DeWalt 32 oz. Degreaser Bio-based Cleaner

A plant‑based degreaser that punches above its weight—if you use it right

I put the DeWalt bio‑based degreaser to work across a few weeks of real jobs: a grill that hadn’t seen soap since spring, a sump‑pump pan coated in oily residue, hand tools with chain bar oil, label goo on jars, and a couple of stubborn spots on a concrete drive. My takeaway: it’s a capable cleaner with a genuine low‑odor, non‑corrosive personality, and it shines on metal and other non‑porous surfaces—provided you respect dwell time and give it a bit of agitation. On porous materials and old, set‑in stains, results vary and technique matters even more.

What’s in the bottle—and why that matters

This is a bio‑based formula made from renewable plant feedstocks. It’s USDA Certified Biobased and labeled “ultimate biodegradable,” and it skips a laundry list of nasties: no sodium hydroxide, glycol ethers, phosphates, sulfates, phthalates, parabens, or ammonia. In practice, that means:

• Noticeably low odor and no harsh solvent fumes.
• Non‑corrosive on metals, which makes it friendlier for shop tools, grills, and appliances.
• Safe to use around the house and garage without clearing the building.

You’re trading raw caustic bite for user comfort and material safety. That’s usually a good trade for maintenance cleaning, but it does put more emphasis on dwell time and mechanical agitation for heavy buildup.

Real‑world performance

• Grill internals and grates (non‑porous metal): This was the star test. Sprayed on warm (not hot) parts, waited a minute, and the grease started sheeting off. A nylon brush lifted the rest quickly. Rinsed clean without film. Compared with a typical solvent degreaser, I used less product and the room didn’t stink afterwards.

• Hand tools and oily bins: Chain bar oil and general shop grime came up easily. On a plastic tote that had pooled oil in the bottom, a couple of liberal sprays and a stack of paper towels got it back to usable with minimal scrubbing. No whitening or haze on the plastic.

• Adhesive residue on glass and plastic: A light mist and a microfiber wipe took label glue off jars and storage bins cleanly. This was faster than dish soap and less messy than citrus gel removers. It didn’t mar glossy plastics in my tests.

• Carpet spotting from petroleum‑based drips: On a small smear of driveway sealer that transferred from a shoe, I sprayed, blotted, and lifted the stain in one pass. Critical note: extract by blotting with clean towels and follow with a water‑damp towel to remove residual surfactant.

• Concrete and stone: Mixed bag. Fresh motor‑oil drips on smooth, sealed concrete came out with two cycles of spray, scrub, rinse. Older, oxidized stains were lighter but still visible. On a textured, unsealed stone paver, the product wet the surface but had trouble pulling oil out of the pores. A poultice approach or a stronger solvent/alkaline cleaner would be my next step there.

In short, on non‑porous surfaces—especially metal—the cleaner is efficient and predictable. On porous substrates or aged stains, it can help, but don’t expect miracles.

Technique makes a difference

Here’s the workflow that gave me the best results:

1. Remove loose debris. Dry‑wipe or brush first so the cleaner works on soil, not dust.
2. Warm the surface if safe. Lukewarm parts (like a cooled grill) respond faster than cold.
3. Apply generously and wait 60–90 seconds. The formula needs contact time. It clings well enough for vertical metal.
4. Agitate. A nylon brush on textured surfaces or a microfiber on smooth ones multiplies the effect.
5. Rinse or wipe with clean water. This clears surfactant residue and prevents hazing on glass/plastics.
6. Repeat for heavy buildups. Two short cycles often beat one long soak.

Compared to my go‑to petroleum solvent degreaser, I used roughly half as much product on fresh hydrocarbon soil when I gave it proper dwell and agitation. If you simply spray and immediately wipe, you’ll leave cleaning power on the table.

Bottle and sprayer

The 32‑ounce bottle is shop‑friendly, and the included trigger sprayer atomizes into a medium fan that’s great for panels and grates while still allowing a narrow stream for precise spots. It doesn’t mist so fine that you feel like you’re breathing it, which suits indoor use. The bottle is stable, easy to stash on a shelf, and the trigger is comfortable over longer sessions.

One minor nit: the neck threads pick up gunk if you lay the bottle on its side; keep it upright to avoid drips. There’s no foam setting—if you prefer foam cling, you’ll want to decant into a foaming sprayer.

Safety and material compatibility

The non‑corrosive claim held up in my tests: no flash rusting on bare steel, no discoloration on aluminum housings, and no chalking on plastics. The low‑odor profile is real; I used it indoors without PPE beyond gloves, and there were no lingering fumes.

That said, common‑sense cautions still apply:

• Always spot‑test on painted or delicate finishes.
• On raw concrete, stone, and composite decking, expect to repeat cycles, and consider rinsing thoroughly to avoid water marks.
• On fabric and carpet, blot—don’t scrub—and extract with water afterward.

Where it excels—and where it doesn’t

Strengths:
- Routine maintenance on shop tools, engine bays, and bikes.
- Kitchen and outdoor cooking hardware (hood filters, grill grates, drip pans).
- Label adhesive and light tar on glass and plastics.
- Indoor cleaning where fumes are a concern.

Limitations:
- Old, oxidized oil stains in porous substrates.
- Baked‑on carbon and polymerized grease inside ovens; a caustic oven cleaner is faster.
- Situations where you need a foaming cling out of the bottle.

Environmental posture and value

If you’re trying to reduce reliance on caustics and petroleum solvents, this formula hits a sweet spot: it’s plant‑derived, biodegradable, and omits several chemicals that trigger ventilation and PPE requirements. That translates to practical benefits: you can clean more often without turning the workspace into a hazmat zone, and you’re less likely to damage sensitive finishes.

At 32 ounces, the bottle size feels right for households and small shops. Because the product works best with dwell and agitation, I found I wasn’t overspraying to compensate, which helps stretch a bottle. There’s no formal limited warranty to speak of; in a consumable cleaner, that’s largely moot, but it’s worth noting if you expect satisfaction guarantees from chemicals.

Tips to get the most from it

• Use warm water for rinse‑off; it improves release of lifted oils.
• Pair with the right tools: nylon brushes for textured metal, microfiber for smooth surfaces, and a plastic scraper for heavy gunk.
• For vertical surfaces, apply in two lighter passes 30 seconds apart to improve cling.
• On porous surfaces, pre‑wet lightly with water, then apply cleaner; it can help transport surfactants into the pores without drying too fast.

The bottom line

This DeWalt degreaser is a capable, low‑odor, non‑corrosive cleaner that performs above expectations on metal and other non‑porous surfaces, provided you give it the contact time and agitation it needs. It won’t replace a strong caustic or solvent product for every job—especially ancient oil in open pores or baked‑on carbon—but it’s a smart first‑reach cleaner for homes, garages, and light industrial tasks where safety, material compatibility, and indoor comfort matter.

Recommendation: I recommend this degreaser as your primary, everyday cleaner for household, automotive, marine, and light shop use. Choose it for routine maintenance, fresh spills, tools, grills, and adhesive cleanup. Keep a harsher specialty product on the shelf for the occasional deeply embedded or carbonized mess, but make this the bottle you reach for first—it gets most jobs done with less odor, less risk to surfaces, and often less product.