Hand Cleaner

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I painted my BBQ grill today with some high-heat oil based paint. I got most of it on the grill, but some wound up on my hands. I went looking for something to clean off the paint spots. When I was a kid, about all we had was gasoline, and leaded at that. Surprised I'm still around ;). I remembered that WD-40 is a solvent of sorts, and dogoned if it didn't do a great job as a hand cleaner for paint and grease. Safe, and cheap. Soap and water to finish up. Am I always the last one to realize stuff like this?
 
I use a little dish detergent and coat my hands before working on things. I got that idea from the stuff called Liquid Glove from years ago. They may still make it, a coating that let you wash off everything easily. The light coating of soap does the same thing.
 
I use my homemade coffee soap to get funky stuff like old grease and brake dust off my hands.... the grit helps break it all up, and the soap does the rest. Love the idea about soaking your hands in soap prior to gettin'm dirty, but doesn't that make your fingertips slippery?
 
I use a little dish detergent and coat my hands before working on things. I got that idea from the stuff called Liquid Glove from years ago. They may still make it, a coating that let you wash off everything easily. The light coating of soap does the same thing.
This could be the Tip of the Day!
 
I like all the soap based ideas. Will that work to remove oil based paint?
 
I use my homemade coffee soap to get funky stuff like old grease and brake dust off my hands.... the grit helps break it all up, and the soap does the rest. Love the idea about soaking your hands in soap prior to gettin'm dirty, but doesn't that make your fingertips slippery?

Just a light coating dries and is hardly noticeable.

If I get paint, usually from spray cans, on my hands, then I use the hand cleaner like GoJo. But I use the orange smelling stuff, it's not as strong smelling as the usual hand cleaner.
 
I use laquer thinner. Don't know if there are any dangers. I stay away from fire until it dries. But I also use comet or ajax as a regular handsoap.
 
Best thing is always to use a heavy duty hand cleaner, of course.

:)


I've got some no-name stuff I buy from a local wholesaler by the 5L (gallon) bottle and tip in to a soap dispenser.

Used to do the laundry powder and all sorts of other things, but this stuff gets most of the grease etc off.

A lot of those gel cleaners with a bit of grit in them are also good (and smell nice too ;) )


Using harsh chemicals on your skin is not good.
But neither is drinking, smoking, grinding dust, welding fumes, etc etc etc

:crazy:
 
After years of using all of the above mentioned methods and some that weren't, I have finally gotten smart and now use lightweight latex gloves. I use the disposable ones for painting and the tougher ones for other jobs.
 
Special Orange. Its what Aircraft Mechanics use to get grease, oil and tar off their hands from maintenance. My dad used it in the navy, and while I was growing up. Swears by the stuff. its about 6 bucks, and will LAST a while!

It smells like an Orange orchard.
[should be able to be gotten any hardward store]
 
My dad turned me onto this stuff and it is the best I've found, works for everything and it lasts forever!!

18715_27172.jpg
 
Dollar Tree sell these $1 tubes of GOOP hand cleaner. I've bought the jumbo size tubs before, but it's a pain to open and close. These are a perfect size and it works great. It's also a great spot remover on clothes.
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solvents are no good to use on your skin. the chemicals can be absorbed into your skin and if used frequently, can cause damage to your organs. not to mention, it dries out your skin like nothing else. im sure the grease is bad enough in the first place. the old parts cleaner solution that all the garages used, caused a lot of health issues for guys that cleaned parts with no gloves. with all of that said, in a pinch I have used wd40 and it works pretty good, but the best thing is to just wear rubber gloves. i do a lot of work on old cars, and try to use them as often as possible. you get used to them.
 
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I made the mistake of working fiberglass once without gloves. Even gasoline wouldn't get the sticky resin off my hands.

The only thing that worked was automatic dishwater soap (stuff you pour into a dishwasher, like cascasde). It didn't remove the fiberglass resin so much as dissolve the outer layer of skin it was stuck to. Was OK on the hands, but burnt a bit when it hit my wrists. I was very careful to rinse that stuff off very well.

I now use gloves.
 
I'm in negotiations with an organic soap manufacturer to make me a Bicycle Mechanics Soap. Will be testing a sample soon.


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