What to use to clean dirty parts?

[McLela]

I'm sure this has been posted before but what is the best and safest product to clean really dirty parts. I'm talking about hubs, cranks, chains, etc. We all know gasoline works great but it's very dangerous.

I use Clean-Rite's PURPLE POWER which is a concentrated Industrial Strength Cleaner/Degreaser. It works good but still not as good as gasoline. I always wear rubber gloves when using Purple Power because it will burn your skin.

For rusted parts I use a small wire BRASS brush and lots of WD-40 and it works great.

 

[Rat Rod]

I always use Simple Green on greasy parts. It's non-toxic and biodegradable.

I typically pour some into a large stainless steel bowl and let the parts soak for a day or two...works awesome.

I buy mine at Wal-Mart in the automotive cleaner department. :wink:

http://www.simplegreen.com/products_all ... leaner.php

 

[CCR]

I always use Simple Green on greasy parts. It's non-toxic and biodegradable.

+1

that stuff works great, i use it in my parts little 3 gallon parts cleaner, but it doesnt seem to last as long that way.

 

[X-RAY]

i use a product called mean green.comes in a spray bottle or a gallon jug. works great for me so far, and it irritates my hands after a while, so it must be potent. best part- i get it at the dollar store for $5 a gallon, pretty cheap i think.

 

[Buck Masterson]

Hot water and Dawn dish soap.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

I use "LA's Totally Awesome" spray, available at any dollar store. Cheap and effective and works on anything. works for upholstery, paint, grease, but will sometimes take paint off so use with discretion.

 

[scrumblero]

OXY clean!!

and barkeepers friend or sometimes lacquer thinner... :roll:

 

[Hay Burner]

Greased Lightning or Simple Green. Careful with the greased lightning though, it will remove anodizing from aluminum.

 

[masterpoop63]

cleaning pffff.who cleans stuff on a rat forum. :mrgreen: i usualy use a bucket of vinigar its eats rust and stuff real good

 

[dos cruiser]

Greased Lightning or Simple Green. Careful with the greased lightning though, it will remove anodizing from aluminum.

Alway read the directions and make sure you can use that cleaner on every thing you're cleaning.
I used greased lighting, but I think that's the the one you don't want to use on aluminum and it's not something you want to use in a small area. I now use Amway degreaser it's biodegradable and an old wide mouth plastic jar w/lid and doesn't stink like some some others.

 

[edbuildsRATSinthe509]

i usally use really hot water, a lil simple green, and a whole lota elbow grease!!! :lol:

 

[c.p.odom]

Citric acid based de-greasers initially work well but neutralize quickly with the dissolved grease. Once the grease is in solution they are not real biodegradable any more, still better than dumping an oil based solvent. My do everything solvent is lacquer thinner.

 

[frameteam2003]

I use charcoal starter fuel---makes hubs tast like Bar-B-Qed chickin!

 

[Beau]

Nothing beats a parts washer. If I have a real big pile of parts, I take them in to a shop and have them put in a hot tank.

At home, a paint can full of carb. cleaner will do the trick.

 

[kngtmat]

I got the rust and all kinds of dirt off some of my old bike parts by using some stuff called evapo-rust that was 1qt for 8-10 bucks at Autozone or Harbor Fright and they also have 1-5 gallons 20-30-60 bucks if your half rich and if your really rich you can get a 55 gallon drum lol but seriously 1 qt did some wonders like on my Wald stem that had all that black in some little pits below the insert line, but some dish liquid that cuts greese or oil helps me every once and awhile.

 

[xddorox]

Any lemon furniture polish like Pledge will do an awesome job at degreasing anything. Smells nice too.

 

[scrumblero]

At home, a paint can full of carb. cleaner will do the trick.

you mean Chemdip? that stuff is ferociuos!! hope you already had your kids... :shock:

 

[HotRodJen]

ive used an aray of things including oven cleaner but not lately hahaha fume galour, but laqure thinner in a jar i drop greasy items into is and fish them out after awhile they come out clean as a whistle