are still tangled. So the soap has to work extra hard to remove the bonds.
If you are doing the brush thing, what you are doing is taking the ions and literally hitting them and knocking loose their hold to release the bond that the surface dirt has.
So let's review using a common schoolyard game.
Red Rover.
The first time through, none of the kids is holding hands, because the received the instruction not to hold hands, which is what the acid would do to dirt after it was applied. Little Johnny comes runningthrough and acts like soap, and gets right through and to the surface or backside of the line.
The next time through, it is straight soap, Little Johnny is not quite strong enough, so that he cannot break the bond of the kids holding hands, so he is caught on the surface with all the other little kids, but there is Bluto, and he can get through, but very well might break and or hurt someone or something because of his strength and size.
The last time is little Johnny again, This time he has a soft baseball bat. It will not hurt anything, but he can swing at other kids to get them to flinch, and eventually he will get through.
Not the best example in the world, but it kind of illustrates how the different versions of the chemicals work.
Scott Stone
