The Koch-Chemie Product System Explained: Colour Codes, the Polish System & Recommended Products
Koch-Chemie is a German manufacturer that sells its chemicals not as loose bottles but as a coordinated 'system.' Its official Product System page says the design is based on the periodic table of the elements, emphasising the company's core: chemistry. This guide analyses that system — its colour codes, naming rules and numbered polish system — and lays out the representative product and the reason to recommend it for each stage, with catalogue links.
Last updated: 2026-06-19 · Data: koch-chemie.com (official) + reviewers, via the Find Your Detail catalogue. Every fact is sourced.
1) The colour code — 10 product groups
Products are split into 10 colour-coded groups by function, so a detailer can read a bottle's role at a glance.
| Colour | Function |
|---|---|
| Green | Alkaline cleaners (APC / degreasers) |
| Yellow | Shampoos |
| Red | Acid cleaners & wheel/rim cleaners |
| Orange | Solvents (tar, adhesive, stain removers) |
| Blue | Glass cleaners & water processing |
| Black | Body & paint (polishes, compounds) |
| Gold | Driers & conservers (drying aids, sealants) |
| Mint | Leather & plastics — interior |
| Grey | Rubber & plastics — exterior dressings |
| Pink | Fragrances (air / odour) |
2) The naming code
The name itself carries information. For cleaners, the superscript indicates the pH value. For paint-care products, the superscript indicates the degree of abrasiveness and the subscript the degree of gloss — so the code alone tells you a product's strength and finish.
3) The polish system decoded
Polishes (the Black body/paint group) use a Letter + Cut.Gloss code — the letter names the family (H = Heavy Cut, M = Micro Cut, P = one-step/finishing), the first number is the cut (abrasion) and the second the resulting gloss (1–10 scale).
| Product | Cut | Gloss | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Cut H9.02 | 9 | 6 | Coarse compound, removes up to 1,200-grit sanding; heavy step → finish with M3.02/P3.01 |
| Micro Cut M3.02 | fine | high | Fine finishing polish after H9.02 for maximum gloss |
| One Cut & Finish P6.02 | 6 | 8 | One-step correction + simultaneous sealing (carnauba + non-volatile silicones) |
| Micro Cut & Finish P3.01 | low | high | Low-abrasion finishing polish (alt. follow-up to H9.02); exact values not stated |
4) Workflow stages — representative products & why
Mapped onto a professional workflow, the system runs as follows. The representative product and the reason to recommend it at each stage:
| Stage | Colour | Representative product | Why recommended | Spec |
|---|
| Pre-wash / pre-clean | Green | Green Star · Gentle Snow Foam | Green Star is one universal APC for pre-spray, engine bay and interior; Gentle Snow Foam is the pH-neutral, coating-safe daily foam. | Green Star pH 12.5 (1:5–1:30) · Gentle Snow Foam pH ~7.5 (~20 ml/L) |
| Wheels | Red | Magic Wheel Cleaner | Acid-free and pH-mild so it's safe on virtually all wheel finishes; clings and bleeds red as it dissolves iron — you can see it working. | pH ~5 (acid-free) · dwell 2–5 min |
| Shampoo (contact wash) | Yellow | NanoMagicShampoo | Gloss cleaning + a hydrophobic nano-layer in one step; its sealing components bond with a 1K-Nano layer to extend its durability. | pH 5.5 · 1:200 |
| Decontamination / removers | Orange / Red | Reactive Rust Remover | Acid-free, paint-safe iron remover that turns violet as it reacts; companions: Golden Star (tar), Eulex (adhesive/stain). | pH 7.5 (acid-free) · undiluted, dwell 3–6 min |
| Paint correction (polish) | Black | Heavy Cut H9.02 · One Cut & Finish P6.02 | The numbered code lets you match cut to defect predictably. H9.02 (cut 9 / gloss 6) for heavy correction → finish with M3.02; or P6.02 (cut 6 / gloss 8) as a one-step with simultaneous sealing. | cut/gloss numbers per official spec |
| Paint prep / panel wipe | Black / Gold | Panel Preparation Spray · Silicon- & Wachsentferner | Strips polishing oils, silicones and residues so a sealant/coating bonds to bare paint. (Exact pH/dilution not stated on fetched pages.) | degrease before sealing |
| Sealing / coating | Gold | 1K-Nano · Ceramic Body Cb0.01 · Spray Sealant | 1K-Nano lays a mirror-smooth, chemical/UV/abrasion-resistant seal — ~12 months, extendable to ~36 with NanoMagicShampoo aftercare; the easy, durable prosumer choice that integrates with the NanoMagic range. | 1K-Nano ~12 mo (up to 36 mo) · apply 15–30 °C |
| Drying aids | Gold | Magic Dry & Care · Quick Dry & Shine | Speed safe drying and add slickness/gloss to cut water spots. (Exact specs not stated on fetched pages.) | drying + gloss |
| Quick detailer / finish | Gold | Finish Spray exterior · Quick & Shine | Finish Spray exterior is the iconic KC quick detailer with a limescale remover — streak-free high-gloss that also protects against new dirt. (Not on hot/acid-sensitive surfaces.) | QD + limescale remover |
| Glass | Blue | Glass Cleaner · Nano-Glasversiegelung Set | Glass Cleaner gives streak-free cleaning by changing the glass surface tension; Nano-Glasversiegelung is the durable rain-repellent glass coating. | streak-free / glass coating |
| Interior | Mint / Grey | Pol Star · Plast Star 96 | Pol Star is the legendary pH-neutral cleaner for leather, fabric, Alcantara and carpet — gentle on delicate surfaces (pair with Green Star for heavy degreasing). Plast Star is a silicone-free trim/rubber dressing. | Pol Star pH ~7 (1:5–1:20) |
| Odour / air | Pink | KC-Refresher | KC-Refresher neutralises odours rather than masking them. (Exact mechanism/pH not stated on fetched pages.) | odour eliminator |
FAQ
What is the Koch-Chemie Product System?
It's a system that codes products into 10 colour groups by function and encodes pH, abrasiveness and gloss into the product name (super/subscripts). Inspired by the periodic table, it provides the whole professional workflow — pre-wash → wheels → shampoo → decon → polish → coating → finish — as compatible modules.
What do polish numbers like H9.02 and P6.02 mean?
The letter is the family (H = Heavy Cut, M = Micro Cut, P = one-step/finish) and the numbers are cut and gloss. E.g. Heavy Cut H9.02 = cut 9 / gloss 6 (heavy correction); One Cut & Finish P6.02 = cut 6 / gloss 8 (one-step with simultaneous sealing). You read the code to match aggressiveness to the defect.
How long does Koch-Chemie's 1K-Nano coating last?
1K-Nano lasts about 12 months, extendable to roughly 36 months with regular NanoMagicShampoo aftercare and an annual inspection. Apply indoors at 15–30 °C.
Which Koch-Chemie products should a beginner start with?
Green Star (universal APC), Gentle Snow Foam (neutral pre-wash), NanoMagicShampoo (gloss shampoo), Pol Star (interior), Finish Spray exterior (QD) and the easy 1K-Nano seal make a representative starter set across the system.
Sources
- Koch-Chemie — Product System (official: periodic-table design, 10 colour groups, naming code)
- Koch-Chemie — Heavy Cut H9.02 (cut 9 / gloss 6)
- Koch-Chemie — One Cut & Finish P6.02 (cut 6 / gloss 8, one-step + sealing)
- Koch-Chemie — Expert blog: improved Heavy Cut system
- Koch-Chemie — Gentle Snow Foam (pH-neutral, coating-safe)
- Koch-Chemie — Green Star (pH 12.5 APC)
- Koch-Chemie — Magic Wheel Cleaner (acid-free, colour-change)
- Koch-Chemie — Reactive Rust Remover (acid-free iron remover)
- Koch-Chemie — NanoMagicShampoo (pH 5.5, bonds with 1K-Nano)
- Koch-Chemie — 1K-Nano (~12 mo, up to 36 mo with aftercare)
- Koch-Chemie — Finish Spray exterior (QD + limescale remover)
- Koch-Chemie — Pol Star (pH-neutral interior cleaner)
- The Rag Company — Koch-Chemie products guide (reviewer)
- Auto Care Genius — Green Star vs Pol Star (reviewer)