What do you use for cleaning parts?

[Deleted]

I am always amazed at the different cleaning agents that people use to clean parts.

I am a huge proponent of GoJo and Goop hand cleaners for cleaning oil and grime. I use Goop on both metal and finished wood, and it does a fantastic job.

Just tonight, I was trying to clean a plastic windshield wiper tank from an early 1970's Chevelle so I can list it on ebay. It was the grimiest tank that you've ever seen, and Dawn dish detergent with hot water wasn't budging the dirt. I reached for the Goop, spread some on the tank using my fingers, laid it down, and walked away. When I came back in a few hours, I rinsed the tank with water...and the oil and grime was gone.

I love hand cleaner for cleaning parts. It is relatively inexpensive, and I can use it indoors and outdoors. No strong smells. Safe to use. Cleans up with water.  

I've been using it for years, and it is my favorite. I only use the type without pumice. I love the fact that I can usually rub a dab of it onto a dirty part, and walk away. It is an awesome time saver! 

It is NOT safe for paint or painted surfaces.  

What do you use?

[shellymay]

For metal parts we use mineral spirits, it is NOT safe, it DOES stink, but it works in seconds 

We purchase mineral spirits to light the grill with, we buy the gallon size jug and when compared
to charcoal lighter fluid the price of mineral spirits is sooooooooo much cheaper.

[Deleted]

The great thing about spirits is that it often works so quickly.

I have to admit though, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. I'd LOVE to have a parts washer, even though I could never justify the cost of buying one. One of my best friends is an auto mechanic, and he hasn't used his parts washer in years. He is frugal like I am, and says that the cost of operating it is too high.

The bad part about thinner, at least for me, is figuring out where to dispose of it, since I live in town.

BTW, does mineral spirits fluxuate in price much? Seems that the price jumped up to $8 or $9 a gallon, and then I'll find it for less than $5 somewhere else.

[shellymay]

Price varies by several dollars from one store to the next for sure, cheapest is Walmart but don't buy
the odorless as that stuff doesn't work at all.....

We have purchased 55 gal drums from Sherwin-Williams Paint Store, but with delivery fee price was 
same as purchasing by the gallon...

We do have barrels filled with used mineral spirits and when ever someone is going to start a brush
pile and things like that we burn some of it, I also burn all of my chicken coop waste straw/pine shavings
 and use the old mineral spirits for that...when using it in the shop it evaporates well and I like that as
well...

[Deleted]

Wow...a whole 55 gallon drum? I couldn't use that in 10 years, I don't think.

I do have a head off of a straight six Chevy that I would love to clean up. Would the spirits clean that up pretty well?

[nimrod]

GoJo smeared on a grease spot on your clothes before washing will remove the spot.

For parts cleaner I use #1 diesel or kerosene.

[shellymay]

Oct 29, 2015 4:23:07 GMT @franklin said:

Wow...a whole 55 gallon drum? I couldn't use that in 10 years, I don't think.

I do have a head off of a straight six Chevy that I would love to clean up. Would the spirits clean that up pretty well?

@franklin, okay let me explain a little more, We own a business and what we do in simple form.....

We are mechanics for all the big presses factories use to make their product/parts, so we work on Forging
and stamping type presses, as big as 5000 tons. So these presses are full of grease/oil/graphite and when
they brake down and have to be torn down and parts fixed or replaced everything has to be cleaned as these
machines/press have parts that run together on or with a .002 thousands clearance/tolerance and you can imagine that is
not a lot of room to play with  So parts are always cleaned with mineral spirits and yes that stuff works on
all car metal parts as well.....So this is where the 55 gal drums come in to play and why we purchase them,
hope that explains it all to you better......We get to use liquid nitro and dry ice as well and that stuff is fun, LOL  

[shellymay]

@franklin, Had to come back and tell you for smaller parts we use brake clean in a can, this also
works great and will clean any metals, not sure why I just realized as we purchase this by the case
and tons of it, for you there is no WHAT DO I do with the waste as this stuff is aerosol and no waste
to rid of, brake clean is spray on and wipe fast...works great in grooves and small holes and hard to
reach areas.....

[Deleted]

Oct 29, 2015 4:59:06 GMT nimrod said:

GoJo smeared on a grease spot on your clothes before washing will remove the spot.

For parts cleaner I use #1 diesel or kerosene.

I have saved many good clothes using GoJo or Goop to get grease or oil out.

Some people swear by Dawn for grease on clothes, but honestly, I've never had much luck with Dawn on fabrics.

[Deleted]

Oct 29, 2015 11:22:12 GMT shellymay said:

Oct 29, 2015 4:23:07 GMT @franklin said:

Wow...a whole 55 gallon drum? I couldn't use that in 10 years, I don't think.

I do have a head off of a straight six Chevy that I would love to clean up. Would the spirits clean that up pretty well?

@franklin, okay let me explain a little more, We own a business and what we do in simple form.....

We are mechanics for all the big presses factories use to make their product/parts, so we work on Forging
and stamping type presses, as big as 5000 tons. So these presses are full of grease/oil/graphite and when
they brake down and have to be torn down and parts fixed or replaced everything has to be cleaned as these
machines/press have parts that run together on or with a .002 thousands clearance/tolerance and you can imagine that is
not a lot of room to play with  So parts are always cleaned with mineral spirits and yes that stuff works on
all car metal parts as well.....So this is where the 55 gal drums come in to play and why we purchase them,
hope that explains it all to you better......We get to use liquid nitro and dry ice as well and that stuff is fun, LOL  

Very interesting! 

That is some tight clearance!

[Deleted]

For hand washing I used gojo and other soft hand cleaners for awhile. It was over used, and plugged the sink trap up over time. I buy gallon jugs of dish soap at Fleet Farm, or the largest size at the dollar store and pour it into smaller size bottles.

Some days it seems like I wash my hands 50 times, thought the day. 


Parts washing is Kerosene, I can buy it out of the pump at the local gas station.

I use simple green or the dollar store brand in my ultrasonic cleaning machine~ It works great for carburetor's

[Deleted]

I used GoJo again today to clean parts.

I had parts to clean from a 40 year old Chevelle. As usual, I dab it on with my hands, and let the stuff 'melt.' I come back and rinse it off with water.

These parts were especially dirty. I really, really considered buying a gallon of kerosene. The GoJo worked it's magic, once again.

It took two tries on one part, mostly in the crevices where the grime was especially deep.

It is fast, and I love it.

[Deleted]

I use a product called "Simple Green" to clean up a lot of smaller greasy, oily problems. It works real well and is supposedly environmentally friendly, so you do not have to worry much about where you use it.

For problem children parts with lots of little nooks and crannies I just throw them into the parts cleaner tub which has five to ten gallons of "Purple Power Cleaner" in it and flip the flow switch on, let them sit for a bit and then use the pressure attachment to blast the grime away. "Purple Power" is also supposedly biodegradable.

[Deleted]

Oct 29, 2015 4:59:06 GMT nimrod said:

GoJo smeared on a grease spot on your clothes before washing will remove the spot.

For parts cleaner I use #1 diesel or kerosene.

I worked in a Grease Plant and used Pine sol to try and get the Grease out of my clothes.

Rockpile