Koch Chemie

Alpha Details is an authorised Koch Chemie reseller in Australia, stocking the full Koch Chemie detailing range in Melbourne and shipping Australia-wide. Every bottle on this page is in stock at our Heidelberg West studio, dispatched same or next business day, with free shipping over A$95. We use the range on customers' cars every week, so the notes below come from the bench, not a brochure.

Koch-Chemie is a German chemical manufacturer that has been making surface-care in Unna, Westphalia since 1968, and it's the brand professional bodyshops and OEM lines reach for when the result has to be repeatable. Here's how to navigate it.

Why detailers trust Koch-Chemie

The chemistry is dialled for the job. Koch names its pH and keeps it honest: GSF Gentle Snow Foam is a coating-safe pH 7.5 neutral pre-wash, while AF Active Foam steps up to a pH 9.5 mild alkaline foam that's still phosphate- and NTA-free. You pick the aggression the car needs, not the one the label shouts.

A correction system, not separate products. The compounds are laid out as a step-down: H9.01 / H9.02 Heavy Cut for sanding marks and weathered clearcoat, F6.01 Fine Cut for one-step and medium correction, M3.02 Micro Cut to finish holograms and fine scratches to a true gloss. Koch publishes a cut and gloss number for each one, the carriers are silicone-free and the grain sizes step down predictably, so a follow-on pad doesn't fight the residue from the last stage. The silicone-free B9.01 strong compound cuts hard and finishes cleaner than most single-steps.

OEM approvals. Koch-Chemie chemistry carries approvals from German vehicle manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz and BMW — Quick & Shine (QS) is the Daimler-approved lotus-effect quick detailer. When the dealership service centre runs the same product on a warranty repair, you can be reasonably confident it isn't eating the clearcoat.

Acid-free iron removal with a built-in indicator. ReactiveWheelCleaner uses thiol-based reactive chemistry that binds bonded iron and bleeds purple as the reaction completes — no hydrofluoric acid, no ammonium bifluoride — so it's safe on every wheel finish, and you can see when it has finished working. Reactive Rust Remover (RRR), pH 7–8, does the same job on paint.

Silicone-oil-free trim chemistry. Plast Star Siliconölfrei (PSS) is the dressing we reach for on exterior plastic and rubber. Silicone oils migrate onto adjacent paint, contaminate masking tape and interfere with PPF and vinyl adhesion; PSS restores trim without leaving the slick film that traps dust.

Where to start

Wash & pre-wash. GSF for coated cars, AF when it's genuinely dirty, CES Ceramic Effect Shampoo when you want protection topped up during the wash, and RS Reactivation Shampoo — an acidic descaler — when a ceramic coating has gone flat with mineral build-up.

Alkaline cleaning. Green Star (GS) is the concentrated, phosphate- and solvent-free universal cleaner for interiors, engine bays and heavy exterior grime; MZR Mehrzweckreiniger is the intensive interior cleaner for oil, grease and soot; ASC Allround Surface Cleaner for residue-free, streak-free general cleaning.

Decontamination. ReactiveWheelCleaner on wheels, RRR on paint, then the RKR / RKB clay bars with CLS Clay Spray — and only when a polish is booked to follow.

Finishing & protection. QS between washes; S0.02 Spray Sealant or the S0.03 Hydro Foam Sealant for fast, durable hydrophobic protection; BMP S0.01 when you want a hard wax finish.

Interior. Pol Star (PO) is the pH-neutral textile, leather and Alcantara cleaner that doesn't leave a wet residue; Leather Star (LS) and Protect Leather Care for conditioning; Top Star (TS) for interior plastics.

The problem-solvers. Eulex (EU) lifts glue, tar and tree sap without leaving a halo; Orange Power (OP) is the natural-solvent alternative; Motorplast dresses and protects the engine bay. These are the bottles that quietly earn their shelf space.

Where Koch Chemie fits in Australia

Koch-Chemie Oceania is the official distributor for Australia and New Zealand, supplying the authorised reseller network. Other Australian stockists include Waxit Car Care, The Detail Store, Car Care Products Australia and Detailing Shed — the network covers the country well, but each reseller carries a different slice of the catalogue.

Alpha Details carries the full Koch Chemie detailing range — the ProfiLine bottles in every colour family, the H/F/M compound system, THE FINISHER 500 ml range, the consumer blue bottles, and the brushes and pads. What we don't carry are the industrial and tradesman lines (workshop floor cleaners, truck-wash drums) that sit outside detailing. If you want a chemistry-driven Melbourne stockist that runs the whole detailing range on real cars, this is the page.

A chemist's note

Alpha Details is run by Paolo Recinella, who holds a degree in chemistry. We treat Koch's compounds as the abrasive-and-binder systems they are — grain hardness, lubricant phase, working time, how the residue behaves between pads — and we lead with the numbers Koch actually publishes: the pH of each pre-wash, the cut and gloss rating of each compound, whether a product is silicone-free, which one carries an OEM approval. Tell us the surface and the problem and we'll match the exact Koch product to it. Manufacturer technical and safety data sheets for the whole range are linked from our data sheet library.

Frequently asked questions — Koch Chemie in Australia

Where can I buy Koch Chemie products in Australia?

Here. Alpha Details in Heidelberg West, Melbourne is an authorised Koch Chemie reseller carrying the full detailing range, shipped Australia-wide with free shipping over A$95. Koch-Chemie Oceania is the official distributor and supplies the other authorised resellers as well.

Is Koch Chemie a good brand?

It is the brand German bodyshops and OEM service departments reach for when results have to be repeatable. Koch publishes a pH for its wash chemistry and a cut/gloss rating for every compound, keeps its compounds silicone-free, and holds manufacturer approvals including Mercedes-Benz and BMW. That transparency is why a chemist stocks it.

GSF vs AF vs Green Star — which one do I need?

GSF Gentle Snow Foam is pH 7.5 — the pre-wash for coated paint, PPF and weekly maintenance. AF Active Foam is pH 9.5 mild alkaline for cars carrying heavier traffic film or bug residue. Green Star is the concentrated alkaline universal cleaner: interiors, engine bays and neglected exteriors, diluted to the job rather than used as a routine foam.

What is the difference between H9.01, H9.02, F6.01 and M3.02?

They are stages of one system. H9.01 and H9.02 are heavy-cut compounds (cut 9.0) for sanding marks and serious defects — H9.02 is the low-dust version. F6.01 Fine Cut (cut 6.0, gloss 7.0) handles medium correction and most one-step work. M3.02 Micro Cut (cut 3.2, gloss 9.0) is the anti-hologram finishing polish. Step down, don't skip.

Is ReactiveWheelCleaner safe on coated or diamond-cut wheels?

Yes. It is acid-free and works by reactive thiol chemistry rather than by etching, so it does not progressively damage anodised, painted, diamond-cut or ceramic-coated faces the way acid or caustic wheel cleaners do. The purple colour change tells you the reaction has completed; it is not a measure of how much iron came off.

What does "Siliconölfrei" mean on Plast Star?

Silicone-oil-free. Silicone oils in trim dressings migrate onto paint, contaminate masking tape and interfere with PPF and vinyl adhesion. PSS Plast Star Siliconölfrei restores exterior plastic and rubber without that migration, which is why it's the dressing we use before film or correction work.

Does Alpha Details stock the whole Koch Chemie range?

The full detailing range, yes — every ProfiLine colour family, the compound system, THE FINISHER range, the consumer blue bottles and the accessories. We don't carry Koch's industrial and tradesman lines, which sit outside car detailing.

Do you offer trade pricing on Koch Chemie?

Yes, on a verified trade account. Apply here — ABN verification takes one to two business days.

Questions about dilution, which compound suits your paint, or sequencing a decon? Ask us — we use this range in the studio, not just on the shelf. Related: Labocosmetica · Bilt Hamber · Snow foam pH compared.