Patio & exterior
LTP Solvex High Performance Remover dupe
Why pay around £18.00 for LTP? The bulk active is Benzyl alcohol — 11% less per working litre than a typical shelf pack.
From the retail pack to the active and the mix
1 · Retail
LTP Solvex High Performance Remover
1 litre · £18.00 typical snapshot
Rheology clay (lithium magnesium sodium silicate) and non-ionic surfactant
2 · Active
Benzyl alcohol
40% on the label
100-51-6C6H5CH2OH
Bulk Benzyl alcohol
3 · Mix
Neat (brush on; scrub and extract with water)
£16.00 per working litre · 11% less than the shelf pack
- Active
- Benzyl alcohol
- CAS
- 100-51-6
- Dupe
- Benzyl alcohol
- Saving
- 11% / L
Saving is per litre of working-strength mix versus a typical pack price, not versus the DIY kit total. Shop prices move — always check the listing.
Label teardown
What the pack promises versus what the label chemistry actually is.
The marketing claim
“Removes wax, oil, silicone, acrylic and polyurethane sealers”
The chemical reality
A viscous sealer stripper whose SDS lists benzyl alcohol at roughly 30–50%. Bulk benzyl alcohol is the same solvent that softens wax and acrylic films so you can scrub and wet-vac them off — not a biocide and not brick acid.
Active vs filler
40% Benzyl alcohol · 60% carrier / filler — Rheology clay (lithium magnesium sodium silicate) and non-ionic surfactant
- Typical retail
- £18.00
- 1 litre
- Estimated active cost
- £6.46
- Scaled from bulk £16.00 / 1 litre
- Indicative markup
- 2.8×
- Snapshot maths, not a live shop price
The Marketing Claim & The Catch
A 1 litre pack of LTP Solvex High Performance Remover typically retails around £18.00 in patio & exterior. That is a UK shelf-price snapshot for the maths on this page — not a live shop quote or a manufacturer RRP. Listings, sizes and deals move. The marketing line is that you are buying a finished lifestyle product, not a weighed chemical.
On the pack: Removes wax, oil, silicone, acrylic and polyurethane sealers; Softens epoxy / resin grout residues before scrubbing; and Interior and exterior stone, slate and porcelain.
The catch: A viscous sealer stripper whose SDS lists benzyl alcohol at roughly 30–50%. Bulk benzyl alcohol is the same solvent that softens wax and acrylic films so you can scrub and wet-vac them off — not a biocide and not brick acid.
- “Removes wax, oil, silicone, acrylic and polyurethane sealers”
- “Softens epoxy / resin grout residues before scrubbing”
- “Interior and exterior stone, slate and porcelain”
Proprietary Blend & Dosage Breakdown
The labelled active is Benzyl alcohol at 40%. Everything else in the pack is rheology clay (lithium magnesium sodium silicate) and non-ionic surfactant.
At 40% active, most of what you pay for is carrier and packaging. The brand is selling convenience, fragrance and a label — not a uniquely potent molecule.
Branded working strength is whatever comes out of the bottle. The bulk alternative is 99% Benzyl alcohol, mixed to Neat (brush on; scrub and extract with water).
- Labelled active
- Benzyl alcohol
- 40%
- Carrier
- Rheology clay (lithium magnesium sodium silicate) and non-ionic surfactant
- Retail pack
- 1 litre · £18.00
The Active Chemical Alternative (Dupe Stack)
The dupe stack is Benzyl alcohol at 99% bulk. Indexed as CAS 100-51-6, formula C6H5CH2OH. Buy it as 1 litre for around £16.00 from Amazon UK.
Working strength: Neat (brush on; scrub and extract with water). Indicative cost £16.00 per diluted litre — 11% below a typical branded pack on a per-litre basis, before you reuse leftover bulk.
Follow the mixing method and the supplier SDS. Wear the listed PPE. Do not mix incompatible oxidisers, acids or ammonia.
- Harmful if swallowed or inhaled; eye irritant; can sensitise skin. Nitrile gloves, splash goggles, outdoor or strong ventilation. Keep off acrylic baths and shower trays.
- Brush neat benzyl alcohol generously onto manageable 5–10 m² patches. Dwell up to 15 minutes without letting it dry — mist with water if needed.
- Scrub with a nylon pad or stiff brush, add a little water, extract with sponge or wet-vac. Repeat if residue remains. Rinse well and clean with a dilute alkaline scrub (e.g. TKPP / Grimex-style) before resealing.
- Coverage is roughly 5–10 m² per litre depending on film thickness — the same order as the LTP TDS.
- Store upright, labelled, away from children. This is a stripper solvent, not a leave-on patio treatment.
Dilution recipe
1 L working batch
Working strength Neat (brush on; scrub and extract with water). Educational estimate from the listed ratio — check the SDS before you mix.
Chemical
1,000 millilitres
Benzyl alcohol
Water
0 litres
Carrier / diluent
100% concentrate · 0% water by working volume (solids are dissolved into the water share).
Required PPE
Loading calculator…
Side-by-Side Price & Potency Comparison
Head-to-head comparison
| Measure | Retail brandedLTP | Raw active dupeDupeStack |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Solvex High Performance RemoverAmazon UK search — listing, not a confirmed seller | Benzyl alcohol |
| Pack / unit | 1 litre · £18.00 | 1 litre · £16.00 |
| Active | Benzyl alcohol at 40%Carrier: Rheology clay (lithium magnesium sodium silicate) and non-ionic surfactant | 99% bulkC6H5CH2OH |
| CAS number | Not disclosed on pack | 100-51-6 |
| Working strength | Ready-to-use pack | Dilute Neat (brush on; scrub and extract with water) |
| Cost per litre | £18.00 / L typical pack | £16.00 / L mixed from bulk |
| Headline saving | Baseline | 11% cheaper |
| COSHH / PPE | Follow the branded SDS | Gloves. Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or neoprene)Eye protection. Indirect-vent splash goggles — not ordinary spectaclesVentilation. Use outdoors or with mechanical extraction |
Active ingredient and cheaper alternative — FAQ
Is Solvex a patio algae killer?
No. It is a sealer / wax stripper for stone and tiles before resealing. For green film use a quat (Patio Magic / Wet & Forget) or DDAC (Jeyes 4-in-1). For cement haze use an acid product only on acid-safe stone.
Can I dilute benzyl alcohol like Grimex?
Solvex is used neat: brush on, dwell, mist with water, scrub, extract. Bulk benzyl alcohol is likewise applied neat for stripping. Do not treat it as a walk-away patio spray.
How do you mix the Solvex High Performance Remover dupe stack?
Harmful if swallowed or inhaled; eye irritant; can sensitise skin. Nitrile gloves, splash goggles, outdoor or strong ventilation. Keep off acrylic baths and shower trays. Brush neat benzyl alcohol generously onto manageable 5–10 m² patches. Dwell up to 15 minutes without letting it dry — mist with water if needed. Scrub with a nylon pad or stiff brush, add a little water, extract with sponge or wet-vac. Repeat if residue remains. Rinse well and clean with a dilute alkaline scrub (e.g. TKPP / Grimex-style) before resealing. Coverage is roughly 5–10 m² per litre depending on film thickness — the same order as the LTP TDS. Store upright, labelled, away from children. This is a stripper solvent, not a leave-on patio treatment.
DupeStack provides chemical concentration data and educational mixing guides only. Wellness pages compare food supplements, not medicines or prescribed treatments. Always review the supplier Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and comply with UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and COSHH regulations when handling concentrated substances. Mixing and storage are at your own risk. Some links are affiliate advertisements (Amazon Associates, eBay Partner Network, and Awin when those programmes are live). Commissions do not change listed concentrations or calculator output.
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