What Are The Best Engine Degreasers? (2022 Edition)

The Top Engine Degreasers

Taking care of your car is a lot like taking care of your body. You have to make sure you are putting the right things in as fuel. You need to take it in for a check up every so often. And you need to remove the gross toxins that are making you feel sick.

The last part is very important, because grease, grime, and gunk can all build up in your car, especially on your engine, and cause serious performance and durability issues.

The best engine degreasers help get rid of all those other issues and returns your engine back to peak performance. While it might seem difficult to figure out which degreasers are better than others, this helpful guide will assist you in determining which is the best engine degreaser for you.

Choosing The Best Engine Degreaser

The engine is the powerhouse of your vehicles, so if you want to get the most out of driving your car then you need to make sure that your engine is in tip top condition. You would not do your best work if you were covered in sticky grease and grime that limited your movement, and neither would your engine

An engine covered in grease and filth cannot achieve the same kind of power and efficiency that they should and otherwise would be able to if they were clean and uninhibited. That is why you need to invest in some good engine degreaser if you want your car to work well and your vehicle to last a long time. If you do not take care of your engine by cleaning it of grease and other gunk, you will end up significantly shortening the life of your vehicle, costing you a whole lot more money in the long run.

However, it can be intimidating to survey all the options and try to decipher which engine degreasers actually meet your requirements and accomplishes what you need it to do.

The most important thing engine degreasers can be is effective. This may seem obvious, but a lot of degreaser options out there brag about doing and being a lot of great things without being of much use at the thing you bought it for – actually cleaning your engine.

Grease and grime buildup is hard to clean (otherwise there would not be so many different products claiming to clean it up well) and if not addressed can seriously damage your car. So good engine degreasers have to actually remove grease from your engine to be worth anything.

Some formulas are more concentrated and you can make a little go a long way with them, while others are weaker and need a generous helping and some elbow grease to really make a difference. The more effective solutions may be more expensive, but wasting money on a cheap degreaser that does not work is worse than spending the little bit extra on a top tier product that actually cleans and restores your engine like it advertises.

An engine degreaser also needs to be able to reach the trouble areas on the engine. The formula might work great and slice through grease like a hot knife through butter, but if there is no way to get the formula to reach the greasy spots, then it really is not doing you much good. Therefore, make sure your degreaser not only works well, but has an easy to use and understandable application method so you can really clean up that engine.

What Are The Best Engine Degreaser Brands of 2022?

Our #1 Choice
3D Grand Blast Heavy Duty Degreaser - All Purpose Cleaner Safe & Effective for Cars, Engines,...
Runner-up
Gunk EB1CA 'Original Engine Brite' Engine Degreaser - 15 oz.
Honorable Mention
SuperClean Multi-Surface All Purpose Cleaner Degreaser Spray, Biodegradable, Full Concentrate, Scent...
3D Grand Blast Heavy Duty Degreaser - All Purpose Cleaner Safe & Effective for Cars, Engines,...
Gunk EB1CA 'Original Engine Brite' Engine Degreaser - 15 oz.
SuperClean Multi-Surface All Purpose Cleaner Degreaser Spray, Biodegradable, Full Concentrate, Scent...
Our #1 Choice
3D Grand Blast Heavy Duty Degreaser - All Purpose Cleaner Safe & Effective for Cars, Engines,...
3D Grand Blast Heavy Duty Degreaser - All Purpose Cleaner Safe & Effective for Cars, Engines,...
Runner-up
Gunk EB1CA 'Original Engine Brite' Engine Degreaser - 15 oz.
Gunk EB1CA 'Original Engine Brite' Engine Degreaser - 15 oz.
Honorable Mention
SuperClean Multi-Surface All Purpose Cleaner Degreaser Spray, Biodegradable, Full Concentrate, Scent...
SuperClean Multi-Surface All Purpose Cleaner Degreaser Spray, Biodegradable, Full Concentrate, Scent...

1. 3D Grand Slam Engine Degreaser

The 3D Grand Slame Engine Degreaser may be a more expensive option when compared to some of the other engine degreaser choices on this list, but its complete performance and effectiveness make it well worth the more costly price tag.

This solution is extremely concentrated, so you can dilute it with water and it will still cut through most grease build up like it’s nothing. This way, a little bit can go a long way and you can save money and waste less material.

The 3D Grand Slam goes to work immediately after it is applied, making quick work of even the most egregious grime buildup. And after it quickly disposes of any grease or filth, a simple rinse removes any and all trace of mess or cleaning agent.

On top of all this, this engine degreaser is safe on painted surfaces, so you do not have to worry about ruining your ride’s paint job while cleaning and improving the inside.

Pros

  • Very concentrated
  • Fast acting and effective
  • Easy to use
  • Safe on painted surfaces

Cons

  • Slightly expensive compared to others

2. GUNK ‘Original Engine Brite’ Engine Degreaser

The GUNK EB1CA ‘Original Engine Brite’ Engine Degreaser is an inexpensive option ideal for those who need their engine cleaned but also do not have a big budget for an engine degreaser. This solution works quickly to remove grease effectively, so you can get your engine clean and ready to go without too much downtime waiting for it to work.

The GUNK EB1CA ‘Original Engine Bright’ is a great option for the wallet conscious because the bottles are inexpensive. However, that cheap spray bottle sometimes comes back to bite you, as they can get clogged easily, wasting lots of leftover solution.

Also, it does not work as well against larger grease buildup, so if your engine is seriously gunked up you might want to look into a different option. But if your engine just needs a quick clean at a low price, the GUNK is a good engine degreaser for you.

Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • Works fast to remove grease

Cons

  • Not as effective against stronger grease buildup

3. SuperClean Tough Task Cleaner Degreaser

The SuperClean Tough Task Cleaner Degreaser is another inexpensive choice that still can get the job done. This cheap formula is biodegradable and phosphate free, making it a safer choice for the environment and your bank account. This concentrated formula helps make the degreaser more effective, and you can still dilute it with water to stretch out the life of the solution and get even more bang for your buck.

While the SuperClean is effective at eliminating grease and dirt buildup, it may require multiple applications to take down the bigger grime deposits. This makes it hard to extend its lifespan by diluting it, since you usually end up using just as much if you had not added water to the solution. But if you are looking for an affordable and eco-friendly engine degreaser, this is an excellent option for you.

Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • Biodegradable and phosphate free
  • Concentrated formula

Cons

  • Takes multiple uses to be effective

4. Chemical Guys Signature Series Orange Degreaser

The Chemical Guys CLD 201 16 Signature Series Orange Degreaser has a unique citrus formula that gives off a pleasant aroma and yet still works quickly and effectively. This formula starts eliminating filth immediately upon application, so you do not have to kill time waiting to drive your car again. This super concentrated formula can make a little go a long way or be used to tackle hard to remove buildup.

The Chemical Guys Orange degreaser is a versatile formula that can be used on wide variety of objects. You can clean grease and grime off of all sorts of things, not just your engine. However, what it has in versatility, it somewhat lacks in effectiveness. To tackle more intense grease and gunk spots, you will need to use a lot of degreaser, making it probably not the most efficient option.

Pros

  • Citrus based formula
  • Works quickly
  • Super concentrated
  • Inexpensive
  • Multiple uses – versatile

Cons

  • Not as effective against stronger grease and grime buildups

5. WD-40 Specialist Foaming Machine and Engine Degreaser

The WD-40 300076 Specialist Foaming Machine and Engine Degreaser is another inexpensive option that gets the job done right.

This foaming formula is specifically designed to seep into small cracks and crevices to reach those hard to get to spots and truly wipe grease clear off every part of the engine. The spray nozzle can reach long distances and cover a lot of surface area. There is also a long straw attachment for the nozzle for more accurate and precise application so you can directly hear those annoying hard to reach grease buildups.

The WD-40 is an effective degreaser that is perfect for tackling most grease stains. However, when faced with larger buildups or older, more worn in oil stains, this engine degreaser sometimes fails to live up to expectations and has trouble getting the job done in one go.

All in all, with a low price and far reaching foaming formula, this engine degreaser is a great fit for just about any vehicle.

Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • Foaming formula gets into crevices easily
  • Can spray across long distances, or straw for precision

Cons

  • Not as effective against tougher oil stains

6. Meguiar’s Super Degreaser

The Meguiar’s D10801 Super Degreaser is a more expensive option compared to a lot of other degreasers on the market. However, Super Degreaser does such an excellent job tackling those hard to eliminate spots that you can pretty easily justify the expensive cost. It works effectively and quickly, eliminating almost all grease right away after just one use.

There have been reports from verified buyers about packaging issues, dealing with leaks and cracks. However, this engine degreaser does a great job removing all filth without leaving behind an unpleasant residue. And on top of all that, it has a delightful herbal fragrance.

Pros

  • Works well and quickly
  • No residue left behind
  • Nice herbal scent

Cons

  • A little expensive compared to other options

7. Simple Green Pro HD Heavy Duty Cleaner

The Simple Green 13421 Pro HD Heavy Duty Cleaner is the best engine degreaser choice if you are looking solely at environmental impact. The formula is non-toxic, does not corrode anything, and is very eco-friendly. That also explains why it is just as useful in kitchen cleaning as it is at cleaning engines.

The Simple Green does not just remove grease and grime buildup, but also helps get rid of unsightly stains. However, when it comes to more heavy duty messes, it is not as effective at tackling those bigger clean up jobs.

But if you are primarily interested in a safe yet still effective engine degreaser that will not cause serious damage to our planet, then the Simple Green engine degreaser is an excellent choice for you.

Pros

  • Non-toxic, non-corrosive
  • Works for kitchen cleaning as well as engine parts
  • Removes stains

Cons

  • Not the strongest formula out there

8. Chemical Guys Grime Reaper

The Chemical Guys CLD 104 Grime Reaper Extremely Strong Detergent is a highly concentrated formula. Ideally, that would mean it is extra effective and you can dilute it with water to make it last a long time.

But instead of a little bit going a long way, this engine degreaser actually is less effective than many other options. You actually need more of this degreaser than you typically do of other formulas.

However, the Chemical Guys Grime Reaper engine degreaser is still a useful option for cleaning your engine. It leaves behind no gross, unpleasant residue that you have to deal with. And on top of that, it goes to work fast, tackling grease right away and doing its job efficiently.

Pros

  • Super concentrated – a little goes a long way
  • No residue stains
  • Dissolves grease and filth quickly

Cons

  • Not as effective as other degreasers

9. Oil Eater Original Degreaser

Oil Eater does a great job of tackling most grease stains and oils. While it is water-based and biodegradable, it is still concentrated, so you need to dilute it according to the chart they provide with the container.

This gentle degreaser is non-toxic, non-hazardous, and non-corrosive, and USDA approved for non-food areas. While it does have a name that makes it sound like the toughest degreaser on the market, it’s quite gentle and environmentally friendly.

In addition to using it on your engine for tough grease stains, you can use it on a variety of non-automotive related issues as well. You can use the degreaser to eliminate tough stains from carpets, asphalt driveways, and even clothing.

The many applications and uses for this product makes it a worthwhile purchase because you can also pick it up for an affordable price. It generally runs less than $20 for a gallon jug. You can also pick it up in a two, three, or four-pack if you plan on using this degreaser for commercial applications.

Pros

  • Acid-free
  • Highly concentrated
  • Affordable price
  • Works in a variety of situations

Cons

  • Doesn’t work on difficult floor stains

10. Purple Power Industrial Strength Cleaner and Degreaser

Here we have another gentle but still equally powerful degreaser and engine cleaner. This one is another excellent product that you can use for your automotive needs and then take it in from the garage and use it for a variety of other applications as well.

It’s non-abrasive, phosphate-free, and biodegradable, but the manufacturer discourages users from using it on plastics or aluminum. That said, you’ll want to be incredibly careful when using this industrial strength product on your vehicle. Make sure you don’t spray it somewhere you shouldn’t. If you do get this on the body of your car, ensure you spray it off immediately.

Something we like about this industrial strength cleaner is the small amount you need to get the job done. We’ve seen instances where people purchase a gallon of this degreaser, and it lasts them a few years because it is so highly concentrated. You can make this gallon last you a long time, and it’ll only run you around 10 or 15 dollars.

If you’re planning on using this outside of the vehicle department, it works great as a kitchen cleaner as well. Many users of the product say they take a little and put it in a spray bottle with a bit of water to dilute it. You can use this for tough grease stains on and inside your oven. It also works great on tools.

To sum everything up, you’re getting a gallon of high-quality degreaser for around 10 dollars, it works quickly, you only need to use a little, plus you’ll likely have this same gallon if we check back with you after a few years. It sounds like a good deal to us!

Pros

  • Fast-acting
  • Gentle
  • Phosphate-free
  • Affordably priced

Cons

  • Not for use on aluminum or plastic

Conclusion

A good engine is a grease free engine. Grease and grime buildup can seriously limit your engine’s performance and even shorten the life of your vehicle. That is why you should always take the time and effort to clean your engine of grease to keep it running in tip top shape. When deciding which engine degreaser to use, consult this guide and rest assured you made the right decision for your car.

Brett Gordon
 

The engine behind editing at DigMyRide and the brains behind its build. During the day, Brett is a thirty-something dude from SoCal climbing the corporate ladder, but by night, he spends his time contributing to the online world of automotive tech & trends.