The wrong industrial degreaser costs you more than the sticker price. It costs you re-cleans, safety incidents, VOC compliance headaches, and wasted labour hours. The right one cuts grease on the first pass, meets your food safety and WHMIS requirements, and actually saves money at the per-use level.
This guide compares the top five industrial degreasers available in Canada — including plant-based and petroleum-based formulas, food-safe options, and a real cost-per-use breakdown so you can make a purchasing decision based on data, not marketing.
What to Look for in an Industrial Degreaser
Before comparing products, know the three factors that separate a good commercial degreaser from an expensive mistake.
1. VOC Content and Air Quality Compliance
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are the chemicals that off-gas from petroleum-based degreasers. They contribute to poor indoor air quality, trigger respiratory complaints from staff, and are increasingly regulated under provincial occupational health standards.
For enclosed facilities — commercial kitchens, food processing plants, school cafeterias, healthcare kitchens — a zero-VOC or low-VOC formula is not a nice-to-have. It is a compliance requirement in many jurisdictions and a liability reduction in all of them.
2. Food Safety
If the degreaser will be used anywhere food is prepared, stored, or served, you need a formula that is food-safe by formulation — plant-based surfactants, no petroleum residues.
3. Dilution Ratio and True Cost Per Use
A $25 concentrate that dilutes 1:40 is dramatically cheaper per use than a $12 ready-to-use spray. Facilities managers who buy on sticker price overpay by 300–500% annually.
Top 5 Industrial Degreasers in Canada (2026)
1. JANITORI™ No.71 — Plant-based, 0% VOC, 1:40 dilution. $0.19/L working solution. Food-safe. Made in Montréal.
2. JANITORI™ No.72 MAX — Heavy-duty plant-based concentrate. 0% VOC. $0.50/L working solution. For extreme grease.
3. Zep Industrial Purple — Petroleum-based. Moderate VOCs. 1:10 dilution. $0.58/L. Not food-safe. Available at Home Depot/Canadian Tire.
4. Simple Green — Water-based, low VOC. 1:30 dilution. $0.16/L. Best for light-medium duty. Struggles on heavy grease.
5. Spray Nine — Degreaser + disinfectant combo. Ready-to-use. $1.27-6.35/L. Most expensive per use. Jack of all trades.
The Bottom Line
For Canadian facilities — especially food service, healthcare, education, and property management — the optimal industrial degreaser combines zero-VOC safety, food-safe formulation, and a high dilution ratio. JANITORI™ No.71 hits all three at $0.19 per litre. For extreme grease, No.72 MAX provides the heavy-duty step-up.
Both formulas are part of JANITORI™'s biodegradable cleaning products line — plant-derived, 0% VOC, and biodegradable by formulation.