What Is Your Favorite Soaking And Cleaning Agent?

[Tony Wells]

Most, if not all floor strippers are ammonia based. Various surfactants are added.

I use a variety of cleaners, depending. Sometimes just water in a pressure washer, sometimes with some sort of soap. If you want a cheap hot vat, use Tide. It's very aggressive against grease when it's hot. Caustic soda is the old stuff in vats, but NaOH is still available as drain cleaner. Just avoid the kind that comes with aluminum chips mixed with it. And DON'T get it on you or in your eyes!

I used to use Berryman's B-9 (Chem Dip), their carb dip, but switched to Gunk's HydroSeal. Basically the same stuff. Dichloromethane as a base, if I'm not mistaken. At least the old stuff is. Not so sure about the new stuff.

Of course, all sorts of sprays, depending on what I want get off, and preserve the base. Also Simple Green, several ZEP products, and Dawn as a degreaser. The list is long.

 

[catskinner]

Most, if not all floor strippers are ammonia based. Various surfactants are added.

I use a variety of cleaners, depending. Sometimes just water in a pressure washer, sometimes with some sort of soap. If you want a cheap hot vat, use Tide. It's very aggressive against grease when it's not. Caustic soda is the old stuff in vats, but NaOH is still available as drain cleaner. Just avoid the kind that comes with aluminum chips mixed with it. And DON'T get it on you or in your eyes!

I used to use Berryman's B-9 (Chem Dip), their carb dip, but switched to Gunk's HydroSeal. Basically the same stuff. Dichloromethane as a base, if I'm not mistaken. At least the old stuff is. Not so sure about the new stuff.

Of course, all sorts of sprays, depending on what I want get off, and preserve the base. Also Simple Green, several ZEP products, and Dawn as a degreaser. The list is long.

Good info Tony, lots of things for different situations.

 

[roadie33]

I use Brake cleaner on most parts that are not painted.
Found some good stuff for Rust at Harbor Freight called Evapo-rust.
I picked up some new rusty, filthy End mills, reamers and Files. So I put them in it and let them soak for 2 days and they came out looking like brand new.

 

[catskinner]

I use Brake cleaner on most parts that are not painted.
Found some good stuff for Rust at Harbor Freight called Evapo-rust.
I picked up some new rusty, filthy End mills, reamers and Files. So I put them in it and let them soak for 2 days and they came out looking like brand new.

I think I might get some of that Evapo-rust. That sounds good for some things.

 

[kvt]

The problem I found with the Evapo-Rust when I used it was the fact you had to get all the oil and gunk off first. If you clean it with something and do not get it all off, then it did not clean that area of rust.
Another item that works on heavy grease for me is the orange cleaner, Straight with a stiff brush for real heavy and thinned down for lighter.

 

[coolidge]

Non-flammable brake cleaner is my go-to degreaser. For removing rust Evaporust is nothing short of amazing and so non-toxic you can just pour it down the drain when its wore out. Will not harm plastic, paint, or metal but flat destroys rust.

 

[benmychree]

Another good cleaner is "Oil Eater" sold at Costco; I use it full strength to clean machinery, but the recomend watering it down; It will soften paint, but the paint will re harden in a relativly short time; I have also used it in my parts washer, suitably diluted; given some time it will remove nasty crud very nicely. It works nicely on oil stains on machinery.

 

[catskinner]

Another good cleaner is "Oil Eater" sold at Costco; I use it full strength to clean machinery, but the recomend watering it down; It will soften paint, but the paint will re harden in a relativly short time; I have also used it in my parts washer, suitably diluted; given some time it will remove nasty crud very nicely. It works nicely on oil stains on machinery.

That's some good info benmychree thanks for posting.

 

[GarageGuy]

I use kerosene for general parts washing. I use Simple Green or Zep Orange for de-greasing engines. Brake cleaner is good for de-greasing small parts that will not be welded. I use Acetone for wiping down aluminum before welding. I use mineral spirits to light the charcoal grill. I have some lacquer thinner, but I don't use it much. It destroys heavy duty nitrile gloves in seconds, and gives me a monster headache unless I'm outdoors and up-wind. Zip Strip will remove cured powder coating. Misc cans of carb cleaner, denatured alcohol, Desolv-it, etc on the shelf.

GG

 

[DonC]

5 Gallons of Gunk Carburetor Cleaner with basket also. Takes grease and paint off in one shot. Can't keep it in my shop though, it stinks too much but is the most effective stuff I have ever used. No scraping or brushing, just hit it with a high pressure stream of water and all the funk is gone. I then soak the parts in Rust Dissolve, they come out like new. Doing it this way has saved me a bunch of time cleaning old greasy parts and allowed me to get other things done while the parts soak.