The right sprayer

Although often overlooked, the sprayer is one of the more common used tools in the detailing arsenal. These distribute the liquid in the bottle to the surface you spray it on in a fine mist. Using a proper sprayhead can make a big difference.

Why the need for a sprayer

When working with certain cleaners, it can help to apply the product as economical as possible. IT also helps to cover a larger area or simply to spread the product out as much as you can. This also applies to sealants and many other sprayable products. This means you need a device that can squirt out the liquid in a very fine mist, or a very fixed pattern. In some cases it even helps to have a nozzle that can be adjusted for the type of spray you need. Having a good sprayhead will then make a large difference.

Where most sprayheads fail

Many manufacturers will supply their products with a sprayer. However, those sprayheads need to be economically priced. Most manufacturers will save money on their sprayheads and supply their products with cheap sprayheads. This means that the sprayheads can easily get clogged if a product can solidify (like some sealants), if it has particles that lump together, if the chemicals are very harsh and/or if the product dries up quickly. You can also encounter weak triggers, cheap quality plastic, or clogged up tubes. All together this can mean that the spray pattern is irregular, the adjustable head stops functioning, the trigger bends or breaks, the nozzle is clogged, the tube is clogged or there can be an airbubble in the system.

Tips to prolong the lifespan

When using a sprayhead, some tricks and tips can help to prolong the lifespan of the sprayer.

When using chemicals, sealants

With certain chemicals, such as traffic film remover, it will make a big difference if you rinse out the sprayhead first. Do this by unscrewing the sprayhead, emptying it into the bottle and then put the straw-like tube in a glass of luke-warm water. Spray it through a few times, and then put the sprayhead away.

When the tube is too long

Sometimes the tube sits to flat to the inside of the bottle, making it difficult for liquid to pass into the tube. You can fix this by cutting a V shape into the tip of the tube. Do this by taking the sprayhead from the bottle, and using a pair of scissors to cut 2 sloped cuts into the end of the tube. These will form a V shape. Even if the tube is not pressed up against the inside of the bottle, it will still have a large enough opening to allow for liquid to pass through.

Spray gentle

Don’t try to force the trigger. They are often not that strong. Trying to squeeze it in a steady manner will often result in a better spray pattern and less wear and tear on the trigger.

Clean them when not in use

If you know that you are not going to use the sprayheads for a while (a few weeks) it is always a good idea to rinse them with some luke-warm water and a little bit of soap. Dry them off and put them away. Don’t forget to put a cap on top of the open bottle. This way the left-behind product won’t cake on as easily and your sprayheads won’t get clogged as easily.

Use special chemical sprayers for the harsh chemicals

Their are specially developed chemical sprayers, these are made of a different material with no metal parts in them and sometimes even special sealing that won’t get affected by the harsh chemicals. Use these on the harsh chemicals you are using. They are a bit more expensive, but they’ll last you longer in return. The regular sprayheads can be used for average products that aren’t are reactive.

Using industrial sprayers

Some companies need sprayheads very regular, like cleaning companies. It might be interesting to see what they use. A very common industrial sprayer in most industries is the Canyon CHS 3A or CHS 5A and the Birchmeier Foxy or Foxy Plus. The industrial developed sprayers will withstand abuse better, cope with chemicals better and are adjustable.