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| UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
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Detergents and cleaners FAQ
I've mostly written a cleaning FAQ, explaining the different types of
detergents and other types of cleaners. I've been wondering if its quite DIY or not, and have reached a tentative conclusion. First, its prime use would be household cleaning, ie not diy. Second, cleaning is actually an important part of DIY, so it would in fact be useful and relevant for DIY as well. OK, time to post it and see what people think.... Detergents and Cleaners FAQ --------------------------- Detergents and soaps -------------------- Cheapo washing up liquid: probably the fastest detergent, but the least powerful. Removes most things, very quickly. 15p/litre. It is simply liquid soap. Dries skin. Will wash clothes in 2 minutes in cold water, but can not remove everything, so not recommended for continued use. Liquid soaps: Most goods sold as liquid soaps are not, they are in nearly every case sodium lauryl ethyl sulphate, aka sodium laureth sulphate, a synthetic detergent. This is a nearly universal low cost human cleaning detergent. It is mildly irritant, mildly skin drying, very cheap to make, and although not currently receiving much publicity, there have been concerns about its safety. Nearly all commercial skin washes and shampoos contain it, regardless of price, brand, marketing, etc. Quality washing up liquid: much better on skin than the cheapie stuff, remove more types of dirt. But not as fast acting as the low cost soap type. Ecover washing up liquid: much better on skin than other washing liquids. Can strip some household paints. Non toxic. Can also be used as body wash and shampoo: mix a very little oil in for drier skin and hair. Washing powder: more powerful than washing liquids, effective degreasing with hot water. More drying and irritant to skin than any washing up liquid. Biological powders also contain enzymes to improve their cleaning action at 40C, but the enzymes stop working at hotter temps. Most contain various additives such as optical brighteners etc, and powdered cardboard filler. Washing powder tablets: take time to dissolve, thus give less cleaning time than powders. Also some brands fail to dissolve, causing poor washes and clothes with a residue of washing powder, which irritates skin. Dishwasher detergent: most powerful detergent, requires hot water to work, the most irritant to skin. skin contact best avoided. Wonder / miracle / magic cleaners / stain removers: ordinary detergents sold at steep prices. Solvents -------- Many solvents are volatile, flammable, explosive, toxic and/or drug-like. Ensure good ventilation. - white spirit: very irritant to skin, very slow to evaporate. Dissolves un-set oil based (gloss) paints. Not very versatile. - 1,1,1 trichloroethylene: aka spot dry cleaner, tippex thinner. One of the higher cost solvents. Adequate ventilation essential. Never place dry cleaned goods in a closed car. - alcohol: degreaser. Aka surgical spirit, rubbing alcohol, methylated spirits. - Isopropyl alcohol: aka isopropanl. almost identical properties to alcohol. Screen wash, head cleaner. - paraffin: very slow to evaporate, repels insects. Dissolves oils. - diesel: - acetone, aka nail varnish remover: - cellulose thinners: a powerful mix of solvents - Nitromethane: aka cyanoacrylate debonder, dissolves superglue - nitromors: stong alkali? paint and varnish stripper - turpentine and turps substitute: gloss/eggshell/oil paint solvents - petrol - orange solvent (?) aka sticky stuff remover (?) - is this orange oil? - glo-fuel for model aircraft: various mixtures exist, contain methanol and oils, toxic and explosive. - carbon tetrachloride: powerful general purpose solvent, narcotic, now banned from domestic use due to toxicity. Oils ---- - Olbas oil: a solvent plant oil mixture. removes ballpoint ink, paint, varnish, wax. - clove oil: strips paint, irritant, use diluted - penetrating oil: oil and solvent mix, sometimes frees rusted parts, dissolves oils, dissolves bath grease, leaves oil film behind. - WD40: a penetrating oil mix, also repels water. Abrasives --------- - scouring pads - Ajax: abrasive powder and bleach, once popular as toilet cleaner - bath brick: strong abrasive suited only to unfinished cast iron - sand: ditto. Also blasted for paint and rust stripping - melamine sponge, aka flash cleaning block: - wire wool pads: suited only to unfinished cast iron, damages all modern surfaces and finishes. Effective rust remover for cutlery, but will scratch and mark the metal. Causes metal splinters. - scrapers and razor blades: simple mechanical cleaners mostly used on glass. Can permanently mark the glass. Do not use on toughened glass. - brass wire brush: for cleaning suede and soiled clothes. Causes damage, dont overdo it. - steel wire brush: not for general household use. Will remove paint, plaster, skin, soft mortar. A rotary wire brush in a drill is very fast: in an angle grinder even more so. Bleaches: --------- Bleaches sterilise and remove the dirt's colour, but don't remove the dirt. Chlorine bleach: the most common household bleach. Irritant to lungs, exacerbates asthma. Contact with acids releases toxic chlorine gas. Discolours and damages many fabrics. A mild environmental toxin. Kills bacteria and moulds. Thick bleach is not a stronger bleach mix, it is bleach plus detergent. Oxygen bleach: aka hydrogen peroxide, avoids the downsides of chlorine bleaches, and does not discolour fabrics. Oxygen bleach can be used in laundry. Soap and sun: soaping clothes and hanging them in sunlight while wet can bleach marks and discolouration not removed by Cl2 or O2 bleaches. It is a slower process, taking many hours. The clothes should be kept wet or damp. Spray and wipe cleaners: ------------------------ Quick and easy hard surface cleaners. Produce noxious fumes. What is in them, ammonia? Limescale removers: (from weakest to strongest) ------------------- Citric acid: weak limescale remover. Requires boiling and long immersion time. Only effective on thin layers of scale. Available from any chemist. Vinegar: good for minor descaling of hot taps. Restores shine. Heat the tap first. Sulphamic acid: most popular ingredient in limescale removing toilet cleaners Sulphuric acid: stronger but costs more Phosphoric acid: toxic Hydrochloris acid: powerful and fast, avoid contact with skin, eyes, metal, mortars, lime paints and tile grout. ?: where does phosphoric acid belong in this strength ranking? Specialist cleaners ------------------- - wax based paint cleaners etc - Brick acid: aka patio cleaner. HCl acid cleaner/etcher for concrete and brick. Eats concrete and mortar, damages brick fireskin, excellant toilet limescale remover, dangerous to skin and eyes. - oxalic acid, also sold as patio cleaner: non-etching concrete and brick cleaner. Toxic. Less powerful than the acid type, but non-damaging. - fuller's earth: dry powder sometimes used to clean very delicate items such as baby animal skin gloves. It is a dry absorbent. Some brands of cat litter are fuller's earth. - vinegar: resurfaces copper, it etches the surface off, leaving fresh clean copper. The liquid runoff is toxic if eaten. Diluted vinegar is also an old favourite for cleaning glass, often applied with paper rather than cloth. - stain devils for ballpoint ink: I had no result with it at all. Olbas oil worked very well. - saliva: still the best cleaner for fine art oil paintings Alkalis ------- The stronger alkalis can cause serious eye injury. The damage takes time to occur, so may not prompt a person to seek medical assistance. In the worst cases blindness can result. Use eye protection. - caustic soda: cleans ovens. Toxic, irritant, can cause serious eye injury. - washing soda: degreases when used with boiling water. For clothes and drain unblocking. The majority of drain blockages are mostly solidified fat. - sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda - a mild safe alkali, with many uses: For brushing teeth Removes tea and coffee stains Reduces laundry odour: add to final rinse Removes black scuff marks from floors Cleans fibreglass baths Freshens sour dishcloths: soak in water and bicarb Deodorises laundry awaiting washing: sprinkle in the basket. Removes crayon marks: use a brush and soda paste. Water cleaners: --------------- Pressure washers: The pressure of these can be enough to go through skin. Effective on very hardy materials eg concrete or brick paths. Can damage brickwork when used repeatedly. Can remove paint in some cases. Good for cleaning undersides of cars etc, as long as excessive pressure is not used. The one caveat is that water on brake pads makes them not work. (I once got water on all 4 at once: thankfully I never got out of the car park!) Pressure washer FAQ link. Steam cleaners: Effective at removing some types of dirt, ineffective for many as well. Useful for some jobs, but not for general purpose cleaning. Heat damages some materials, minor risk of burn injuries. More information: ----------------- Mrs Beeton: possibly the most famous writer on this subject, she produced a series of household guidance books a century ago, which include a thorough section on cleaning materials and methods. Available in any second hand book store. The materials discussed in the book are mostly out of date, but there is lots of useful stain removal information, and lots of cooking recipes. Remaining Questions: -------------------- What are the many things missing from here? More info on some of the solvents would be welcome Where does cream cleaner fit into this list? Where does phosphoric acid fit in the strength list? Can pressure washers be used to dig holes in the ground? |
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On 26 Apr 2005 04:47:42 -0700, wrote:
I've mostly written a cleaning FAQ, explaining the different types of detergents and other types of cleaners. Good effort, thank you. Some suggestions:- Ecover washing up liquid: much better on skin than other washing liquids. Can strip some household paints. Non toxic. Can also be used as body wash and shampoo: mix a very little oil in for drier skin and hair. Almost completely ineffective as a detergent for cleaning anything other than skin (I assume it is passable on that - I've never tried it) Many solvents are volatile, flammable, explosive, toxic and/or drug-like. Ensure good ventilation. - white spirit: very irritant to skin, very slow to evaporate. Dissolves un-set oil based (gloss) paints. Not very versatile. Safe to use on most plastics - denatures latex rubber gloves in minutes. - 1,1,1 trichloroethylene: aka spot dry cleaner, tippex thinner. One of the higher cost solvents. Adequate ventilation essential. Never place dry cleaned goods in a closed car. Now banned except for a few industrial uses by the Montreal Protocol (Ozone depleter) and unavailable. No longer used in dry cleaner or Tippex. - paraffin: very slow to evaporate, repels insects. Dissolves oils. Causes corrosion. - acetone, aka nail varnish remover: Nail Varnish remover usually also contains Lanolin or similar - nitromors: stong alkali? paint and varnish stripper Methylene Chloride? - orange solvent (?) aka sticky stuff remover (?) - is this orange oil? d-Limonene (1-methyl-4-isopropenyl-1-cyclohexene) - glo-fuel for model aircraft: various mixtures exist, contain methanol and oils, toxic and explosive. Doesn't this contain Ether as well? Oxygen bleach: aka hydrogen peroxide, avoids the downsides of chlorine bleaches, and does not discolour fabrics. Oxygen bleach can be used in laundry. Not as effective as a bactericide or disinfectant as Chlorine bleach Limescale removers: (from weakest to strongest) ------------------- Citric acid: weak limescale remover. Requires boiling and long immersion time. Only effective on thin layers of scale. Available from any chemist. Also available at much lower price in most Indian Food stores. Vinegar: good for minor descaling of hot taps. Restores shine. Heat the tap first. Distilled vinegar - wine and cider vinegars are pretty useless. Phosphoric acid: toxic Used in food so not that toxic. Hydrochloris acid: Hydrochloric -- Peter Parry. http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/ |
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wrote in message roups.com... Phil Addison wrote: On 26 Apr 2005 04:47:42 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote: SNIP Phosphoric acid: toxic Never seen that outside a chemi lab tesco limescale removing toilet cleaner My dad used to have a large drum of highly concentrated phosphoric acid which was used to clean the concrete off the back of his readymix truck. He also swore by it as a loo descaler (*) and at it when he used to descale the kettle. 3 rinses later tea made from water in the kettle burnt both his mouth. Mother was not HP. Cheers Mark (*) Apart from the time he decided to make a super concoction of acid and bleach. Bad mistake. Fortunately though it was in the garage so no real harm was done. At least not to MY lungs ..... |
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Cleaners and Detergents FAQ 2
----------------------------- Contents: --------- Detergents and soaps Solvents Oils Abrasives bleaches spray and wipe cleaners Limescale removers specialist cleaner alkalis Water cleaners Stains More information Detergents and soaps -------------------- Cheapo washing up liquid: probably the fastest detergent, but the least powerful. Removes most things, very quickly. 15p/litre. It is simply liquid soap. Dries skin. Will wash clothes in 2 minutes in cold water, but can not remove everything, so not recommended for continued use. Its speed makes it useful for washing carpets, saves much labour. Liquid soaps: Most goods sold as liquid soaps are not, they are in nearly every case sodium lauryl ethyl sulphate, aka sodium laureth sulphate, a synthetic detergent. This is a nearly universal low cost human cleaning detergent. It is mildly irritant, mildly skin drying, very cheap to make, and although not currently receiving much publicity, there have been concerns about its toxicity. Nearly all commercial skin washes and shampoos contain it, regardless of price, brand, marketing, etc. Quality washing up liquid: much better on skin than the cheapie stuff, remove more types of dirt. But not as fast acting as the low cost soap type. Ecover washing up liquid: much better on skin than other washing liquids. Can strip some household paints. Non toxic. Can also be used as body wash and shampoo: mix a very little vegetable oil in for drier skin and hair. Palm oil is favoured for hair. Washing powder: more powerful than washing liquids, effective degreasing with hot water. Alkaline. More drying and irritant to skin than any washing up liquid. Biological powders also contain enzymes to improve their cleaning action at 40C, but the enzymes stop working at hotter temps. Most contain various additives such as optical brighteners etc, and powdered cardboard filler. An overnight soak with bio powder can remove a wide range of stains and organic materials. Washing powder tablets: take time to dissolve, thus give less cleaning time than powders. Also some brands fail to dissolve, causing poor washes and clothes with a residue of washing powder, which irritates skin. Dishwasher detergent, powders and tablets: most powerful detergent, alkaline, requires hot water to work, the most irritant detergent to skin. Skin contact best avoided. Dishwasher detergent, liquid: I know nowt about em. Wonder / miracle / magic cleaners / stain removers: ordinary detergents sold at steep prices. Stain removers designed for a limited range of stains are a different thing to these general purpose wonder bars. Household soap bars: Soap intended for skin cleaning is normally superfatted, meaning it contains free fat. This makes it poorly suited to general household cleaning, and so outside the scope of this FAQ. In poorer countries a wider variety of soaps are found, with bars for household cleaning, shampooing, laundry etc, but these are not often seen in Britain. If you want to find them, look for them at ethnic supermarkets. They are often sold in big bars a foot or so long, you slice off a new soap bar when you need one. The colours indicate which type of soap it is. They make very economical cleaners, but are not widely available, not widely used, and not the best type of cleaning product available. Solvents -------- Many solvents are volatile, flammable, explosive, toxic, melt plastics, and/or drug-like. Ensure good ventilation. - white spirit: aka turps substitute. Petroleum distillates. Very irritant to skin, slow to evaporate. Dissolves un-set oil based (gloss) paints and uncured epoxy resin. Not very versatile. - 1,1,1 trichloroethylene: aka spot dry cleaner, tippex thinner. No longer sold. Adequate ventilation essential. Never place dry cleaned goods in a closed car. - alcohol: degreaser. Aka surgical spirit, rubbing alcohol, methylated spirits. Meths leaves purple dye residue behind after it evaporates. Removes fresh ballpoint ink. - Isopropyl alcohol: aka isopropanl. almost identical properties to alcohol. Screen wash, head cleaner. - paraffin: very slow to evaporate, repels insects, dissolves oils. One of the safer solvents - diesel: - acetone, aka nail varnish remover: dissolves polyurethane (squirt can) foam. Dissolves perspex and can be used to solvent weld it. - cellulose thinners: a powerful mix of solvents, often used when other solvents have failed. Removes tar. - Nitromethane: aka cyanoacrylate debonder, dissolves superglue - nitromors: Methylene chloride, paint and varnish stripper. Produces fumes - turpentine and turps substitute: gloss/eggshell/oil paint solvents. See white spirit - petrol: flammable and explosive, fumes can produce intense headaches. - orange oil: aka limonene, sticky stuff remover. - glo-fuel for model aircraft: various mixtures exist, containing methanol, oils, solvents, etc. Flammable, explosive, very toxic, fumes can be fatal. - carbon tetrachloride: powerful general purpose solvent, narcotic, now banned from domestic use due to toxicity. - pipe weld solvent: Oils ---- - Olbas oil: a solvent plant oil mixture. removes ballpoint ink, paint, varnish, wax. Available from superdrug, boots, supemarkets etc - clove oil: strips paint, irritant, use diluted with oil or soap and water. Available from superdrug, boots etc - penetrating oil: oil and solvent mix, help free rusted parts, dissolves oils, dissolves bath grease, leaves oil film behind. Penetrating oils make poor lubricants. - WD40: a penetrating oil mix, also repels water. Abrasives --------- - plastic scouring pads - metal scourers - Ajax: abrasive powder and bleach, once popular as toilet cleaner - bath brick: strong abrasive suited only to unfinished cast iron - sand: ditto. Also sand blasting strips paint and rust - melamine sponge, aka flash cleaning block: - wire wool pads: suited only to unfinished cast iron, damages all modern surfaces and finishes. Effective rust remover for cutlery, but will scratch and mark the metal. Causes metal splinters. - scrapers and razor blades: simple mechanical cleaners mostly used on glass. Can permanently mark the glass. Do not use on toughened glass. - brass wire brush: for cleaning suede and soiled clothes. Causes damage, dont overdo it. - pumice: - metal balls: used to clean inaccessible places. Insert balls and cleaning liquid, whizz em round, remove balls. Typically used for inaccessible places, eg very narrow necked vases etc Bleaches: --------- Bleaches sterilise and remove the dirt's colour, but don't remove the dirt. Chlorine bleach: the most common household bleach. Irritant to lungs, exacerbates asthma. Contact with acids releases toxic chlorine gas. Discolours and damages many fabrics. A mild environmental toxin. Kills bacteria and moulds. Thick bleach is not a stronger bleach mix, it is bleach plus detergent. Oxygen bleach: aka hydrogen peroxide, avoids the downsides of chlorine bleaches, and does not discolour fabrics. Oxygen bleach can be used in laundry. Not as powerful as chlorine bleach. Soap and sun: soaping clothes and hanging them in sunlight while wet can bleach marks and discolouration not removed by chlorine or oxygen bleaches. It is a slower process, taking many hours. The clothes should be kept wet or damp. Spray and wipe cleaners: ------------------------ Quick and easy hard surface cleaners. Produce noxious fumes. What is in them, ammonia? Limescale removers: ------------------- Limescale removers are all acids. Many are potentially dangerous and should be treated with some care. Many will attack metals, skin, cloth, and so on. They are here listed from weakest to strongest. The first 2 are safe to handle, and even eat, the others are not, and skin should be rinsed if contact occurs. Citric acid: weak limescale remover. Requires boiling and long immersion time. Only effective on thin layers of scale. A common food additive. Available from any chemist, typically at a fraction of the price of brand name supermarket descalers. Multipurpose appliance descalers are normally citric, since it is safe on a wide range of materials. Citric is also used for washing machine descaling, but is not altogether effective. Vinegar: good for minor descaling of taps. Restores shine. Heat the tap first with boiling water. Wash any remaining vinegar off after the job is done. Sulphamic acid: most popular ingredient in limescale removing toilet cleaners. Sulphuric acid: stronger than sulphamic but costs more. Phosphoric acid: ?: where does phosphoric acid belong in this strength ranking? Hydrochloric acid: powerful and fast, avoid contact with skin, eyes, metal, mortars, lime paints and tile grout. One of the higher risk cleaners, follow instructions with care. Effective at removing scale from glass, but care must be taken to keep it off metal, wood etc. This can be done by wiping it on the glass very thinly, as just a smear, and washing off well afterwards. Specialist cleaners ------------------- - wax based paint cleaners etc - Brick acid: aka patio cleaner. Hydrochloric acid cleaner/etcher for concrete and brick. Eats concrete and mortar, damages a brick's fireskin, very fast toilet limescale remover, dangerous to skin and eyes. - oxalic acid, also sold as patio cleaner: non-etching concrete and brick cleaner. Toxic. Less powerful than the acid type, but does not damage the items being cleaned. Toxic residues should be washed away with plenty of water. - fuller's earth: dry powder sometimes used to clean very delicate items such as baby animal skin gloves. It is a dry absorbent. Some brands of cat litter are fuller's earth. - vinegar: resurfaces copper by etching the surface off, leaving fresh clean copper. The liquid runoff is toxic if eaten. Diluted vinegar is also an old favourite for cleaning glass, best applied with newspaper rather than cloth. - saliva: still the best cleaner for fine art oil paintings, but not available in litre bottles  - ammonia: used for cleaning jewellery - Autoglym glass cleaner: one of the best commercial glass cleaner preparations, but pricey. From car accessory shops. - jewellery dips - Brasso - Silvo - stain devils for ballpoint ink: I had no result with it at all. Olbas oil was quick and effective. Not recommended. Alkalis ------- The stronger alkalis can cause serious eye injury. The damage takes time to occur, so may not prompt a person to seek medical assistance. In the worst cases blindness can result. Use eye protection. - caustic soda: strong alkali, cleans ovens, unblocks drains. Toxic, irritant, can cause serious eye injury. One of the high risk cleaners, follow instructions with care. It is important to add crystals to water gradually, and never the other way round. Use rubber(?) gloves, plastic apron, goggles. Again proprietary stuff with added 'cling' is probably more effective. - washing soda: degreases when used with boiling water. For clothes and drain unblocking. The majority of drain blockages are mostly solidified fat. Discolours aluminium. - sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda - a mild safe alkali, with many uses: For brushing teeth Removes tea and coffee stains Reduces laundry odour: add to final rinse Removes black scuff marks from floors Cleans fibreglass baths Freshens sour dishcloths: soak in water and bicarb Deodorises laundry awaiting washing: sprinkle in the basket. Removes crayon marks: use a brush and soda paste. Water cleaners: --------------- Pressure washers: The pressure of these can be enough to go through skin. Effective on very hardy materials eg concrete or brick paths. Can damage brickwork when used repeatedly. Can remove paint in some cases. Good for cleaning undersides of cars etc, as long as excessive pressure is avoided. The one caveat is that water on brake pads makes them not work. (I once got water on all 4 at once: thankfully I never got out of the car park!) Pressure washer FAQ link. Steam cleaners: Effective at removing some types of dirt, ineffective for many as well. Useful for some jobs, but not for general purpose cleaning. Heat damages some materials, minor risk of burn injuries. Removes nicotine. Stains: ------- Firstly the general purpose stain removers: Washing powder: the most versatile stain remover is biological washing powder. Soak the stain overnight. Bleach: will remove many stains, but discolours and rots natural fabrics and dyes. Dry cleaning solvents: will remove many stains from most fabrics and hard surfaces Cellulose thinners: dissolve many things - might dissolve what youre trying to clean though Ballpoint pen ink: - alcohol - olbas oil Blood: - soak in biological washing powder in cold water (I think! not sure) Chewing gum on carpet: - fill a bag with ice cubes, add a tablespoon of salt, and use the bag to freeze the gum. The gum will now break apart. Cup ring marks: - Egg: - always use cold water to wash egg off, heat will set it in place. Epoxy resin - white spirit - it will peel off with a fingernail from some surfaces - or pare it down with a knife Foam, polyurethane squirty type: - acetone Limescale: - see the limescale section Nicotine - steam cleaning Paint, emulsion: - if unset, water and washing powder or washing up liquid, and rub with a cloth. Several water changes may be needed. - if set but soft: soak in dilute ecover overnight, then rub and wash repeatedly. - if set and hard: first, crefully break the paint up to help it to come out much quicker. A kitchen knife can do this. Then use a suede brush to remove the remains. Suede bruhes do damage fabric, so take care to only brush exactly where the paint is. - oil type paint removers may soften the paint and allow it to be washed out by machine - if all else fails, small paint marks can often be successfully disguised temporarily with a fine tipped black marker pen, or permanently with a button, brooch, patch, decorative motif, etc. Paint, lime: - hot water and washing powder - vinegar. Paint, oil based gloss: - white spirit Plastic glue: - acetone ****: - biological washing powder Superglue: - cyanoacrylate debonder, nitromethane Stubborn stains: - cellulose thinners will remove a lot of stains, but also damage some things. Tea & coffee - soak overnight in bio washing powder - bicarb Toilet scale: - limescale removing toilet cleaner containing hydrochloric acid. This is by far the most effective. It will need applying several times of the amount of scaling is significant. Unknown stains: - Use the general purpose stain treatments above, starting with an overnight soak in biological washing powder. varnish: - olbas oil wax: - olbas oil - apply blotting paper, iron. Repeat. The paper soaks up the molten wax. - wash in boiling water with dishwasher detergent Wine, red: Wine, white: Yellowed cotton: - bleach sometimes works. If not: - dip in soapy water, hang in the sun while wet. Allow a day or 2, and keep it moist. Very effective, though slow. More information: ----------------- Mrs Beeton: possibly the most famous writer on this subject, she produced a series of household guidance books a century ago, which include a thorough section on cleaning materials and methods. Available in any second hand book store. The materials discussed in the book are mostly out of date, but there is lots of useful stain removal information, and lots of cooking recipes. Remaining Questions: -------------------- What things are missing from here? More info on some of the solvents would be welcome Where does cream cleaner fit into this list? Where does phosphoric acid fit in the strength list? Whats Jizer? Other stain devils and similar? |
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Cleaners and Detergents FAQ 2
----------------------------- Contents: --------- Detergents and soaps Solvents Oils Abrasives bleaches spray and wipe cleaners Limescale removers specialist cleaner alkalis Water cleaners Stains More information Detergents and soaps -------------------- Cheapo washing up liquid: probably the fastest detergent, but the least powerful. Removes most things, very quickly. 15p/litre. It is simply liquid soap. Dries skin. Will wash clothes in 2 minutes in cold water, but can not remove everything, so not recommended for continued use. Its speed makes it useful for washing carpets, saves much labour. Liquid soaps: Most goods sold as liquid soaps are not, they are in nearly every case sodium lauryl ethyl sulphate, aka sodium laureth sulphate, a synthetic detergent. This is a nearly universal low cost human cleaning detergent. It is mildly irritant, mildly skin drying, very cheap to make, and although not currently receiving much publicity, there have been concerns about its toxicity. Nearly all commercial skin washes and shampoos contain it, regardless of price, brand, marketing, etc. Quality washing up liquid: much better on skin than the cheapie stuff, remove more types of dirt. But not as fast acting as the low cost soap type. Ecover washing up liquid: much better on skin than other washing liquids. Can strip some household paints. Non toxic. Can also be used as body wash and shampoo: mix a very little vegetable oil in for drier skin and hair. Palm oil is favoured for hair. Washing powder: more powerful than washing liquids, effective degreasing with hot water. Alkaline. More drying and irritant to skin than any washing up liquid. Biological powders also contain enzymes to improve their cleaning action at 40C, but the enzymes stop working at hotter temps. Most contain various additives such as optical brighteners etc, and powdered cardboard filler. An overnight soak with bio powder can remove a wide range of stains and organic materials. Washing powder tablets: take time to dissolve, thus give less cleaning time than powders. Also some brands fail to dissolve, causing poor washes and clothes with a residue of washing powder, which irritates skin. Dishwasher detergent, powders and tablets: most powerful detergent, alkaline, requires hot water to work, the most irritant detergent to skin. Skin contact best avoided. Dishwasher detergent, liquid: I know nowt about em. Wonder / miracle / magic cleaners / stain removers: ordinary detergents sold at steep prices. Stain removers designed for a limited range of stains are a different thing to these general purpose wonder bars. Household soap bars: Soap intended for skin cleaning is normally superfatted, meaning it contains free fat. This makes it poorly suited to general household cleaning, and so outside the scope of this FAQ. In poorer countries a wider variety of soaps are found, with bars for household cleaning, shampooing, laundry etc, but these are not often seen in Britain. If you want to find them, look for them at ethnic supermarkets. They are often sold in big bars a foot or so long, you slice off a new soap bar when you need one. The colours indicate which type of soap it is. They make very economical cleaners, but are not widely available, not widely used, and not the best type of cleaning product available. Solvents -------- Many solvents are volatile, flammable, explosive, toxic, melt plastics, and/or drug-like. Ensure good ventilation. - white spirit: aka turps substitute. Petroleum distillates. Very irritant to skin, slow to evaporate. Dissolves un-set oil based (gloss) paints and uncured epoxy resin. Not very versatile. - 1,1,1 trichloroethylene: aka spot dry cleaner, tippex thinner. No longer sold. Adequate ventilation essential. Never place dry cleaned goods in a closed car. - alcohol: degreaser. Aka surgical spirit, rubbing alcohol, methylated spirits. Meths leaves purple dye residue behind after it evaporates. Removes fresh ballpoint ink. - Isopropyl alcohol: aka isopropanl. almost identical properties to alcohol. Screen wash, head cleaner. - paraffin: very slow to evaporate, repels insects, dissolves oils. One of the safer solvents - diesel: - acetone, aka nail varnish remover: dissolves polyurethane (squirt can) foam. Dissolves perspex and can be used to solvent weld it. - cellulose thinners: a powerful mix of solvents, often used when other solvents have failed. Removes tar. - Nitromethane: aka cyanoacrylate debonder, dissolves superglue - nitromors: Methylene chloride, paint and varnish stripper. Produces fumes - turpentine and turps substitute: gloss/eggshell/oil paint solvents. See white spirit - petrol: flammable and explosive, fumes can produce intense headaches. - orange oil: aka limonene, sticky stuff remover. - glo-fuel for model aircraft: various mixtures exist, containing methanol, oils, solvents, etc. Flammable, explosive, very toxic, fumes can be fatal. - carbon tetrachloride: powerful general purpose solvent, narcotic, now banned from domestic use due to toxicity. - pipe weld solvent: Oils ---- - Olbas oil: a solvent plant oil mixture. removes ballpoint ink, paint, varnish, wax. Available from superdrug, boots, supemarkets etc - clove oil: strips paint, irritant, use diluted with oil or soap and water. Available from superdrug, boots etc - penetrating oil: oil and solvent mix, help free rusted parts, dissolves oils, dissolves bath grease, leaves oil film behind. Penetrating oils make poor lubricants. - WD40: a penetrating oil mix, also repels water. Abrasives --------- - plastic scouring pads - metal scourers - Ajax: abrasive powder and bleach, once popular as toilet cleaner - bath brick: strong abrasive suited only to unfinished cast iron - sand: ditto. Also sand blasting strips paint and rust - melamine sponge, aka flash cleaning block: - wire wool pads: suited only to unfinished cast iron, damages all modern surfaces and finishes. Effective rust remover for cutlery, but will scratch and mark the metal. Causes metal splinters. - scrapers and razor blades: simple mechanical cleaners mostly used on glass. Can permanently mark the glass. Do not use on toughened glass. - brass wire brush: for cleaning suede and soiled clothes. Causes damage, dont overdo it. - pumice: - metal balls: used to clean inaccessible places. Insert balls and cleaning liquid, whizz em round, remove balls. Typically used for inaccessible places, eg very narrow necked vases etc Bleaches: --------- Bleaches sterilise and remove the dirt's colour, but don't remove the dirt. Chlorine bleach: the most common household bleach. Irritant to lungs, exacerbates asthma. Contact with acids releases toxic chlorine gas. Discolours and damages many fabrics. A mild environmental toxin. Kills bacteria and moulds. Thick bleach is not a stronger bleach mix, it is bleach plus detergent. Oxygen bleach: aka hydrogen peroxide, avoids the downsides of chlorine bleaches, and does not discolour fabrics. Oxygen bleach can be used in laundry. Not as powerful as chlorine bleach. Soap and sun: soaping clothes and hanging them in sunlight while wet can bleach marks and discolouration not removed by chlorine or oxygen bleaches. It is a slower process, taking many hours. The clothes should be kept wet or damp. Spray and wipe cleaners: ------------------------ Quick and easy hard surface cleaners. Produce noxious fumes. What is in them, ammonia? Limescale removers: ------------------- Limescale removers are all acids. Many are potentially dangerous and should be treated with some care. Many will attack metals, skin, cloth, and so on. They are here listed from weakest to strongest. The first 2 are safe to handle, and even eat, the others are not, and skin should be rinsed if contact occurs. Citric acid: weak limescale remover. Requires boiling and long immersion time. Only effective on thin layers of scale. A common food additive. Available from any chemist, typically at a fraction of the price of brand name supermarket descalers. Multipurpose appliance descalers are normally citric, since it is safe on a wide range of materials. Citric is also used for washing machine descaling, but is not altogether effective. Vinegar: good for minor descaling of taps. Restores shine. Heat the tap first with boiling water. Wash any remaining vinegar off after the job is done. Sulphamic acid: most popular ingredient in limescale removing toilet cleaners. Sulphuric acid: stronger than sulphamic but costs more. Phosphoric acid: ?: where does phosphoric acid belong in this strength ranking? Hydrochloric acid: powerful and fast, avoid contact with skin, eyes, metal, mortars, lime paints and tile grout. One of the higher risk cleaners, follow instructions with care. Effective at removing scale from glass, but care must be taken to keep it off metal, wood etc. This can be done by wiping it on the glass very thinly, as just a smear, and washing off well afterwards. Specialist cleaners ------------------- - wax based paint cleaners etc - Brick acid: aka patio cleaner. Hydrochloric acid cleaner/etcher for concrete and brick. Eats concrete and mortar, damages a brick's fireskin, very fast toilet limescale remover, dangerous to skin and eyes. - oxalic acid, also sold as patio cleaner: non-etching concrete and brick cleaner. Toxic. Less powerful than the acid type, but does not damage the items being cleaned. Toxic residues should be washed away with plenty of water. - fuller's earth: dry powder sometimes used to clean very delicate items such as baby animal skin gloves. It is a dry absorbent. Some brands of cat litter are fuller's earth. - vinegar: resurfaces copper by etching the surface off, leaving fresh clean copper. The liquid runoff is toxic if eaten. Diluted vinegar is also an old favourite for cleaning glass, best applied with newspaper rather than cloth. - saliva: still the best cleaner for fine art oil paintings, but not available in litre bottles - ammonia: used for cleaning jewellery - Autoglym glass cleaner: one of the best commercial glass cleaner preparations, but pricey. From car accessory shops. - jewellery dips - Brasso - Silvo - stain devils for ballpoint ink: I had no result with it at all. Olbas oil was quick and effective. Not recommended. Alkalis ------- The stronger alkalis can cause serious eye injury. The damage takes time to occur, so may not prompt a person to seek medical assistance. In the worst cases blindness can result. Use eye protection. - caustic soda: strong alkali, cleans ovens, unblocks drains. Toxic, irritant, can cause serious eye injury. One of the high risk cleaners, follow instructions with care. It is important to add crystals to water gradually, and never the other way round. Use rubber(?) gloves, plastic apron, goggles. Again proprietary stuff with added 'cling' is probably more effective. - washing soda: degreases when used with boiling water. For clothes and drain unblocking. The majority of drain blockages are mostly solidified fat. Discolours aluminium. - sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda - a mild safe alkali, with many uses: For brushing teeth Removes tea and coffee stains Reduces laundry odour: add to final rinse Removes black scuff marks from floors Cleans fibreglass baths Freshens sour dishcloths: soak in water and bicarb Deodorises laundry awaiting washing: sprinkle in the basket. Removes crayon marks: use a brush and soda paste. Water cleaners: --------------- Pressure washers: The pressure of these can be enough to go through skin. Effective on very hardy materials eg concrete or brick paths. Can damage brickwork when used repeatedly. Can remove paint in some cases. Good for cleaning undersides of cars etc, as long as excessive pressure is avoided. The one caveat is that water on brake pads makes them not work. (I once got water on all 4 at once: thankfully I never got out of the car park!) Pressure washer FAQ link. Steam cleaners: Effective at removing some types of dirt, ineffective for many as well. Useful for some jobs, but not for general purpose cleaning. Heat damages some materials, minor risk of burn injuries. Removes nicotine. Stains: ------- Firstly the general purpose stain removers: Washing powder: the most versatile stain remover is biological washing powder. Soak the stain overnight. Bleach: will remove many stains, but discolours and rots natural fabrics and dyes. Dry cleaning solvents: will remove many stains from most fabrics and hard surfaces Cellulose thinners: dissolve many things - might dissolve what youre trying to clean though Ballpoint pen ink: - alcohol - olbas oil Blood: - soak in biological washing powder in cold water (I think! not sure) Chewing gum on carpet: - fill a bag with ice cubes, add a tablespoon of salt, and use the bag to freeze the gum. The gum will now break apart. Cup ring marks: - Egg: - always use cold water to wash egg off, heat will set it in place. Epoxy resin - white spirit - it will peel off with a fingernail from some surfaces - or pare it down with a knife Foam, polyurethane squirty type: - acetone Limescale: - see the limescale section Nicotine - steam cleaning Paint, emulsion: - if unset, water and washing powder or washing up liquid, and rub with a cloth. Several water changes may be needed. - if set but soft: soak in dilute ecover overnight, then rub and wash repeatedly. - if set and hard: first, crefully break the paint up to help it to come out much quicker. A kitchen knife can do this. Then use a suede brush to remove the remains. Suede bruhes do damage fabric, so take care to only brush exactly where the paint is. - oil type paint removers may soften the paint and allow it to be washed out by machine - if all else fails, small paint marks can often be successfully disguised temporarily with a fine tipped black marker pen, or permanently with a button, brooch, patch, decorative motif, etc. Paint, lime: - hot water and washing powder - vinegar. Paint, oil based gloss: - white spirit Plastic glue: - acetone ****: - biological washing powder Superglue: - cyanoacrylate debonder, nitromethane Stubborn stains: - cellulose thinners will remove a lot of stains, but also damage some things. Tea & coffee - soak overnight in bio washing powder - bicarb Toilet scale: - limescale removing toilet cleaner containing hydrochloric acid. This is by far the most effective. It will need applying several times of the amount of scaling is significant. Unknown stains: - Use the general purpose stain treatments above, starting with an overnight soak in biological washing powder. varnish: - olbas oil wax: - olbas oil - apply blotting paper, iron. Repeat. The paper soaks up the molten wax. - wash in boiling water with dishwasher detergent Wine, red: Wine, white: Yellowed cotton: - bleach sometimes works. If not: - dip in soapy water, hang in the sun while wet. Allow a day or 2, and keep it moist. Very effective, though slow. More information: ----------------- Mrs Beeton: possibly the most famous writer on this subject, she produced a series of household guidance books a century ago, which include a thorough section on cleaning materials and methods. Available in any second hand book store. The materials discussed in the book are mostly out of date, but there is lots of useful stain removal information, and lots of cooking recipes. Remaining Questions: -------------------- What things are missing from here? More info on some of the solvents would be welcome Where does cream cleaner fit into this list? Where does phosphoric acid fit in the strength list? Whats Jizer? Other stain devils and similar? |
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Peter Parry writes:
On 26 Apr 2005 04:47:42 -0700, wrote: I've mostly written a cleaning FAQ, explaining the different types of detergents and other types of cleaners. Good effort, thank you. Some suggestions:- Ecover washing up liquid: much better on skin than other washing liquids. Can strip some household paints. Non toxic. Can also be used as body wash and shampoo: mix a very little oil in for drier skin and hair. Almost completely ineffective as a detergent for cleaning anything other than skin (I assume it is passable on that - I've never tried it) I don't know if this comment is based on experience or prejudice, but IME it works just fine as a dishwashing detergent. It doesn't produce loads of froth, but I don't actually care about froth if the plates are clean. Peter |
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Peter Riocreux wrote:
Peter Parry writes: On 26 Apr 2005 04:47:42 -0700, wrote: Ecover washing up liquid: much better on skin than other Almost completely ineffective as a detergent for cleaning anything other than skin (I assume it is passable on that - I've never tried it) I don't know if this comment is based on experience or prejudice, but IME it works just fine as a dishwashing detergent. It doesn't produce loads of froth, but I don't actually care about froth if the plates are clean. I've never had any problems with it, very versatile, except that I wouldnt use it on anything painted. NT |
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On 26 Apr 2005 12:19:51 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote:
Phil Addison wrote: On 26 Apr 2005 04:47:42 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote: Liquid soaps: Most goods sold as liquid soaps are not, they are in nearly every case sodium lauryl ethyl sulphate, aka Too much emphasis on chemical name. only mentioned it once. IMHO it needs to be there because IME people will always say 'ah yeah but its not in my superfancy luxury shampoo.' They need to see for themselves that it is, and learn that its by no means the best for the job. Much better in FAQ2 now that there is into before these big chemi names hit the reader. - white spirit: very irritant to skin, very slow to One of my staples. Wouldn't be without it for getting rid off gooey residues. can you tell us specifically what it removes? I've never got anywhere with it. I find its terrible on skin, some people get big red painful areas from it, takes weeks to clear up. Specifically it lifts dried on self adhesive labels; the ones that you can't even scrape off without a struggle. Wet the label with it and leave a few minutes, it will then peel off and you wipe the residue away with a rag wetted with white spirit (anyone know what it is chemically?). Do you mean Jizer, as sold for engine cleaning? Very efficient for in situ engine cleaning. Spray it on with garden sprayer, leave a while then hose down (it's water soluble) perhaps with pressure washer! no idea: would that not be soda? No. It is a petrochemical type thin liquid, sold in motor accessory shops as engine cleaner degreaser. Same as "Gunk" which does not seem to be around anymore, at least in my area. It leaves the dirty oily dirt in a state where it can be hosed off. It is water soluble. If I have time before going away will look to see if label has more info. - bath brick: strong abrasive suited only to unfinished cast iron Is that same as lava stone? If so, it's used for scrubbing hard skin off feet. not pumice, but undercooked brick. Similar. No longer fashionable. Yes, I meant pumice-stone block. Definitely not fashionable. I believe the (conductive?) 'black' in the newsprint neutralises any static charge meaning that you don't finish up with the glass covered in tiny dust particles. In my experience crumpled newspaper is the *only* way of adequately cleaning glass prior to picture framing. not heard that explanation before. I was shown the technique in a "Framers Workshop". That's a workshop around here where you use their workshop and equipment to frame your own pictures. You just pay for the glass and frame you use - they advise and help you do it - quite brilliant. Mrs Beeton: possibly the most famous writer on this Is she out of copyright now? I presume so, she was publishing books a century ago. I meant that if so you could lift some of it. Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/ The Google uk.d-i-y archive is at http://tinyurl.com/65kwq Remove NOSPAM from address to email me |
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In article ,
Phil Addison writes: On 26 Apr 2005 12:19:51 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote: Phil Addison wrote: On 26 Apr 2005 04:47:42 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote: Liquid soaps: Most goods sold as liquid soaps are not, they are in nearly every case sodium lauryl ethyl sulphate, aka Too much emphasis on chemical name. only mentioned it once. IMHO it needs to be there because IME people will always say 'ah yeah but its not in my superfancy luxury shampoo.' They need to see for themselves that it is, and learn that its by no means the best for the job. Much better in FAQ2 now that there is into before these big chemi names hit the reader. - white spirit: very irritant to skin, very slow to One of my staples. Wouldn't be without it for getting rid off gooey residues. can you tell us specifically what it removes? I've never got anywhere with it. I find its terrible on skin, some people get big red painful areas from it, takes weeks to clear up. Sounds like some sort of super-sensitivity to it, which can happen with some people for just about any chemical you choose to pick. I and others I know do get it on us at times without any noticable affect at all. Actually, I used to use it to wash dirty oil and tar off my hands after fixing my car many years ago, although I probably wouldn't do that nowadays. Specifically it lifts dried on self adhesive labels; the ones that you can't even scrape off without a struggle. Wet the label with it and leave a few minutes, it will then peel off and you wipe the residue away with a rag wetted with white spirit (anyone know what it is chemically?). There seem to be two types of label sticky in common use. One is softened by water, and the other with white spirit. In both cases, the sticky fails to soften much with the 'other'. Mrs Beeton: possibly the most famous writer on this Is she out of copyright now? I presume so, she was publishing books a century ago. Actually, Mr Beeton compiled it and wrote most of it. He knew it would sell better in his wife's name though. ;-) -- Andrew Gabriel |
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On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:43:24 GMT, in uk.d-i-y Phil Addison
wrote: Do you mean Jizer, as sold for engine cleaning? Very efficient for in situ engine cleaning. Spray it on with garden sprayer, leave a while then hose down (it's water soluble) perhaps with pressure washer! no idea: would that not be soda? No. It is a petrochemical type thin liquid, sold in motor accessory shops as engine cleaner degreaser. Same as "Gunk" which does not seem to be around anymore, at least in my area. It leaves the dirty oily dirt in a state where it can be hosed off. It is water soluble. If I have time before going away will look to see if label has more info. http://www.h-e-d.co.uk/debJizer.htm made by Deb Products Ltd Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/ The Google uk.d-i-y archive is at http://tinyurl.com/65kwq Remove NOSPAM from address to email me |
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On 27 Apr 2005 08:40:42 +0100, Peter Riocreux
wrote: I don't know if this comment is based on experience or prejudice, but IME it works just fine as a dishwashing detergent. Experience, and the reports from a team of workers who have to use it at one commercial site. -- Peter Parry. http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/ |
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Phil Addison wrote:
On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:43:24 GMT, in uk.d-i-y Phil Addison wrote: re jizer: If I have time before going away will look to see if label has more info. http://www.h-e-d.co.uk/debJizer.htm made by Deb Products Ltd thanks, I now have at least a rough idea of what it is, oily solvents. Paraffin or diesel would do similar job, those are the traditional options for vehicle degreasing, and than steam cleaning. Emulsify them in water and the resulting muck might even be water suspendable. NT |
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On 27 Apr 2005 08:22:07 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote:
Phil Addison wrote: On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:43:24 GMT, in uk.d-i-y Phil Addison wrote: re jizer: If I have time before going away will look to see if label has more info. http://www.h-e-d.co.uk/debJizer.htm made by Deb Products Ltd thanks, I now have at least a rough idea of what it is, oily solvents. Paraffin or diesel would do similar job, those are the traditional options for vehicle degreasing, and than steam cleaning. Emulsify them in water and the resulting muck might even be water suspendable. Its ages since I've used paraffin but I'm sure Jizer is a lot different, not least in that after rinsing off the parts dry clean, whereas paraffin IIRC leaves a greasy film. Anyone that does car oily car repairs would be well advised to give it a try. I also use it as a cleaning bath for smaller dismantled car parts. I don't have a steam cleaner big enough for car steaming so can't comment on that. RS have more description here http://tinyurl.com/e467h, also seems a bit cheaper. Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/ The Google uk.d-i-y archive is at http://tinyurl.com/65kwq Remove NOSPAM from address to email me |
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On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 17:19:35 GMT, in uk.d-i-y Phil Addison
wrote: On 27 Apr 2005 08:22:07 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote: Phil Addison wrote: On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:43:24 GMT, in uk.d-i-y Phil Addison wrote: re jizer: If I have time before going away will look to see if label has more info. http://www.h-e-d.co.uk/debJizer.htm made by Deb Products Ltd thanks, I now have at least a rough idea of what it is, oily solvents. Paraffin or diesel would do similar job, those are the traditional options for vehicle degreasing, and than steam cleaning. Emulsify them in water and the resulting muck might even be water suspendable. Its ages since I've used paraffin but I'm sure Jizer is a lot different, not least in that after rinsing off the parts dry clean, whereas paraffin IIRC leaves a greasy film. Anyone that does car oily car repairs would be well advised to give it a try. I also use it as a cleaning bath for smaller dismantled car parts. I don't have a steam cleaner big enough for car steaming so can't comment on that. RS have more description here http://tinyurl.com/e467h, also seems a bit cheaper. I've checked the label and find the current one I have is a different brand but the same principle as Jizer. It is Hyperclean from Comma Oils http://www.commaoil.com/Product%20Pa...hyperclean.htm Not much of a description on their site (and valeting - well really!) but I have the 1 litre can which still has the shop sticker on it at £3.49. Spraying it on with a garden spraybar is quite economical and easy to reach around (and under) the sump. It does clear that thick sludge quite well. Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/ The Google uk.d-i-y archive is at http://tinyurl.com/65kwq Remove NOSPAM from address to email me |
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raden wrote:
I've prolly got some safety data sheets on some of these, is it worth including some relevant bits ? (or maybe the RS site has a library of them) I would assume there would be details and instructions on the product container, unless it were 30 years old. Maybe if this is online it could be linked to, since it gives more info on each specific chemical: what do you think? NT |
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Cleaners and Detergents FAQ v3
------------------------------ Contents: --------- Detergents and soaps Solvents Oils Abrasives bleaches spray and wipe cleaners Limescale removers specialist cleaners alkalis Water cleaners Stains Less likely candidates More information Detergents and soaps -------------------- Cheapo washing up liquid: probably the fastest detergent, but the least powerful. Removes most things, very quickly. 15p/litre. It is simply liquid soap. Dries skin. Will wash clothes in 2 minutes in cold water, but can not remove everything, so not recommended for continued use. Its speed makes it useful for washing carpets, where it saves much labour. Liquid soaps: Almost all products sold as liquid soaps are really a detergent called sodium lauryl ethyl sulphate, aka sodium laureth sulphate. This is a nearly universal low cost human cleaning detergent. It is very mildly irritant, mildly skin drying, very cheap to make, and although not currently receiving much publicity, there have been concerns about its toxicity. Nearly all commercial skin washes and shampoos contain it, regardless of price, brand, marketing, etc. Such products are not well suited to general cleaning since they contain oils and fats, and are a relatively high price per litre. Quality washing up liquids: much better to skin than the cheapie ones, remove more types of dirt. But not as fast acting as the low cost soap type. Ecover washing up liquid: much better on skin than other washing liquids. Can strip some household paints. Non toxic. Can also be used as body wash and shampoo: mix a very little vegetable oil in for drier skin and hair. Palm oil and castor oil are favoured for hair. (Engine oil is superb on hair, as many mechanics have found, but not advisable due to possible toxicity. Engine oils were once castor oil, so there is some similarity between the 2.) Washing powder: more powerful than washing liquids, effective degreasing with hot water. Alkaline. More drying and irritant to skin than any washing up liquid. Biological powders also contain enzymes to improve their cleaning action at 40C, but the enzymes stop working at hotter temps. Most contain various additives such as optical brighteners etc, and powdered cardboard filler. An overnight soak with bio powder can remove a wide range of stains and organic materials, so is a good first line of treatment for unknown stains. Washing powder tablets: take time to dissolve, thus give less cleaning time than powders. Also some brands fail to dissolve in time, giving poor washes, and clothes with a residue of washing powder, which can irritate skin. Dishwasher detergent, powders and tablets: most powerful detergent, alkaline, requires hot water to work, the most irritant detergent to skin. Skin contact best avoided. Dishwasher detergent, liquid: I know nowt about em. Wonder / miracle / magic cleaners / stain removers: ordinary detergents sold at steep prices. Stain removers designed for a limited range of stains are a different thing to these general purpose wonder bars. Soap bars: Soap intended for skin cleaning is normally superfatted, meaning it contains free fat. This makes it poorly suited to general household cleaning, and so outside the scope of this FAQ. In poorer countries a wider variety of soaps are found, with bars for household cleaning, shampooing, laundry etc, but these are not so often seen in Britain. If you want to find them, look for them at Indian supermarkets. They are often sold in big bars a foot or so long, and you slice off a new soap bar when you need one. The colours indicate which type of soap it is. They make very economical cleaners, but are not widely available, not widely used, and better cleaning products are now available. Soaps may be used for cleaning gold and silver jewellery. Sugar soap: A soap, it has nothing to do with sugar, and is definitely not edible. Used primarily to clean paintwork, as traces of this soap don't affect houseold paints. Other soaps may be used instead so long as theyre rinsed off properly. Washing painted walls is often an effective way to rejuvenate them and avoid the need to repaint. Little paint chips can be filled in with fresh paint of the same or very slightly duller colour. It is important not to use a brighter shade, nor to let new paint overlap the edges of the chipped area at all. This method can often make a tatty wall look good again in 60-90 minutes. Best detergents for general use: if we must pick one for all uses, it would have to be a mixture of cheap soap washing up liquid and biological washing powder. This mix gives both speed and thoroughness, as well as a wide array of stain removers all in one. Solvents -------- Many solvents are volatile, flammable, explosive, toxic, melt plastics, and/or act as drugs. Ensure good ventilation. White spirit: aka turps substitute. Petroleum distillates. Slow to evaporate. Dissolves un-set oil based (gloss) paints and uncured epoxy resin. Lifts dried on self adhesive labels: wet the label with it and wait a few minutes, then peel off and wipe the residue away with a rag wetted with white spirit. Safe on most plastics, but denature latex rubber gloves. 1,1,1 trichloroethylene: aka spot dry cleaner, tippex thinner. No longer sold, but still in many cupboards. Adequate ventilation essential. Never place dry cleaned goods in a closed car. Alcohol: degreaser. Aka surgical spirit, rubbing alcohol, methylated spirits, ethanol, ethyl alcohol. Meths leaves purple dye residue behind after it evaporates. Removes fresh ballpoint ink. Isopropyl alcohol: aka isopropanol. Almost identical properties to alcohol. Screen wash, head cleaner. Paraffin: very slow to evaporate, repels insects, dissolves oils. One of the safer solvents. Good for degreasing vehicle underneaths and engine compartments. Apply with a brush, brush off. Where its flammabilitiy is a problem, clean up afterwards with soap and hot water, or a pressure washer. Lamp oil is a lower odour form of paraffin. Diesel: Vehicle and parts degreaser similar to paraffin. One of the least flammable petrochemicals: a naked flame will usually not light it. Acetone, aka nail varnish remover: dissolves polyurethane (squirt can) foam. Dissolves perspex and can be used to solvent weld it. Nail varnish may contain other ingredients. Cellulose thinners: a powerful mix of solvents, often used when other solvents have failed. Removes tar. Nitromethane: aka cyanoacrylate debonder, dissolves superglue Nitromors: Methylene chloride, paint and varnish stripper. Produces fumes Turpentine and turps substitute: gloss/eggshell/oil paint solvents. Turps substitute is white spirit. Petrol: flammable, explosive, fumes can produce intense headaches. Not recommended for indoor use. Lighter fluid: petroleum distillates again. More volatile than paraffin, diesel or white spirit. Removes many glues. In common with most petrochemicals, the vapour can form an explosive mixture with air, so it should only be used in very small quantities, with ventilation, and cotton buds etc with it on should be disposed of outside, not indoors. Orange oil: aka limonene, Sticky stuff remover. A solvent oil. Carbon tetrachloride: powerful general purpose solvent, narcotic, now banned from domestic use due to toxicity. Pipe weld solvent: Oils ---- Penetrating oil: oil and solvent mix, helps to free rusted parts, dissolves oils and greases, leaves an oil film behind which attracts dirt. Penetrating oils make second rate lubricants. WD40: a penetrating oil mix, repels water. Olbas oil: a solvent plant oil mixture. removes ballpoint ink, paint, varnish, wax. Available from superdrug, boots, supemarkets etc. Strong but pleasant smell. To remove ballpoint ink, apply the oil to a cotton bud and wipe the stain with it. Clove oil: strips paint, irritant, use diluted with oil or soap and water. Available from superdrug, boots etc. Similar actions to olbas oil. Abrasives --------- - plastic scouring pads - metal scourers - Ajax: abrasive powder and bleach, once popular as toilet cleaner - bath brick: strong abrasive suited only to unfinished cast iron. Not often used. - sand: ditto. Also sand blasting strips paint and rust - melamine sponge, aka flash cleaning block: - wire wool pads: suited only to unfinished cast iron, damages all modern surfaces and finishes. Effective rust remover for cutlery, but will scratch and mark the metal. Causes metal splinters. - scrapers and razor blades: simple mechanical cleaners mostly used on glass. Can permanently mark the glass. Do not use on toughened glass. - brass wire brush: for cleaning suede and soiled clothes. Causes damage with just one use, so use as little as possible. - pumice: used for removing hard skin and cleaning obstinate marks from skin. It does this by scraping the skin surface. This tends to promote the formation of thick hard skin. It is perhaps ironic that this is what it is mainly used to treat. - metal balls: used to clean inaccessible places, eg very narrow necked vases etc. Insert balls and cleaning liquid, whizz them around, and remove balls. More versatile than bottle brushes, but less effective. Bleaches: --------- Bleaches sterilise and remove the dirt's colour, but don't remove the dirt. The remaining bleached dirt acts as a lodging place for more dirt, hence items cleaned only with bleach get dirty quickly. Bleaches are useful when all other attempts to remove the dirt have failed. Chlorine bleach: the most common household bleach. Irritant to lungs, exacerbates asthma. Contact with acids releases toxic chlorine gas (chlorine was much used for chemical warfare in WW1). Discolours and damages many fabrics, particularly natural fabrics and natural dyes. A mild environmental toxin. Kills bacteria and moulds. Thick bleach is not a stronger bleach mix, it is bleach plus detergent. You can thus make it yourself for a fraction the cost, but only if you know which detergents are safe with bleach and which are not. I use the cheapie washing up liquid with it if I ever want thick bleach, but there is no guarantee against an acid formula being sold in future, so I cannot assure you of its safety in every case. If you ever encounter unpleasant or choking fumes from bleach, leave the building immediately. Do not wait to work out what happened, people have died that way. Oxygen bleach: aka hydrogen peroxide, avoids all the downsides of chlorine bleaches, and does not discolour fabrics. Oxygen bleach can be used in laundry. Not as powerful as chlorine bleach, and not such an effective antibacterial. Sun and soap: soaping clothes and hanging them in sunlight while wet can bleach discolouration not removed by chlorine or oxygen bleaches. It is a slower process, taking many hours. The clothes should be kept wet or damp. The uv in sunlight also has a sterilising effect. Spray and wipe cleaners: ------------------------ Quick and easy hard surface cleaners. Produce noxious fumes. Contain ammonia. Limescale removers: ------------------- Limescale removers are all acids. Many are potentially dangerous and should be treated with some care. Many will attack metals, skin, cloth, and so on. They are here listed from weakest to strongest. The first 2 are safe to handle, and eat if pure, but the others are not, and skin should be rinsed if contact occurs. Never use acids and bleach together, as toxic chlorine gas is produced. Citric acid: weak limescale remover. Requires hot water, preferably boiling, and long immersion time. Only effective on thin layers of scale. A common food additive. Available from any chemist, typically at a fraction of the price of brand name supermarket descalers. Multipurpose appliance descalers are normally citric acid, since its safe on such a wide range of materials. Citric is also used for washing machine descaling, but is not altogether effective. Vinegar: good for minor descaling of taps. Restores shine. Heat the tap first with boiling water. Wash any remaining vinegar off after the job is done. Distilled vinegar is stronger than wine and cider vinegars. Phosphoric acid: used in some acid products. Sulphamic acid: the most popular acid in limescale removing toilet cleaners. Sulphuric acid: stronger than sulphamic but costs more. Hydrochloric acid: powerful and fast. Stomach acid is 0.2-0.3% hydrochloric acid, and can digest a wide range of substances. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, metal, mortars, lime paints, and tile grout. One of the higher risk cleaners, follow instructions with care. Effective at removing scale / watermarks from glass, but care must be taken to keep it off the metal, wood etc. This can be done by using toilet cleaner, which is thickened, and wiping it on the glass very thinly, as just a smear, and washing off well afterwards. Specialist cleaners ------------------- - wax based paint cleaners etc - Brick acid: aka patio cleaner. Hydrochloric acid cleaner/etcher for concrete and brick. Eats concrete and mortar, damages a brick's fireskin, very fast toilet limescale remover, dangerous to skin and eyes. - oxalic acid, also sold as patio cleaner: non-etching concrete and brick cleaner. Toxic. Less powerful than the acid type, but does not damage the items being cleaned. Toxic residues should be washed away with plenty of water. - fuller's earth: dry powder sometimes used to clean very delicate items such as baby animal skin gloves. It is a dry absorbent. Some brands of cat litter are fuller's earth. - Jizer - dissolves greasy engine deposits, can then be washed off with water. - vinegar: cleans and resurfaces copper by etching the surface off, leaving fresh clean copper. The liquid runoff is toxic if eaten. Diluted vinegar is also an old favourite for cleaning glass, best applied with newspaper rather than cloth. - saliva: still the best cleaner for fine art oil paintings, but not available in litre bottles - ammonia: used for cleaning jewellery - Autoglym glass cleaner: one of the best commercial glass cleaner preparations, but pricey. From car accessory shops. - jewellery dips - Brasso - Silvo: converts tarnished silver back to silver. - stain devils for ballpoint ink: I had no result with it at all. Olbas oil was quick and effective. Stain devil not recommended. - Coke: coca cola and pepsi contain dilute phosphoric acid, which will clean.... what? Milk: cleans leather Hartshorn powder: used to clean silver plate. Wipe a hartshorn and water paste onto the silver, allow to dry, and brush off. Alcohol in the paste will help to remove tarnish. Alkalis ------- The stronger alkalis can cause serious eye injury. The damage takes time to occur, so may not prompt a person to seek medical assistance. In the worst cases blindness can result. Use eye protection. Do not mix alkalis with acids, rapid reactions may occur, spitting acid or alkali. - caustic soda: strong alkali, cleans ovens, unblocks drains. Toxic, irritant, can cause serious eye injury. One of the high risk cleaners, follow instructions with care. It is important to add crystals to water gradually, and never the other way round. Use rubber gloves, plastic apron, goggles. Again proprietary stuff with added 'cling' is probably more effective. - washing soda: degreases when used with boiling water. For clothes and drain unblocking. The majority of drain blockages are mostly solidified fat. Discolours aluminium. - sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda - a mild safe alkali, with many uses: For brushing teeth Removes tea and coffee stains Reduces laundry odour: add to final rinse Removes black scuff marks from floors Cleans fibreglass baths Freshens sour dishcloths: soak in water and bicarb Deodorises laundry awaiting washing: sprinkle in the basket. Removes crayon marks: use a brush and soda paste. Water cleaners: --------------- Pressure washers: The pressure of these can sometimes be enough to go through skin. Effective on very hardy materials eg concrete or brick paths. Can damage brickwork when used repeatedly. Can remove paint in some cases. Good for cleaning undersides of cars etc, as long as excessive pressure is avoided. The one caveat is that water on brake pads makes them not work. (I once got water on all 4 at once: thankfully I never got out of the car park!) Pressure washer FAQ link. Steam cleaners: Effective at removing some types of dirt, ineffective for many as well. Useful for some jobs, but not for general purpose cleaning. Heat damages some materials, minor risk of burn injuries. Removes nicotine, wallpaper, grease, Small marks can be steam cleaned with a kettle or pan of water. Beware, steam burns badly. Lance: A lance on the end of a hose can remove a lot of dirt from paths, drives, patios, cars etc. However performance does not compare to pressure washers, which boost the water pressure considerably. Stains: ------- Firstly the general purpose stain removers: Washing powder: the most versatile stain remover is biological washing powder. Soak the stain overnight. Bleach: will remove many stains, but discolours and rots natural fabrics and dyes. Dry cleaning solvents: will remove many stains from most fabrics and hard surfaces Cellulose thinners: dissolve many things - might dissolve what youre trying to clean though Ballpoint pen ink: - alcohol - olbas oil Blood: - soak in biological washing powder in cold water (I think! not sure) Chewing gum on carpet: - fill a bag with ice cubes, add a tablespoon of salt, and use the bag to freeze the gum. The gum will now break apart. Cup ring marks: - clean with bio washing powder Egg: - always use cold water to wash egg off, heat will set it in place. Epoxy resin - white spirit - it will peel off with a fingernail from some surfaces - or pare it down with a knife Foam, polyurethane squirty type: - acetone Fruit: - salt water, according to Mrs Beeton. Grease marks: - wipe/rub with paraffin or dry a cleaning solvent. - wash with hot water and washing powder - wash with boiling water and washing soda - dishwashers are powerful degreasing machines for any items not admaged by the heat or detergent. - Mrs Beeton recommends: purified bullocks blood, absorbent pastes, and even common soap, are applied to the spot when dry. When the colours are not fast, use fuller's-earth or pulverized potter's-clay, laid in a layer over the spot, and press it with a very hot iron Label adhesive, from self adhesive labels: - wet with water, let soak a few minutes, peel or rub off. - wet the label with white spirit and wait a few minutes. Peel off any remaining label. Wipe the residue away with a rag wetted with white spirit. Limescale: - see the limescale section Nicotine - steam cleaning Paint, emulsion: - if unset, water and washing powder or washing up liquid, and rub with a cloth. Several water changes may be needed. - if set but soft: soak in dilute ecover overnight, then rub and wash repeatedly. - if set and hard: first, break the paint up, this will often remove a lot of it. A kitchen knife can do this. Then use a suede brush to remove the remains. Suede brushes do damage fabric, so take care to only brush exactly where the paint is. - oil type paint removers may soften the paint and allow it to be washed out by machine - if all else fails, small paint marks can often be successfully disguised temporarily with a fine tipped black marker pen, or permanently with a button, brooch, patch, decorative motif, etc. Paint, lime: - hot water and washing powder - acids Paint, oil based gloss: - white spirit Plastic glue: - acetone ****: - biological washing powder Superglue: - cyanoacrylate debonder, nitromethane Stubborn stains: - an overnight soak in bio washing powder solution frequently works. - cellulose thinners will remove a lot of stains, but also damage some things. Tea & coffee - soak overnight in bio washing powder - soak in bicarb solution Toilet scale: - limescale removing toilet cleaner, ideally containing hydrochloric acid. HCl is by far the most effective. It will need applying several times if the amount of scaling is significant. Unknown stains: - Use the general purpose stain treatments above, starting with an overnight soak in biological washing powder. Varnish: - paint strippers - olbas oil - while still wet, water and detergent for water based, or white spirit for spirit based Vehicle grease and dirt: see grease wax: - apply blotting paper, iron. Repeat. The paper soaks up the molten wax. - wash in boiling water with dishwasher detergent - alcohol - olbas oil Wine: - washing powder - white grape juice can loosen red wine stains, then wash with washing powder. Yellowed cotton: - bleach sometimes works. If not: - dip in soapy water, hang in the sun while wet. Allow a day or 2, and keep it moist. Very effective, though slow. Less likely candidates: ----------------------- Some cleaners are just best avoided... Blood: Mrs Beeton recommends purified bullocks blood for removing grease spots. Saliva: While not one of the favourite household cleaners, its fairly effective, and is used in quite a few households. Next time you visit your friend, see if you can work out what has been drool cleaned. Fire is also used as an occasional specialist cleaner, but not recomended for general household use. Glo-fuel for model aircraft: various different formulae exist, containing methanol, oils, solvents such as ether, etc. Glo-fuel is highly volatile, highly flammable, explosive, very toxic, narcotic, containes ether which is an early and rather risky general anaesthetic from the Victorian era, and the fumes can be fatal. A powerful solvent, but the negative outcomes may somewhat outweigh the benefits. ****: yes, dirt itself is recommended for cleaning by.... Mrs Beeton again. To clean the char off scorched linen, she recommends: 1/2 pint of vinegar, 2 oz. of fuller's-earth, 1 oz. of dried fowls' dung, 1/2 oz. of soap, and the juice of 2 large onions. Thank god for the onions. Mercury: Used in cleaning powders for silver in Victorian times. Mercury vapour is quite toxic, and the mercury makes the silver weak and brittle. More information: ----------------- Mrs Beeton: possibly the most famous writer on this subject, she produced a series of household guidance books a century ago, which include a thorough section on cleaning materials and methods. Available in any second hand book store, and reproduced online. Many materials discussed in the book are outdated, but there is lots of useful stain removal information, and lots of cooking recipes. Remaining Questions: -------------------- Where does cream cleaner fit into this list? Other stain devils and similar? What does coke clean or do? What else do steam cleaners remove or do? |
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#21
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sorry, bit cryptic comments, out of time.
On 28 Apr 2005 13:24:07 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote: White spirit: aka turps substitute. Petroleum distillates. Slow to evaporate. Dissolves un-set oil based (gloss) paints and uncured epoxy resin. Lifts dried on self adhesive labels: wet the label with it and wait a few minutes, then peel off and wipe the residue away with a rag wetted with white spirit. Its also been said on here that warming with a hair dryer lifts these labels Acetone, aka nail varnish remover: This is dangerous wording as it will encourage people to use it instead. The remover *contains* acetone - not the same thing. Lighter fluid: Used by philatelists to make water marks on stamps visible. Oils and lubricants? What about silicone grease as used for assembling rubbery things, and compression polypipe fittings Spray on silicone for lubricating curtain runners (and other plastic moving parts) 3-in-1 oil - more of a penetrating oil - metal scourers You missed my stainless steel one. Its made by Spondex. Under dishwasher detergent - add that it corrodes some steel cutlery, makes glass go cloudy? - metal balls: aka ball bearings? Chlorine bleach: Is it bleach + toilet cleaners (the acid them) that generates HCN(?) cyanide gas (or is it chlorine?), hence the warnings not to do it on the containers. If so prob worth restating it here (as well as under limescale). Spray and wipe cleaners: ------------------------ Quick and easy hard surface cleaners. Produce noxious fumes. Contain ammonia. Really? never noticed that. - Jizer - and similar such as Hyperclean (Comma Oils) The liquid runoff is toxic if eaten. drunk surely. Ingested better. - saliva: still the best cleaner for fine art oil paintings, but not available in litre bottles No its not. It might work, at your risk, but certainly not the best. - Autoglym glass cleaner: one of the best commercial glass cleaner preparations, but pricey. From car accessory shops. Eh? Autoglym is a cutting/polishing paste for restoring paintwork. An up market t-cut. - Silvo: converts tarnished silver back to silver. Nope, that's the dip. Silvo and brasso are both abrasive cleaners. Hartshorn powder: used to clean silver plate. Wipe a hartshorn and water paste onto the silver, allow to dry, and brush off. Alcohol in the paste will help to remove tarnish. maybe that's what is in Silvo. - caustic soda: strong alkali, cleans ovens, unblocks drains. Toxic, irritant, can cause serious eye injury. One of the high risk cleaners, follow instructions with care. It is important to add crystals to water gradually, and never the other way round. Use rubber gloves, plastic apron, goggles. Again proprietary stuff with added 'cling' is probably more effective. last sentence belongs elsewhere - washing soda: degreases when used with boiling water. For clothes and drain unblocking. The majority of drain blockages are mostly solidified fat. Discolours aluminium. *Dissolves* aluminium generating H2. Didn't you do the milk top in washing soda experiment at school? Milton - mild bleach used for sterilising baby's bottles etc Steam... Removes nicotine, only from smooth surfaces as per my post. ie won't get it off your fingers. don't try! Stains: act quickly before they set in Blood: - soak in biological washing powder in cold water (I think! not sure) yes (probably). also if you just rinse it off before it dries it wont stain in the first place. Chewing gum on carpet: - fill a bag with ice cubes, add a tablespoon of salt, and use the bag to freeze the gum. The gum will now break apart. so if its on smaller items, put it in freezer? Cup ring marks: - clean with bio washing powder Proprietary "ring-away" works well. Grease marks: - wipe/rub with paraffin or dry a cleaning solvent. - wash with hot water and washing powder - wash with boiling water and washing soda - dishwashers are powerful degreasing machines for any items not admaged by the heat or detergent. put absorbent cloth over grease mark and warm with an iron. I think this is standard advice for candle grease. Paint, emulsion: was once posted here that freezing hardens it then crumble off (as per chew gum) Glo-fuel for model aircraft: various different formulae exist, containing methanol, oils, solvents such as ether, etc. Glo-fuel is highly volatile, highly flammable, explosive, very toxic, narcotic, containes ether which is an early and rather risky general anaesthetic from the Victorian era, and the fumes can be fatal. A powerful solvent, for what? but the negative outcomes may somewhat outweigh the benefits. ****: Do we have to use the vernacular? Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/ The Google uk.d-i-y archive is at http://tinyurl.com/65kwq Remove NOSPAM from address to email me |
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#22
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Phil Addison wrote:
I've checked the label and find the current one I have is a different brand but the same principle as Jizer. It is Hyperclean from Comma Oils http://www.commaoil.com/Product%20Pa...hyperclean.htm Not much of a description on their site (and valeting - well really!) but I have the 1 litre can which still has the shop sticker on it at =A33.49. Spraying it on with a garden spraybar is quite economical and easy to reach around (and under) the sump. It does clear that thick sludge quite well. Phil thanks, added it to the list. Hopefully the humour section will make it a bit more readable too. NT |
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#23
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Phil Addison wrote:
sorry, bit cryptic comments, out of time. And a few more comments-on-comments... Acetone, aka nail varnish remover: This is dangerous wording as it will encourage people to use it instead. The remover *contains* acetone - not the same thing. Most nail varnish removers now contain oil, so will make the cleaning problem worse. Chlorine bleach: Is it bleach + toilet cleaners (the acid them) that generates HCN(?) cyanide gas (or is it chlorine?), hence the warnings not to do it on the containers. If so prob worth restating it here (as well as under limescale). They generate chlorine gas. "Cyanide" is an urban myth. Chewing gum on carpet: - fill a bag with ice cubes, add a tablespoon of salt, and use the bag to freeze the gum. The gum will now break apart. so if its on smaller items, put it in freezer? For the carpet, an electronics freezer spray (Maplin, Rapid Electronics, Farnell, RS etc) is much more effective than an ice bag. Paint, emulsion: was once posted here that freezing hardens it then crumble off (as per chew gum) Same applies. -- Ian White |
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#24
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In article ,
Phil Addison writes: Blood: - soak in biological washing powder in cold water (I think! not sure) yes (probably). also if you just rinse it off before it dries it wont stain in the first place. Plain soap and water will work for a while even after it dries. However, eventually the red blood cells break down releasing their iron, and that's much harder to remove. The thought just occured to me (although I've never tried it) that a rust remover such as phosphoric acid might work once that's happened. -- Andrew Gabriel |
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On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 08:59:58 +0100, in uk.d-i-y Ian White
wrote: Phil Addison wrote: sorry, bit cryptic comments, out of time. And a few more comments-on-comments... Chlorine bleach: Is it bleach + toilet cleaners (the acid them) that generates HCN(?) cyanide gas (or is it chlorine?), hence the warnings not to do it on the containers. If so prob worth restating it here (as well as under limescale). They generate chlorine gas. "Cyanide" is an urban myth. Its a fair cop, I stand corrected. Quite glad its not true. Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/ The Google uk.d-i-y archive is at http://tinyurl.com/65kwq Remove NOSPAM from address to email me |
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On 29 Apr 2005 09:22:36 GMT, in uk.d-i-y
(Andrew Gabriel) wrote: In article , Phil Addison writes: Blood: - soak in biological washing powder in cold water (I think! not sure) yes (probably). also if you just rinse it off before it dries it wont stain in the first place. Plain soap and water will work for a while even after it dries. However, eventually the red blood cells break down releasing their iron, and that's much harder to remove. The thought just occured to me (although I've never tried it) that a rust remover such as phosphoric acid might work once that's happened. I can't recall what it is, but I thought there was a chemical that removes rust stains. A reducer presumably; but that would leave iron which you say is hard to remove. Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/ The Google uk.d-i-y archive is at http://tinyurl.com/65kwq Remove NOSPAM from address to email me |
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#27
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In article ,
Phil Addison writes: On 29 Apr 2005 09:22:36 GMT, in uk.d-i-y (Andrew Gabriel) wrote: In article , Phil Addison writes: Blood: - soak in biological washing powder in cold water (I think! not sure) yes (probably). also if you just rinse it off before it dries it wont stain in the first place. Plain soap and water will work for a while even after it dries. However, eventually the red blood cells break down releasing their iron, and that's much harder to remove. The thought just occured to me (although I've never tried it) that a rust remover such as phosphoric acid might work once that's happened. I can't recall what it is, but I thought there was a chemical that removes rust stains. A reducer presumably; but that would leave iron which you say is hard to remove. Phosphoric acid removes rust -- I'm not sure what any stain might look like afterwards (maybe a large hole;-). As I said, I haven't tried it -- it only occured to me as I was typing the previous response. I might have some in gel form somewhere, and I can probably find an old blood stain which no longer washes out somewhere... -- Andrew Gabriel |
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#28
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On 29 Apr 2005 10:59:58 GMT, in uk.d-i-y
(Andrew Gabriel) wrote: In article , Phil Addison writes: On 29 Apr 2005 09:22:36 GMT, in uk.d-i-y (Andrew Gabriel) wrote: In article , Phil Addison writes: Blood: - soak in biological washing powder in cold water (I think! not sure) yes (probably). also if you just rinse it off before it dries it wont stain in the first place. Plain soap and water will work for a while even after it dries. However, eventually the red blood cells break down releasing their iron, and that's much harder to remove. The thought just occured to me (although I've never tried it) that a rust remover such as phosphoric acid might work once that's happened. I can't recall what it is, but I thought there was a chemical that removes rust stains. A reducer presumably; but that would leave iron which you say is hard to remove. Phosphoric acid removes rust -- I'm not sure what any stain might look like afterwards (maybe a large hole;-). As I said, I haven't Yes, but I was thinking of one that only removed the stain :-) Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/ The Google uk.d-i-y archive is at http://tinyurl.com/65kwq Remove NOSPAM from address to email me |
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#29
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Phil Addison wrote:
sorry, bit cryptic comments, out of time. On 28 Apr 2005 13:24:07 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote: newly incorporated material snipped Oils and lubricants? What about silicone grease as used for assembling rubbery things, and compression polypipe fittings Spray on silicone for lubricating curtain runners (and other plastic moving parts) 3-in-1 oil - more of a penetrating oil do those have cleaning uses? Under dishwasher detergent - add that it corrodes some steel cutlery, Are you thinking of old copper steel cutlery? Chlorine bleach: containers. If so prob worth restating it here (as well as under limescale). It is under the chlorine bleach entry, so maybe I'm misunderstanding you. Spray and wipe cleaners: Produce noxious fumes. Contain ammonia. Really? never noticed that. they add perfumes to try to disguise it as much as poss. The liquid runoff is toxic if eaten. drunk surely. Ingested better. I cant think of a scenario where someone is liable to drink it, but it is relatively easy for it to get into food. - saliva: still the best cleaner for fine art oil paintings, but not available in litre bottles No its not. It might work, at your risk, but certainly not the best. Its what a fine art restoration expert said, so maybe we need some good references. - Autoglym glass cleaner: one of the best commercial Eh? Autoglym is a cutting/polishing paste for restoring paintwork. An up market t-cut. autoglym is a brand name for a range of products. Hartshorn powder: used to clean silver plate. Wipe a hartshorn and water paste onto the silver, allow to dry, and brush off. Alcohol in the paste will help to remove tarnish. maybe that's what is in Silvo. .... or autoglym? - caustic soda: strong alkali, cleans ovens, unblocks drains. Toxic, irritant, can cause serious eye injury. One of the high risk cleaners, follow instructions with care. It is important to add crystals to water gradually, and never the other way round. Use rubber gloves, plastic apron, goggles. Again proprietary stuff with added 'cling' is probably more effective. last sentence belongs elsewhere i dont understand - washing soda: degreases when used with boiling water. For clothes and drain unblocking. The majority of drain blockages are mostly solidified fat. Discolours aluminium. *Dissolves* aluminium generating H2. Didn't you do the milk top in washing soda experiment at school? ok, will try again there. I used w soda in an aluminium machine for 10 years with no problem, so need to convey the right level of dissolve. Glo-fuel for model aircraft: various different formulae exist, containing methanol, oils, solvents such as ether, etc. Glo-fuel is highly volatile, highly flammable, explosive, very toxic, narcotic, containes ether which is an early and rather risky general anaesthetic from the Victorian era, and the fumes can be fatal. A powerful solvent, for what? everything, anything, brains, liver... ****: Do we have to use the vernacular? its just what it is: a better suggestion? Turd? I'll try that cheers, NT |
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#30
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On 29 Apr 2005 04:48:04 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote:
Phil Addison wrote: sorry, bit cryptic comments, out of time. On 28 Apr 2005 13:24:07 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote: newly incorporated material snipped Oils and lubricants? What about silicone grease as used for assembling rubbery things, and compression polypipe fittings Spray on silicone for lubricating curtain runners (and other plastic moving parts) 3-in-1 oil - more of a penetrating oil do those have cleaning uses? OK, perhaps not appropriate. Under dishwasher detergent - add that it corrodes some steel cutlery, Are you thinking of old copper steel cutlery? Dunno - whatever some of ours is made of, they have got pits in them. Chlorine bleach: containers. If so prob worth restating it here (as well as under limescale). It is under the chlorine bleach entry, so maybe I'm misunderstanding you. Yes, saw that after. Some duplication there? Spray and wipe cleaners: Produce noxious fumes. Contain ammonia. Really? never noticed that. they add perfumes to try to disguise it as much as poss. ok The liquid runoff is toxic if eaten. drunk surely. Ingested better. I cant think of a scenario where someone is liable to drink it, but it is relatively easy for it to get into food. Oh - ISWYM. However, I did say I am commenting from POV of 'ignorant' reader (not difficult;-) so think it needs clarifying - it sounds wierd as written. - saliva: still the best cleaner for fine art oil paintings, but not available in litre bottles No its not. It might work, at your risk, but certainly not the best. Its what a fine art restoration expert said, so maybe we need some good references. Maybe he meant 'next' best if you don't have proper restorers facilities? My cousin is a restorer, but won't see him for at 3 weeks. - Autoglym glass cleaner: one of the best commercial Eh? Autoglym is a cutting/polishing paste for restoring paintwork. An up market t-cut. autoglym is a brand name for a range of products. OK, haven't come across the glass one. Hartshorn powder: used to clean silver plate. Wipe a hartshorn and water paste onto the silver, allow to dry, and brush off. Alcohol in the paste will help to remove tarnish. maybe that's what is in Silvo. ... or autoglym? - caustic soda: strong alkali, cleans ovens, unblocks drains. Toxic, irritant, can cause serious eye injury. One of the high risk cleaners, follow instructions with care. It is important to add crystals to water gradually, and never the other way round. Use rubber gloves, plastic apron, goggles. Again proprietary stuff with added 'cling' is probably more effective. last sentence belongs elsewhere i dont understand Just reading that para, the "Again proprietary stuff with added 'cling' is probably more effective" it does not seem to refer to anything. More effective than what? What is this proprietary stuff? What do you mean by 'added cling'? (I know, but don't assume readers will - otherwise there is no point in a FAQ if they already know!) - washing soda: degreases when used with boiling water. For clothes and drain unblocking. The majority of drain blockages are mostly solidified fat. Discolours aluminium. *Dissolves* aluminium generating H2. Didn't you do the milk top in washing soda experiment at school? ok, will try again there. I used w soda in an aluminium machine for 10 years with no problem, so need to convey the right level of dissolve. It causes pitting - obviously the level depends on many things. fact - it will dissolve the old ally foil milk bottle tops completely (if you can find any). Don't know effect on Al alloys. Glo-fuel for model aircraft: various different formulae exist, containing methanol, oils, solvents such as ether, etc. Glo-fuel is highly volatile, highly flammable, explosive, very toxic, narcotic, containes ether which is an early and rather risky general anaesthetic from the Victorian era, and the fumes can be fatal. A powerful solvent, for what? everything, anything, brains, liver... I still don't get it. Why are you mentioning this at all? Everything else you mention what its good for. AFAI (the ignorant reader) knows its only of use to aero-modellers. ****: Do we have to use the vernacular? its just what it is: a better suggestion? Turd? I'll try that cheers, NT Signing off for 2 weeks - have fun with it. Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/ The Google uk.d-i-y archive is at http://tinyurl.com/65kwq Remove NOSPAM from address to email me |
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Phil Addison wrote:
On 29 Apr 2005 04:48:04 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote: newly incorporated material snipped again Under dishwasher detergent - add that it corrodes some steel cutlery, Are you thinking of old copper steel cutlery? Dunno - whatever some of ours is made of, they have got pits in them. that also raises the q of whether its due to the detergent. I simply dont know. - saliva: still the best cleaner for fine art oil paintings, but not available in litre bottles No its not. It might work, at your risk, but certainly not the best. Its what a fine art restoration expert said, so maybe we need some good references. Maybe he meant 'next' best if you don't have proper restorers facilities? My cousin is a restorer, but won't see him for at 3 weeks. He was quite clear about it, saying it was still the best cleaner for the old oil paintings he was doing. He was restoring a huge collection of enormous paintings for an estate, so clearly at least someone thinks hes an expert - but thats about all I know. Glo-fuel for model aircraft: various different formulae exist, containing methanol, oils, solvents such as ether, etc. Glo-fuel is highly volatile, highly flammable, explosive, very toxic, narcotic, containes ether which is an early and rather risky general anaesthetic from the Victorian era, and the fumes can be fatal. A powerful solvent, for what? everything, anything, brains, liver... I still don't get it. Why are you mentioning this at all? Everything else you mention what its good for. AFAI (the ignorant reader) knows its only of use to aero-modellers. Its the humour section. It isnt good for anything, as its just too dangerous. a mixture like that will dissolve all sorts, but what exactly seems moot. Life is more important than cleaning. Signing off for 2 weeks - have fun with it. you too NT |
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Cleaners and Detergents FAQ v4
------------------------------ Contents: --------- Detergents and soaps Solvents Oils Abrasives bleaches spray and wipe cleaners Limescale removers specialist cleaners alkalis Water cleaners Stains Less likely candidates More information Detergents and soaps -------------------- Cheapo washing up liquid: probably the fastest detergent, but the least powerful. Removes most things, very quickly. 15p/litre. It is simply liquid soap. Dries skin. Will wash clothes in 2 minutes in cold water, but can not remove everything, so not recommended for continued use. Do not use it in washing machines. Its speed makes it useful for hand washing carpets, where it saves much labour. Liquid soaps: Almost all products sold as liquid soaps are really a detergent called sodium lauryl ethyl sulphate, aka sodium laureth sulphate. This is a nearly universal low cost human-cleaning detergent. It is very mildly irritant, mildly skin drying, very cheap to make, and although not currently receiving much publicity, there have been concerns about its toxicity. Nearly all commercial skin washes and shampoos contain it, regardless of price, brand, marketing, etc. Such products are not well suited to general cleaning since they contain oils and fats, and are a relatively high price per litre. Quality washing up liquids: much better to skin than the cheapie ones, remove more types of dirt. But not as fast acting as the low cost soap type. Ecover washing up liquid: much better on skin than other washing liquids. Can strip some household paints. Non toxic. Can also be used as body wash and shampoo: mix a very little vegetable oil in for drier skin and hair. Palm oil and castor oil are favoured for hair. (Engine oil is superb on hair, as many mechanics have found, but not advisable due to possible toxicity. Engine oils were once castor oil, so there is some similarity between the 2.) Washing powder: more powerful than washing liquids, effective degreasing with hot water. Alkaline. More drying and irritant to skin than any washing up liquid. Biological powders also contain enzymes to improve their cleaning action at 40C, but the enzymes stop working at higher temps. Most contain various additives such as optical brighteners etc, and powdered cardboard filler. An overnight soak with bio powder can remove a wide range of stains and organic materials, so is a good first line of treatment for unknown stains. Washing powder tablets: take time to dissolve, thus give less cleaning time than powders. Also some brands fail to dissolve in time, giving poor washes, and clothes with a residue of washing powder, which can irritate skin. Dishwasher detergent, powders and tablets: most powerful detergent, alkaline, requires hot water to work, the most irritant detergent to skin. Skin contact best avoided. The detergent gradually attacks some types of glass, making it go cloudy in time. Dishwasher detergent, liquid: I know nowt about em. Wonder / miracle / magic cleaners / stain removers: ordinary detergents sold at steep prices. Note that stain removers designed for a limited range of stains are a different thing to these general purpose wonder bars. Use washing powder instead. Soap bars: Soap intended for skin cleaning is normally superfatted, meaning it contains free fat. This makes it poorly suited to general household cleaning, and so outside the scope of this FAQ. In poorer countries a wider variety of soaps are found, with bars for household cleaning, shampooing, laundry etc, but these are not so often seen in Britain. If you want to find them, look for them at Indian supermarkets. They are often sold in big bars a foot or so long, and you slice off a new soap bar when you need one. The colours indicate which type of soap it is. They make very economical cleaners, but are not widely available, not widely used, and better cleaning products are now available. Soaps may be used for cleaning gold and silver jewellery. Sugar soap: A soap, has nothing to do with sugar, and is definitely not edible. Used primarily to clean paintwork, as traces of this soap don't affect houseold paints. Other soaps may be used instead so long as theyre rinsed off properly. Washing painted walls is sometimes an effective way to rejuvenate them and avoid the need to repaint. Little paint chips can be filled in with fresh paint of the same or very slightly duller tint. It is important not to use a brighter shade, nor to let new paint overlap the edges of the chipped area at all. Less is more in this case. This method can often make a tatty wall look respectable again in 60-90 minutes and no materials cost. Best detergents for general use: if we must pick one for all uses, it would probably be a mixture of cheap soap washing up liquid and biological washing powder. This mix gives both speed and thoroughness, as well as a wide array of stain removers all in one. Solvents -------- Many solvents are volatile, flammable, explosive, toxic, melt plastics, and/or act as drugs. Ensure good ventilation. White spirit: aka turps substitute. Petroleum distillates. Slow to evaporate. Dissolves un-set oil based (gloss) paints and uncured epoxy resin. Lifts many dried on self adhesive labels: wet the label with it and wait a few minutes, then peel off and wipe the residue away with a rag wetted with white spirit. Safe on most plastics, but not on latex rubber gloves. 1,1,1 trichloroethylene: aka spot dry cleaner, tippex thinner. No longer sold, but still in many cupboards. Adequate ventilation essential. Never place dry cleaned goods in a closed car. Alcohol: degreaser. Aka surgical spirit, rubbing alcohol, methylated spirits, ethanol, ethyl alcohol. Meths leaves purple dye residue behind after it evaporates. Removes fresh ballpoint ink. Isopropyl alcohol: aka isopropanol. Almost identical properties to ethyl alcohol. Screen wash, head cleaner. Paraffin: very slow to evaporate, repels insects, dissolves oils. One of the safer solvents. Good for degreasing vehicle underneaths and engine compartments. Apply with a brush, brush off. Where its flammabilitiy is a problem, clean up afterwards with soap and hot water, or a pressure washer. Lamp oil is a lower odour form of paraffin, often with a little colouring. Diesel: Vehicle and parts degreaser similar to paraffin. One of the least flammable petrochemical cleaners, a naked flame will usually not light it. Acetone, an ingredient in nail varnish remover: dissolves polyurethane (squirt can) foam. Dissolves perspex and can be used to solvent weld it. Nail varnish may contain other ingredients such as lanolin, oil etc. Cellulose thinners: a powerful mix of solvents, often used when other solvents have failed. Removes tar. Nitromethane: aka cyanoacrylate debonder, dissolves superglue Nitromors: Methylene chloride, paint and varnish stripper. Produces fumes Turpentine and turps substitute: gloss/eggshell/oil paint solvents. Turps substitute is white spirit, turpentine is a plant oil. Petrol: flammable, explosive, fumes can produce intense headaches. Not recommended for indoor use. Lighter fluid: petroleum distillates again. More volatile than paraffin, diesel or white spirit. Removes many glues. In common with most petrochemicals, the vapour can form an explosive mixture with air, so it should only be used in very small quantities, with ventilation, and cotton buds etc with it on should be disposed of outside, not indoors. Prone to causing headache or migraine. Orange oil: aka limonene, Sticky stuff remover. A solvent oil derived from oranges. Carbon tetrachloride: general purpose solvent, narcotic, now banned from domestic use due to toxicity. Pipe weld solvent: Oils ---- Penetrating oil: oil and solvent mix, helps to free rusted parts, dissolves oils and greases, leaves an oil film behind which attracts dirt. Penetrating oils make second rate lubricants. WD40: a penetrating oil mix, repels water. Olbas oil: a solvent plant oil mixture. removes ballpoint ink, paint, varnish, wax. Available from superdrug, boots, supemarkets etc. Strong but pleasant smell. To remove ballpoint ink, apply the oil to a cotton bud and wipe the stain with it. Olbas oil is not usually a first choice cleaner at =A33:50 per 30ml, but for ballpoint it is well recommended. Clove oil: strips paint, irritant, use diluted with oil or soap and water. Available from superdrug, boots etc. Similar actions to olbas oil. Not often used as a cleaner, but occasionally effective and useful. If you have no olbas or clove, try eucalyptus oil. Abrasives --------- Plastic scouring pads: widely used for cleaning dishes. Can usually be cleaned in a dishwasher to remove insanitary muck build-up. Metal scourers: there are traditional wire wool scourers, and more modern stainless steel ribbon balls. Ajax: abrasive powder and bleach, once popular as a toilet cleaner Bath brick: strong abrasive suited only to unfinished cast iron. Not often used. Sand: ditto. Also sand blasting strips paint and rust Melamine sponge, aka flash cleaning block: Wire wool pads: suited only to unfinished cast iron, damages all modern surfaces and finishes. Effective rust remover for cutlery, but will scratch and mark the metal. Causes metal splinters. Cause rust stains wherever theyre stored. Not recommended for general use. Scrapers and razor blades: simple mechanical cleaners mostly used on glass. Can permanently mark the glass. Do not use on toughened glass. Brass wire brush: aka suede brush. For cleaning suede and soiled clothes. Causes damage with just one use, so use as little as possible. Pumice: used for removing hard skin and cleaning obstinate marks from skin. It does this by scraping the skin surface. This tends to promote the formation of thick hard skin. It is perhaps ironic that this is what it is mainly used to treat. Metal balls: aka ball bearings used to clean inaccessible places, eg very narrow necked vases etc. Insert balls and cleaning liquid, whizz them around, and remove balls. More versatile than bottle brushes, but less effective. Any non abrasive denser than water pieces can be used for this task. Bleaches: --------- Bleaches sterilise and remove the dirt's colour, but don't remove the dirt. The remaining bleached dirt acts as a lodging place for more dirt, hence items cleaned only with bleach get dirty quickly. Bleaches are useful when all other attempts to remove the dirt have failed. Chlorine bleach: the most common household bleach. Irritant to lungs, exacerbates asthma. Contact with acids releases toxic chlorine gas (chlorine was much used for chemical warfare in WW1). Toilet cleaners are usually acid. Discolours and damages many fabrics, particularly natural fabrics and natural dyes. A mild environmental toxin. Kills bacteria and moulds. Thick bleach is not a stronger bleach mix, it is bleach plus detergent. You can thus make it yourself for a fraction the cost, but only if you know which detergents are safe with bleach and which are not. I use the cheapie washing up liquid with it if I ever want thick bleach, but there is no guarantee against an acid formula being sold in future, so I cannot assure you of its safety in every case. If you ever encounter unpleasant or choking fumes from bleach, leave the building immediately. Do not wait to work out what happened, people have died that way. Milton: dilute chlorine bleach. Milton solution is 1% bleach, 16.5% salt. Tablets are Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate. Kills bacteria, fungi, viri and spores. Tablets can be used to disinfect drinking water, 1 tablet in 32 litres. Oxygen bleach: aka hydrogen peroxide, avoids all the downsides of chlorine bleaches, and does not discolour fabrics. Oxygen bleach can be used in laundry. Not as powerful as chlorine bleach, and not such an effective antibacterial. Sun and soap: soaping clothes and hanging them in sunlight while wet can bleach discolouration not removed by chlorine or oxygen bleaches. It is a slower process, taking many hours. The clothes should be kept wet or damp. The uv in sunlight also has a sterilising effect. Spray and wipe cleaners: ------------------------ Quick and easy hard surface cleaners. Produce noxious fumes. Contain ammonia, plus perfumes to disguise the smell. Ventilation recommended. Limescale removers: ------------------- Limescale removers are all acids. Many are potentially dangerous and should be treated with some care. Many will attack metals, skin, cloth, and so on. They are here listed from weakest to strongest. The first 2 are safe to handle, and eat if pure, but the others are not, and skin should be rinsed if contact occurs. Never use acids and bleach together, as toxic chlorine gas is produced. Citric acid: weak limescale remover. Requires hot water, preferably boiling, and long immersion time. Only effective on thin layers of scale. A common food additive. Available from any chemist, typically at a fraction of the price of brand name supermarket descalers. Multipurpose appliance descalers are normally citric acid, since its safe on such a wide range of materials. Citric is also used for washing machine descaling, but is not altogether effective. Vinegar: good for minor descaling of taps. Restores shine. Heat the tap first with boiling water. Wash any remaining vinegar off after the job is done. Distilled vinegar is stronger than wine and cider vinegars. Also cleans wood. Phosphoric acid: used in some acid products. Sulphamic acid: the most popular acid in limescale removing toilet cleaners. Sulphuric acid: stronger than sulphamic but costs more. Hydrochloric acid: powerful and fast. Stomach acid is 0.2-0.3% hydrochloric acid, and can digest a range of substances. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, metal, mortars, lime paints, and tile grout. One of the higher risk cleaners, follow instructions with care. Effective at removing scale / watermarks from glass, but care must be taken to keep it off the metal, wood etc. This can be done by using toilet cleaner, which is thickened, and wiping it on the glass very thinly, as just a smear, and washing off well afterwards. Specialist cleaners ------------------- Wax based paint cleaners etc Brick acid: aka patio cleaner. 30% Hydrochloric acid cleaner/etcher for concrete and brick. Eats concrete and mortar, damages a brick's fireskin, very fast toilet limescale remover, dangerous to skin and eyes. Oxalic acid, also sold as patio cleaner: non-etching concrete and brick cleaner. Toxic. Less powerful than the acid type, but does not damage the items being cleaned. Toxic residues should be washed away with plenty of water. Fuller's earth: dry powder sometimes used to clean very delicate items such as baby animal skin gloves. It is a dry absorbent. Some brands of cat litter are fuller's earth. Jizer, Hyperclean etc - dissolves greasy engine deposits, can then be washed off with water. Vinegar: cleans and resurfaces copper by etching the surface off, leaving fresh clean copper. The liquid runoff is toxic if ingested, so ensure it doesn't get onto food. Diluted vinegar is also an old favourite for cleaning glass, best applied with newspaper rather than cloth. Saliva: used for cleaning fine art oil paintings, but sadly not available in litre bottles Ammonia: used for cleaning jewellery Autoglym glass cleaner: one of the best commercial glass cleaner preparations, but pricey. From car accessory shops. Jewellery dips Brasso Silvo: abrasive silver cleaner. Stain devils ballpoint number 1: I got no result with it at all. Olbas oil was quick and effective. Stain devil not recommended. Coke: coca cola and pepsi contain dilute phosphoric acid, will clean.... what? car battery terminals, ?rust? Milk: cleans leather Hartshorn powder: used to clean silver plate. Wipe a hartshorn and water paste onto the silver, allow to dry, and brush off. Alcohol in the paste will help to remove tarnish. Gilt Frame cleaner: Take sufficient sulphur to give a golden tinge to about 1 1/2 pint of water, and in this boil 4 or 5 bruised onions or garlic. Strain off the liquid and let cool. Wash the frames with a soft brush, and when dry it will come out as bright as new. Alkalis ------- The stronger alkalis can cause serious eye injury. The damage takes time to occur, so may not prompt a person to seek medical assistance. In the worst cases blindness can result. Use eye protection. Do not mix alkalis with acids, rapid reactions may occur, spitting acid or alkali. - caustic soda: strong alkali, cleans ovens, unblocks drains. Toxic, irritant, can cause serious eye injury. One of the high risk cleaners, follow instructions with care. It is important to add crystals to water gradually, and never the other way round. Use rubber gloves, plastic apron, goggles. Proprietary products containing thickener will be more likely to stay where put, thus be more effective on non horizontal surfaces. - washing soda: degreases when used with boiling water. For clothes and drain unblocking. The majority of drain blockages are mostly solidified fat. Discolours aluminium, and can even dissolve it in some cases. For washing, a teaspoonful in the machine is good. For drain unblocking, half a cup of soda in hot water works well, but use eye protection as it may spit alkali when mixing, and eyes are particularly vulnerable to alkalis. - sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda, bicarb - a mild safe alkali, with many uses: For brushing teeth Removes tea and coffee stains Reduces laundry odour: add to final rinse Removes black scuff marks from floors Cleans fibreglass baths Freshens sour dishcloths: soak in water and bicarb Deodorises laundry awaiting washing: sprinkle in the basket. Removes crayon marks: use a brush and soda paste. Lime: greasy and dirty laundry may be cleaned by soaking in lime water. Lime's claims to fame are its cheapness, around =A36 for a 25kg bag from any builders merchants, and its wide range of uses. The lime water is made with 1/2 lb. of lime to every 6 quarts of water which has been boiled for two hours, then left to settle, and strained off when clear. Each article should be rinsed in this liquor to wet it thoroughly, and left to soak till the morning, just covered by it when the things are pressed together. This is another one of Mrs Beetons recipes, and an old laundry technique. It works, but how it compares to modern detergents I wouldnt know. The lime reacts with grease to form soap. Water cleaners: --------------- Pressure washers: The pressure of these can sometimes be enough to go through skin. Effective on very hardy materials eg concrete or brick paths. Can damage brickwork when used repeatedly. Can remove paint in some cases. Good for cleaning undersides of cars etc, as long as excessive pressure is avoided. The one caveat is that water on brake pads makes them not work. (I once got water on all 4 at once: thankfully I never got out of the car park) Pressure washer FAQ link. Steam cleaners: Effective at removing some types of dirt, ineffective for many as well. Useful for some jobs, but not for general purpose cleaning. Heat damages some materials, and can occasionally shatter glass. Minor risk of burn injuries. Removes nicotine from walls, removes grease, strips wallpaper, cleans tile grout, Small marks can be steam cleaned with a kettle or pan of water. Beware, steam burns with more severity than boiling water. Lance: A lance on the end of a hose can remove a lot of dirt from paths, drives, patios, cars etc. However performance does not compare to pressure washers, which boost the water pressure considerably. Stains: ------- Prompt action increases the likelihood of removing the stain, dried stains are not as easy to remove. Firstly the general purpose stain removers: Washing powder: the most versatile stain remover is biological washing powder. Soak the stain overnight. Bleach: will remove many stains, but discolours and rots natural fabrics and dyes. Dry cleaning solvents: will remove many stains from most fabrics and hard surfaces Cellulose thinners: dissolve many things - might dissolve what youre trying to clean though Ballpoint pen ink: - alcohol - olbas oil: apply a drop toa cotton bud, wipe off the ink. - it is also possible to use perfume, hairspray or aftershave as solvent, but articles should then be washed right away. - dry cleaning solvents Blood: - remove while wet with a cloth and cold water - if not dried long, rub repeatedly with soap and water. Keep rinsing the cleaning cloth to avoid spreading the loosened stain. - soak in biological washing powder in cold water Chewing gum: - for carpet, fill a bag with ice cubes, add a tablespoon of salt, and use the bag to freeze the gum. The gum will now break apart. - for clothes, put them in the freezer to make the gum brittle. Act quickly when frozen as it will thaw rapidly. - spray on freezer spray, and crumble the frozen gum off. Cup ring marks: - clean with bio washing powder - ring-away Egg: - always use cold water to wash egg off, heat will set it in place. - bio washing powder and cold water Epoxy resin - white spirit - it will peel off with a fingernail from some surfaces - or pare it down with a knife Foam, polyurethane squirty type: - acetone Fruit: - fruit and wine-spots: dip in a solution of sal ammonia or alcohol, and rinse. - salt water, according to Mrs Beeton. Grease marks: - wipe/rub with paraffin or a dry cleaning solvent. - wash with hot water and washing powder - wash with boiling water and washing soda - dishwashers are powerful degreasing machines for any items not damaged by the heat or strong detergent. - rub with yellow soap and rinse in hot water - Mrs Beeton recommends: purified bullocks blood, absorbent pastes, and even common soap, are applied to the spot when dry. When the colours are not fast, use fuller's-earth or pulverized potter's-clay, laid in a layer over the spot, and press it with a very hot iron Ink, fountain pen: dip the part into hot water, then spread it smoothly on the hand or on the back of a spoon, pour a few drops of oxalic acid or salts of sorrel over the ink-spot, rubbing and rinsing it in cold water till removed. Label adhesive, from self adhesive labels: - wet with water, let soak a few minutes, peel or rub off. - wet the label with white spirit and wait a few minutes. Peel off any remaining label. Wipe the residue away with a rag wetted with white spirit. - warm with a hairdryer and peel the label off Limescale: - see the limescale section Nicotine - steam cleaning Paint, emulsion: - if un-set, water and washing powder or washing up liquid, and rub with a cloth. Several water changes may be needed. - if set but soft: soak in dilute ecover overnight, then rub and wash repeatedly. - if set and hard: first, break the paint up, this will often remove a lot of it. A kitchen knife can do this. Then use a suede brush to remove the remains. Suede brushes do damage fabric, so take care to only brush exactly where the paint is. - oil type paint removers may soften the paint and allow it to be washed out by machine - freeze the item and the paint may crumble off more easily. - spray on freezer spray, and crumble the frozen paint off. - if all else fails, small paint marks can often be successfully disguised temporarily with a fine tipped black marker pen, or permanently with a button, brooch, patch, decorative motif, etc. Paint, lime: - on clothes: hot water and washing powder - on walls: hot water and sugar soap, as this doesnt cause problems for the next paint coat. - acids Paint, oil based gloss: - white spirit Plastic glue: - acetone Rust: - oxalic acid will remove iron stains from some materials. However iron compounds act as a self mordanting dye with some fabrics, and on these it is not removable, even by bleach. ****: - biological washing powder Superglue: - nitromethane, aka cyanoacrylate debonder Stubborn stains: - an overnight soak in bio washing powder solution frequently works. - cellulose thinners will remove a lot of stains, but also damage some things. Tea & coffee - soak overnight in bio washing powder - soak in bicarb solution Toilet scale: - limescale removing toilet cleaner, ideally containing hydrochloric acid. HCl is by far the most effective. It will need applying several times if the amount of scaling is significant. Unknown stains: - Use the general purpose stain treatments above, starting with an overnight soak in biological washing powder. Varnish: - paint strippers - olbas oil - while still wet, water and detergent for water based, or white spirit for spirit based Vehicle grease and dirt: see grease wax: - apply blotting paper or absorbent cloth and iron. Repeat until cleared. The paper soaks up the molten wax. - wash in boiling water with dishwasher detergent - alcohol - olbas oil Wine: - washing powder - white grape juice can loosen red wine stains, then wash with washing powder. - dip in a solution of sal ammonia or alcohol, and rinse. Yellowed cotton: - bleach sometimes works. If not: - dip in soapy water, hang in the sun while wet. Allow a day or 2, and keep it moist. Very effective, though slow. Less likely candidates: ----------------------- Some cleaners are just best avoided... Blood: Mrs Beeton recommends purified bullocks blood for removing grease spots. Fire is also used as an occasional specialist cleaner, but not recomended for general household use. Gas burners are sometimes used to clear paths of weeds. Glo-fuel for model aircraft: various different formulae exist, containing methanol, oils, solvents such as ether, etc. Glo-fuel is highly volatile, highly flammable, explosive, very toxic, narcotic, contains ether which is an early and rather risky general anaesthetic from the Victorian era, and the fumes can be fatal. A powerful solvent, but the negative outcomes may somewhat outweigh the benefits. Mercury: Used in cleaning powders for silver in Victorian times. Mercury vapour is quite toxic, mercury is toxic to eat, and the mercury makes the silver weak and brittle. Not an ideal cleaner then. Saliva: While not one of the favourite household cleaners, its fairly effective, and is used in quite a few households. Contains enzymes. Next time you visit your friend, see if you can work out what has been drool cleaned. Turd: yes, dirt itself is recommended for cleaning by.... Mrs Beeton again. To clean the char off scorched linen, she recommends: 1/2 pint of vinegar, 2 oz. of fuller's-earth, 1 oz. of dried fowls' dung, 1/2 oz. of soap, and the juice of 2 large onions. Thank god for the onions. Urine: It had to make the list somewhere. In Tudor times clothes were boiled in urine and wood ash on wash day. Lovely. The 2 react to make a form of soap, and both are cleaners in their own right. It need hardly be said that one should not skimp on rinsing. Hydrofluoric acid: removes most types of dirt. Unfortunately it also removes whatever the dirt is on, hands, finger bones, pretty well everything. It is also difficult to store, since it attacks and eats even the most unreactive of storage materials, glass. Best stored in glass coated in liquid paraffin, preferably anywhere but here. More information: ----------------- Mrs Beeton: possibly the most famous writer on this subject, she produced a series of household guidance books a century ago, which include a thorough section on cleaning materials and methods. Available in any second hand book store, and reproduced online. Many materials discussed in the book are outdated, but there is lots of useful stain removal information, and lots of cooking recipes. The Google uk.d-i-y archive: http://tinyurl.com/65kwq The UK.D-I-Y FAQ: http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/ Remaining Questions: -------------------- Where does cream cleaner fit into this list? Other stain devils and similar? What does coke clean or do? What else do steam cleaners remove or do? ? sal ammonia -c? ?spirits of sorrel Most "substances" from e.g. RS from loktite to IPA now come with a product data sheet listing contents and warnings / hazards. Root around the RS site=20 swarfega tough hand clean jobs, wash pdr. |
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In article .com,
writes: Phil Addison wrote: On 29 Apr 2005 04:48:04 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote: Under dishwasher detergent - add that it corrodes some steel cutlery, Are you thinking of old copper steel cutlery? Dunno - whatever some of ours is made of, they have got pits in them. that also raises the q of whether its due to the detergent. I simply dont know. Pits in cutlery can be caused by leaving them in a puddle on a dissimilar metal, where electrolytic action then starts up with a circuit formed by two points of contact. It's common in tea spoons, and it happens where the two metals touch, usually the curved rear. (From a hygene point of view, any such damaged cutlery should be discarded, particularly in a resturant, as it's no longer cleanable.) I suppose you could get it where two dissimilar metals touch in a dishwasher cutlery basket, but I don't think you can blame the detergent much (maybe the salt). -- Andrew Gabriel |
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Heres the latest version. Any more input welcome.
NT Cleaners and Detergents FAQ v5 ------------------------------ Contents: --------- Detergents and soaps Solvents Oils Abrasives bleaches spray and wipe cleaners Limescale removers specialist cleaners alkalis Water cleaners Stains Less likely candidates Untested claims More information Safety data sheets Need a section title for Detergents and soaps -------------------- Cheapo washing up liquid: probably the fastest detergent, but the least powerful. Removes most things, very quickly. 15p/litre. It is simply liquid soap. Dries skin. Will wash clothes in 2 minutes in cold water, but can not remove everything, so not recommended for continued use. Do not use it in washing machines, it creates a greasy film that makes them pong. Its speed makes it useful for hand washing carpets, where it saves much labour. A good lubricant for sash window runners. May be wiped onto just dried paint to prevent sticking and allow prompt reassembly. Liquid soaps: Almost all products sold as liquid soaps are really a detergent called sodium lauryl ethyl sulphate, aka sodium laureth sulphate, plus various additives. This is a nearly universal low cost human-cleaning detergent, and a known mild irritant. Nearly all brands contain it. Such products are not well suited to general cleaning since they contain oils and fats, and are a relatively high price per litre. Quality washing up liquids: much better to skin than the cheapie ones, remove more types of dirt. But not as fast acting as the low cost soap type. Ecover washing up liquid: much better on skin than other washing liquids. Can strip some household paints. Non toxic. Can also be used as body wash and shampoo: mix a very little vegetable oil in for drier skin and hair. Palm oil and castor oil are favoured for hair. (Engine oil is superb on hair, as many mechanics have found, but not advisable due to possible toxicity. Engine oils were once castor oil, so there is some similarity between the 2.) Washing powder: more powerful than washing liquids, effective degreasing with hot water. Alkaline. More drying and irritant to skin than any washing up liquid. Biological powders also contain enzymes to improve their cleaning action at 40C, but the enzymes stop working at higher temps. Washing powders various additives such as stain removers, optical brighteners etc, and powdered cardboard filler. An overnight soak with bio powder can remove a wide range of stains and organic materials, so is a good first line of treatment for unknown stains. Washing powder tablets: take time to dissolve, thus give less cleaning time than powders. Also some brands fail to dissolve in time, giving poor washes, and clothes with a residue of irritant washing powder. Dishwasher detergent, powders and tablets: most powerful detergent, alkaline, requires hot water to work well. The most irritant detergent to skin, skin contact best avoided. The detergent gradually attacks some types of glass, making it go cloudy in time. Dishwasher detergent, liquid: I know nowt about em. Wonder / miracle / magic cleaners / stain removers: ordinary detergents sold at steep prices. Note that stain removers designed for a limited range of stains are a different thing to these general purpose wonder bars. Use washing powder instead. Soap bars: Soap intended for skin cleaning is normally superfatted, meaning it contains free fat. This makes it poorly suited to general household cleaning, and so outside the scope of this FAQ. In poorer countries a wider variety of soaps are found, with bars for household cleaning, shampooing, laundry etc, but these are not so often seen in Britain. If you want to find them, look for them at Indian supermarkets. They are often sold in big bars a foot or so long, and you slice off a new soap bar when you need one. The colours indicate which type of soap it is. They make very economical cleaners, but are not widely available, not widely used, and better cleaning products are now popular. Soaps may be used for cleaning gold and silver jewellery. Sugar soap: A soap, has nothing to do with sugar, and is definitely not edible. Used primarily to clean paintwork, as traces of this soap don't affect household paints. Other soaps may be used instead so long as they're rinsed off properly. Washing painted walls is sometimes an effective way to rejuvenate them and avoid the need to repaint. Little paint chips can be filled in with fresh paint of the same or very slightly duller tint. It is important not to use a brighter shade, nor to let new paint overlap the edges of the chipped area at all. Less is more in this case. This method can often make a tatty wall look respectable again in 60-90 minutes with no materials cost. Whatever your painting regime, this method can make walls look better between repaints. Solvents -------- Many solvents are volatile, flammable, explosive, toxic, melt plastics, and/or act as drugs. Ensure good ventilation. White spirit: Petroleum distillates. Slow to evaporate. Dissolves un-set oil based (gloss) paints, good for paintbrush cleaning. Not the ideal solvent for thinning oil paints, but usable. Turps sbustitute is better for that. Dissolves uncured epoxy resin. Lifts many dried on self adhesive labels: wet the label with it and wait a few minutes, then peel off and wipe the residue away with a rag wetted with white spirit. Safe on most plastics, but not on latex rubber gloves. Vapour explosive and toxic, ventilate thoroughly. http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/WH/white_spirits.html Turps substitute. Very similar to white spirit, but cheaper and not ideal for thinning paint. 1,1,1 trichloroethylene: aka spot dry cleaner, tippex thinner. No longer sold, but still in many cupboards. Adequate ventilation essential. Never place dry cleaned goods in a closed car. Alcohol: degreaser. Aka surgical spirit, rubbing alcohol, methylated spirits, ethanol, ethyl alcohol. Meths leaves purple dye residue behind after it evaporates. Removes fresh ballpoint ink. Isopropyl alcohol: aka isopropanol. Almost identical properties to ethyl alcohol. Screen wash, head cleaner. Paraffin: very slow to evaporate, repels insects, dissolves oils. One of the safer solvents. Good for degreasing vehicle underneaths and engine compartments. Apply with a brush, brush off. Where its flammabilitiy is a problem, clean up afterwards with soap and hot water, or a pressure washer. Lamp oil is a lower odour form of paraffin, often with a little colouring. Diesel: Vehicle and parts degreaser similar to paraffin. One of the least flammable petrochemical cleaners, a naked flame will usually not light it. Acetone, an ingredient in nail varnish remover: dissolves polyurethane (squirt can) foam. Dissolves perspex and can be used to solvent weld it. Nail varnish remover may contain other ingredients such as lanolin, oil etc. Cellulose thinners: a powerful mix of solvents, often used when other solvents have failed. Removes tar. Nitromethane: aka cyanoacrylate debonder, dissolves superglue Nitromors: Methylene chloride, paint and varnish stripper. Produces fumes Turpentine and turps substitute: gloss/eggshell/oil paint solvents. Turpentine is a plant oil. Turps substitute is similar to white spirit, but not the same. Petrol: flammable, explosive, fumes can produce a range of serious health problems. Not recommended for indoor use. Contains benzene, a carcinogen, not recommended for hand cleaning. Use something less toxic whenever possible. http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/BE/benzene.html Lighter fluid: petroleum distillates again. Much more volatile than paraffin, diesel or white spirit. Removes many glues. In common with most petrochemicals, the vapour can form an explosive mixture with air, so it should only be used in very small quantities, with good ventilation, and cotton buds etc with it on should be disposed of outside not indoors. Orange oil: aka limonene, Sticky stuff remover. A solvent oil derived from oranges. Lemon oil is similar. Carbon tetrachloride: general purpose solvent, narcotic, now banned from domestic use due to toxicity. Pipe weld solvent: intended for dissolving and welding pvc pipes. Dont use on plastic! Oils ---- Penetrating oil: oil and solvent mix, helps to free rusted parts, dissolves oils and greases, leaves an oil film behind which attracts dirt. Penetrating oils make second rate lubricants. WD40 is a well known brand. Olbas oil: a solvent plant oil mixture. Removes ballpoint ink, paint, varnish, wax. Available from superdrug, boots, supemarkets etc. Strong but pleasant smell. To remove ballpoint ink, apply half a drop to a cotton bud and wipe the stain with it. Olbas oil is not usually a first choice cleaner at =A33:50 per 30ml, but for ballpoint ink it is recommended. Clove oil: another solvent oil. strips paint, irritant, use diluted with oil or soap and water. Available from superdrug, boots etc. Similar actions to olbas oil. Not often used as a cleaner, but occasionally effective and useful. Eucalyptus oil: similar properties to clove oil. Olbas, clove and eucalyptus all have strong but pleasant smell. Vegetable oil: Dissolves vehicle grime, linseed oil, tar and wood resin. Lubricates wood screws for easier driving (1 drop on the tip is enough). Prevents bolts and nuts sticking, allowing issue-free dismantling years later. Vegetable oil is a low cost mixture of various edible plant oils. Margarine: There are several types of marge, but all contain edible fats or oils emulsified with water. Marge is not an ideal cleaner, but when nothing else is to hand it can be used to dissolve vehicle grime, and possibly tar and wood resin. It can also be used as a lubricant when its limited life and water content are not a problem. Abrasives --------- Plastic scouring pads: widely used for cleaning dishes. Should be regularly cleaned to remove insanitary muck build-up. Can be cleaned in a dishwasher, at moderate temperatures. Metal scourers: there are traditional wire wool scourers, and more modern stainless steel ribbon bundles. Wire wool pads: suited only to unfinished cast iron, damage all modern surfaces and finishes. Effective rust spot remover for cutlery, but will scratch and mark the metal. Cause metal splinters. Cause rust stains wherever theyre stored. Can remove loose and flaking paint. surprisingly, theyre flammable. Not recommended for general use. Ajax: abrasive powder and bleach, once popular as a toilet cleaner Bath brick: strong abrasive suited only to unfinished cast iron. Not often used. Sand: a harsh abrasive. Sand blasting strips paint rust and dirt, but not many houses need that level of cleaning on a regular basis. Melamine sponge, aka flash cleaning block: Scrapers and razor blades: simple mechanical cleaners mostly used on glass. Metal blades can permanently mark the glass. Do not use on toughened glass. Brass wire brush: aka suede brush. For cleaning suede and soiled clothes. Cause damage with just one use, so use as little as possible, and use when other methods have failed. Pumice: used for removing hard skin and cleaning obstinate marks from skin. It does this by scraping the skin surface. This tends to promote the formation of thicker hard skin. It is perhaps ironic that this is what it is mainly used to treat. Metal balls: aka ball bearings used to clean inaccessible places, eg very narrow necked vases etc. Insert balls and cleaning liquid, whizz them around, remove balls. More versatile than bottle brushes, but less effective. Any non abrasive objects denser than water can be used for this task, assorted nuts and washers are as effective. Bleaches: --------- Bleaches sterilise and remove the dirt's colour, but don't remove the dirt itself. The remaining bleached dirt acts as a lodging place for more dirt, hence items cleaned only with bleach get dirty quickly. Bleaches are useful when all other attempts to remove the dirt have failed. Bleaches are also toxic and antibacterial. Chlorine bleach: the most common household bleach. Irritant to lungs, exacerbates asthma. Contact with acids releases high toxicity chlorine gas (chlorine was used for chemical warfare in WW1). Toilet cleaners are usually acidic, and must not be mixed with bleach. Discolours and damages many fabrics, particularly natural fabrics and natural dyes. A mild environmental toxin. Kills bacteria and moulds. Thick bleach is not a stronger bleach mix, it is bleach plus detergent. You can mix detergent with thin bleach if you need it, but only if you know which detergents are safe with bleach and which are not. I use the cheapie washing up liquid with it if I ever want thick bleach, but there is no guarantee against an acidic formula being sold in future, so I cannot assure you of its safety in every case. If you ever encounter unpleasant or choking fumes from bleach, leave the building immediately. Do not wait to work out what happened or stop it, as little as a few breaths can kill. http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/CH/chlorine.html Milton: dilute chlorine bleach. Milton solution is 1% bleach, 16.5% salt. Tablets are Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate. Kills bacteria, fungi, viri and spores. Tablets can be used to disinfect drinking water, 1 tablet in 32 litres. Oxygen bleach: aka hydrogen peroxide, avoids most of the downsides of chlorine bleaches, and does not discolour fabrics. Oxygen bleach can be used in laundry. Not as powerful as chlorine bleach, and not such an effective antibacterial. Forms high toxicity compounds when combined with many common materials, avoid contact with wood, asbestos, soil, rust, copper, iron, steel, alcohol, and other cleaning agents. Rinse away well after use. Can cause serious eye injury. http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/HY/hy...xide_30pc.html Sun and soap: soaping clothes and hanging them in sunlight while wet can bleach discolouration not removed by chlorine or oxygen bleaches. It is a slower process, taking many hours. The clothes should be kept wet or damp. The uv in sunlight also has some sterilising effect. Spray and wipe cleaners: ------------------------ Quick hard surface cleaners. Produce noxious fumes. Contain ammonia, plus perfumes to disguise the smell. Ventilation recommended. Limescale removers: ------------------- Limescale removers are all acids. Many are potentially dangerous and should be treated with some care. Many will attack metals, skin, cloth, and so on. They are here listed from weakest to strongest. Vinegar and citric are safe to handle, and eat if pure, but the others are not, and skin should be rinsed if contact occurs. Never use acids and bleach together, as toxic chlorine gas is produced. Citric acid: weak limescale remover. Requires hot water, preferably boiling, and long immersion time. Only effective on thin layers of scale. A common food additive. Available from any chemist, typically at a fraction of the price of brand name supermarket descalers. Multipurpose appliance descalers are normally citric acid, since its safe on such a wide range of materials. Citric is also used for washing machine descaling, but is not altogether effective. Vinegar: good for minor descaling of taps. Restores shine. Heat the tap first with boiling water. Wash any remaining vinegar off after the job is done. Distilled vinegar is stronger than wine and cider vinegars. Vinegar also cleans wood and glass. Phosphoric acid: used in some acid products. Phosphoric acid can be used to clean stainless steel, dissolves limescale and degreases. Sulphamic acid: the most popular acid in limescale removing toilet cleaners. Sulphuric acid: stronger than sulphamic but costs more. Removes drain blockages, including grease, fat, teabags, cardboard, faeces and vegetable matter. Hydrochloric acid: powerful and fast. Stomach acid is 0.2-0.3% hydrochloric acid, and can digest a range of substances. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, metal, mortars, lime paints, and tile grout. A high toxicity cleaner, follow instructions with care. Effective at removing scale / watermarks from glass, but care must be taken to keep it off the metal or wood frame. This can be done by using toilet cleaner, which is thickened, and wiping it on the glass very thinly, as just a smear, and washing off well afterwards. Specialist cleaners ------------------- Brick acid: aka patio cleaner. 10-30% Hydrochloric acid cleaner/etcher for concrete and brick. Eats concrete and mortar, damages a brick's fireskin, very fast toilet limescale remover. A high toxicity cleaner, dangerous to skin and eyes. Removes set concrete. Oxalic acid, also sold as patio cleaner: non-etching concrete and brick cleaner. High toxicity. Less powerful than the acid type, but does not damage the items being cleaned. Toxic residues should be washed away with plenty of water. Avoid any contact with silver. Removes fountain pen ink, rust, tea and coffee. http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/OX/ox...dihydrate.html Enzyme based odour removers: Fuller's earth: dry powder or granules sometimes used to clean very delicate items such as baby animal skin gloves. It is a dry absorbent. Some brands of cat litter are fuller's earth. Fuller's earth is a clay. Also used to soak up oil spills. Fullers earth can be disposed of safely on the garden, providing whatever it has soaked up is also safe for garden disposal. Jizer, Hyperclean etc - dissolves greasy engine deposits, can then be washed off with water. Vinegar: cleans and resurfaces copper by etching the oxidised surface off, leaving fresh clean copper. Also works with some other oxidised or corroded metals. The liquid runoff is toxic if ingested, so ensure it doesn't get onto food. Adding salt to the vinegar makes it much more powerful. Tomato ketchup also removes copper corrosion, it contains the necessary mild acid and salt already. Diluted vinegar is also an old favourite for cleaning glass, best applied with newspaper rather than cloth. Saliva: used for cleaning fine art oil paintings, but not available in litre bottles. Contains cleaning enzymes. Ammonia: used for cleaning jewellery Autoglym glass cleaner: one of the best commercial glass cleaner preparations, but pricey. From car accessory shops. Jewellery dips Brasso Silvo: abrasive silver cleaner. Stain devils ballpoint number 1: I got no result with it at all. Olbas oil was quick and effective. Stain devil not recommended. Coke: coca cola and pepsi contain very dilute phosphoric acid. A weak cleaner for copper, lead, car battery terminals, and other corroded metals. Vinegar and salt is much more effective. Saddle soap: an old leather cleaner, damages the leather. Hartshorn powder: used to clean silver plate. Wipe a hartshorn and water paste onto the silver, allow to dry, and brush off. Adding alcohol to the paste will help to remove tarnish. Swarfega: a grease and dirt hand cleaner developed for motor mechanics. The gel contains paraffin, a good solvent for most motor grease. Alkalis ------- The stronger alkalis can cause serious eye injury. The damage takes time to occur, so may not prompt a person to seek medical assistance. Heavy damage can occur. Use eye protection. Do not mix alkalis with acids, rapid reactions may occur, spitting acid or alkali. - caustic soda: strong alkali, cleans ovens, unblocks drains. Toxic, irritant, can cause serious eye injury. A high risk cleaner, follow instructions with care. It is important to add crystals to water gradually, and never the other way round. Use rubber gloves, plastic apron, goggles. Proprietary products containing thickener will be less likely to run off the workpiece, and be more effective at cleaning on non-horizontal surfaces. - washing soda: degreases when used with boiling water. For clothes and drain unblocking. The majority of drain blockages are mostly solidified fat. Discolours aluminium, and can dissolve it in some cases. For washing, a teaspoonful in the machine is good, with a hot wash. For drain unblocking, half a cup of soda in hot water works well, but use eye protection as it may spit alkali when mixing, and eyes are particularly vulnerable to alkalis. - sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda, bicarb - a mild safe alkali, with many uses: For brushing teeth Removes tea and coffee stains Cleaning ovens Reduces laundry odour: add to final rinse Removes black scuff marks from floors Cleans plastic / fibreglass baths Freshens sour dishcloths: soak in water and bicarb Deodorises laundry awaiting washing: sprinkle in the basket. Removes crayon marks: use a brush and soda paste. cleans teeth, use as tooth powder. Lime: A now outdated cleaner for greasy and dirty laundry. Soak it in lime water. Lime's claims to fame are its cheapness, around =A36 for a 25kg bag from any builders merchants, and its wide range of uses. The lime water is made with 1/2 lb. of lime to every 6 quarts of water which has been boiled for two hours, then left to settle, and strained off when clear. Each article should be rinsed in this liquor to wet it thoroughly, and left to soak till the morning, just covered by it when the things are pressed together. This is another one of Mrs Beetons recipes, and an old laundry technique. It works, but how it compares to modern detergents I wouldnt know. The lime reacts with grease to form soap. Lime paste also strips paint. It is caustic. Water cleaners: --------------- Pressure washers: Effective on very hardy materials eg concrete or brick paths. Can damage brickwork when used repeatedly. Can remove paint in some cases. Good for cleaning undersides of cars etc, as long as excessive pressure is avoided. The one caveat is that water on brake pads makes them not work at all. Good for unblocking drains, though the splashback with sewers isnt much fun. The pressure of these can sometimes be enough to go through skin. Pressure washer FAQ link. Steam cleaners: Effective at removing some types of dirt, ineffective for some. Useful for some jobs, but not for general purpose cleaning. Heat damages some materials, and can occasionally shatter glass. Minor risk of burn injuries. Removes nicotine from walls, removes grease, strips wallpaper, cleans tile grout, Occasional small marks can be steam cleaned with a kettle or pan of water. But beware, steam burns with more severity than boiling water. Lance: A lance on the end of a hose can remove a lot of dirt from paths, drives, patios, cars etc. Performance does not compare to pressure washers, which boost the water pressure greatly. Stains: ------- Prompt action increases the likelihood of removing the stain, dried stains are usually tougher to remove. Firstly the general purpose stain removers: Washing powder: the most versatile stain remover is biological washing powder. Soak the stain overnight, or saturate and rub the stain. Bleach: will remove many stains, but discolours and rots natural fabrics and dyes. Dry cleaning solvents: will remove many stains from most fabrics and hard surfaces. Cellulose thinners: dissolve many things, but might also dissolve what youre trying to clean. Blood: - remove while wet with a cloth and cold water - if not dried long, rub repeatedly with soap and water. Keep rinsing the cleaning cloth to avoid spreading the loosened stain. - soak in biological washing powder in cold water Blutack lumps: - to remove blue remnants from walls, roll a bigger lump over the remnants repeatedly - turps, can attack some carpet backings - white spirit, can attack some carpet backings - citrus oil cleaners, but they can sometimes strip carpet colour - many other solvents will also soften or dissolve it - for carpet, fill a bag with ice cubes, with some crushed if posible, add a tablespoon of salt, and use the bag to freeze the blutack. It will break apart. - for clothes, put them in the freezer to make blutack brittle. Act very quickly when frozen as it will thaw rapidly. - spray on freezer spray, and crumble the frozen blutack off. Blutack stains after the tack has been removed: - to remove oily marks left behind, lighter fluid, dry cleaning fluid. - a citrus oil cleaner. Chewing gum: - for carpet, fill a bag with ice cubes, with some crushed if possible, add a tablespoon of salt, and use the bag to freeze the gum. The gum will now break apart. - for clothes, put them in the freezer to make the gum brittle. Act quickly when frozen as it will thaw rapidly. - spray on freezer spray, and crumble the frozen gum off. - peanut butter dissolves chewing gum on hair and fabrics. Cup ring marks: - clean with bio washing powder - Ring-away - if wine, clean with clear fruit juice, preferably white grape juice, then clean off the fruit juice. Egg: - always use cold water to wash egg off, heat will set it in place. - bio washing powder and cold water - scrape it off with a plastic scourer. Wet to soften first if dried. Engine grime: - swarfega - paraffin - cooking oil, which can then be cleaned off with most ordinary hand cleaning detergents. - washing powder, apply to hands dry and add water. Effective, but dries skin. - margarine will also work if nothing better is to hand. Epoxy resin: - white spirit - cellulose thinners if not yet set - isopropyl alcohol if not set - Loctite 7855 hand cleaner - it will peel off with a fingernail from some surfaces - or pare it down with a knife Foam, polyurethane squirty type: - acetone Fruit: - fruit and wine-spots: dip in a solution of sal ammonia or alcohol, and rinse. - salt water - clean with a colourless fruit juice, then wash the juice off. Grease marks: - wipe / rub with paraffin or a dry cleaning solvent. - wash with hot water and washing powder - wash with boiling water and washing soda - dishwashers are powerful degreasing machines for any items not damaged by the heat or strong detergent. - rub with yellow soap and rinse in hot water - When the colours are not fast, use fuller's-earth or pulverized potter's-clay, laid in a layer over the spot, and press it with a very hot iron. The powder absorbs the grease. Ink, Ballpoint pen: - alcohol - olbas oil: apply a drop toa cotton bud, wipe off the ink. - dry cleaning solvents - it is also possible to use perfume, hairspray or aftershave as solvent, but articles should then be washed right away. Ink, fountain pen: - milk (preferably not skimmed) - dip the part into hot water, pour a few drops of oxalic acid or salts of sorrel over the ink-spot, rub and rinse in cold water till removed. Label adhesive, from self adhesive labels: - wet with water, let soak a few minutes, peel or rub off. - wet the label with white spirit and wait a few minutes. Peel off any remaining label. Wipe the residue away with a rag wetted with white spirit. - warm with a hairdryer and peel the label off - paraffin, and other similar petroleum distillates - WD40 - peroxide Limescale: - see the limescale section Linseed oil: - scrub with ecover washing up liquid, cooking oil or shampoo, then wash as usual. Nicotine - steam clean Paint, emulsion: - if un-set, water and washing powder or washing up liquid, and rub with a cloth. Several water changes may be needed. - if set but soft: soak in dilute ecover overnight, then rub and wash repeatedly. Dont let it dry until all is removed. - if set and hard: first, break the paint up, this will often remove a lot of it. A kitchen knife can do this. Then use a suede brush to remove the remains. Suede brushes do damage fabric, so take care to only brush exactly where the paint is. - oil type paint removers may soften the paint and allow it to be washed out by machine - freeze the item and the paint may crumble off more easily. - spray on freezer spray, and crumble the frozen paint off. - if all else fails, small paint marks can often be successfully disguised temporarily with a fine tipped waterproof black marker pen, or permanently with a button, brooch, patch, decorative motif, etc. Paint, lime: - on clothes: hot water and washing powder - on walls: hot water and sugar soap. Other soaps or detergents can be used if care is taken to remove every bit of remaining detergent. - acids Paint, oil based gloss: - white spirit, turps substitute. - olbas or clove oil may also soften and loosen individual paint spots. - paint strippers - lime and water paste (caustic) - caustic soda (? needs confirmation) Paint spills, emulsion: - scoop up as much paint as possible. Use water and washing up liquid to wash the rest away. Do not delay, as once it begins to dry it is very much more difficult to remove. It may take many washings and many changes of clean water, but a carpet can look like new again if you persist. Allow upto an hour of washing to clean up a typical paint can spill. Paint spills, oil based (eg gloss or eggshell): - Remove as much paint as poss mechanically, clean repeatedly with white spirit or turps substitute, and leave item outdoors for solvent to evaporate. - Other pettroleum distillates can be used if necessary. Plastic glue: - acetone Resin from conifer trees and pine: - olive oil. After removal, clean off the oil with soap and hot water - white spirit or turps Rust: - oxalic acid will remove iron stains from some materials. However iron compounds act as a self mordanting dye with some fabrics, and on these it is not removable, even by bleach. Rust spots on chrome: - WD40 - biological washing powder ****: - bio washing powder Superglue: - nitromethane, aka cyanoacrylate debonder Stubborn stains: - an overnight soak in bio washing powder solution frequently works. - cellulose thinners will remove a lot of stains, but also damage some things. Tar: - swarfega - paraffin. Other petroleum distillates should also work. - olive oil. Remove the olive oil with hot water and soap etc. Tea & coffee - soak overnight in bio washing powder - soak in bicarb solution - soak in peroxide or oxygen bleach - oxalic acid Toilet scale: - limescale removing toilet cleaner, ideally one containing hydrochloric acid. HCl is by far the most effective. It will need applying several times if the amount of scaling is significant. Unknown stains: - Use the general purpose stain treatments above, starting with an overnight soak in bio washing powder. Varnish: - paint strippers - olbas oil - while still wet, water and detergent for water based, or white spirit for spirit based Vehicle grease and dirt: see grease Wax: - apply blotting paper, absorbent cloth, or fuller's earth, and iron. Repeat until cleared. The absorbent soaks up the molten wax. - wash in boiling water with dishwasher detergent - alcohol - olbas oil (? confirm) Wine: - washing powder - white grape juice can loosen red wine stains, then wash with washing powder. Other colourless fruit juices might also work. - dip in a solution of sal ammonia or alcohol, and rinse. Yellowed cotton: - bleach sometimes works. If not: - dip in soapy water, hang in the sun while wet. Allow a day or 2, and keep it moist. Very effective, though slow. Less likely candidates: ----------------------- Some cleaners are just best avoided... Blood: Mrs Beeton recommends purified bullocks blood for removing grease spots. Fire is also used as an occasional specialist cleaner, but not recomended for general household use. Gas burners are sometimes used to clear paths of weeds. Glo-fuel for model aircraft: various different formulae exist, containing methanol, oils, solvents such as ether, etc. Glo-fuel is highly volatile, highly flammable, explosive, very toxic, narcotic, contains ether which is an early and rather risky general anaesthetic from the Victorian era, and the fumes can be fatal. A powerful solvent, but the negative outcomes may somewhat outweigh the benefits. Mercury: Used in cleaning powders for silver in Victorian times. Mercury vapour is toxic, mercury is toxic to eat, and the mercury makes the silver weak and brittle. Not an ideal cleaner. Saliva: While not one of the favourite household cleaners, its fairly effective, and is used in some households. Contains enzymes. Next time you visit your friend, see if you can work out what has been drool cleaned. Turd: yes, dirt itself is recommended for cleaning by.... Mrs Beeton again. To clean the char off scorched linen, she recommends: 1/2 pint of vinegar, 2 oz. of fuller's-earth, 1 oz. of dried fowls' dung, 1/2 oz. of soap, and the juice of 2 large onions. Thank god for the onions. Urine: It had to make the list somewhere. In Tudor times clothes were boiled in urine and wood ash on wash day. Lovely. The 2 react to make a form of soap, and both are cleaners in their own right to some extent. It need hardly be said that one should not skimp on rinsing. Hydrofluoric acid: removes most types of dirt. Unfortunately it also removes whatever the dirt is on, hands, finger bones, pretty well everything. It is also difficult to store, since it attacks and eats even the most unreactive of storage materials, glass. Stored in glass coated in liquid paraffin, preferably anywhere but here. Untested claims: ---------------- Whether these will work or not is not known. If you try any of these, let us know how it went. Gilt Frame cleaner: Take sufficient sulphur to give a golden tinge to about 1 1/2 pint of water, and in this boil 4 or 5 bruised onions or garlic. Strain off the liquid and let cool. Wash the frames with a soft brush, and when dry it will come out as bright as new. From Mrs Beeton. When a pot or pan is burnt, stand overnight with enough Coke in to cover the bottom of pot completely. By morning it should be removed. Milk removes ballpoint pen ink Hydrogen peroxide and household soap removes many stains. Unidentified absorbent pastes have been reported as successful for removing grease spots. More information: ----------------- Mrs Beeton: possibly the most famous writer on this subject, she produced a series of household guidance books a century ago, which include a thorough section on cleaning materials and methods. Available in any second hand book store, and reproduced online. Many materials discussed in the book are outdated, but there is lots of useful stain removal information, lots of cooking recipes, and discussion of how to manage servants. The Google uk.d-i-y archive: http://tinyurl.com/65kwq The UK.D-I-Y FAQ: http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/ Safety data sheets: ------------------- Safety data sheets and information: http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/ http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/~hmc/hsci/...cals_list.html Data sheets need some cautious interpretation, for example one for cinnamon (the popular spice) http://hazard.com/msds/mf/gsc/files/md101199.html says: INGESTION EFFECTS : Harmful if swallowed. INGESTION : Wash out mouth with water and give water to dilute provided person is conscious. Contact a physician or local poison control center immediately. PROTECTIVE CLOTHING : Chemical resistant clothing is recommended. EYE PROTECTION : Use goggles or face shield is recommended. I had no idea how dangerous cake making was! A lot of cleaners are highly toxic to birds, and must not be used in a room with them. Need a section title for: ------------------------- Microwaves: boil water in the oven for a few minutes, it softens the dirt and makes cleaning easy. Oven: sprinkle a layer (about 1.2 inch deep or so) of baking soda, then mist heavily from a spray bottle of water. Let sit overnight, and that should do it. Can also use this method to remove burnt on muck from pots and pans etc. uPVC: cream cleaner, such as Cif tough hand clean jobs, undissolved washing powder and water. Baths can be cleaned in about 30 seconds with a large stiff duster. Most dusters are too soft for the job. Remaining Questions: -------------------- Where does cream cleaner fit into this list? Other stain devils and similar? What do steam cleaners remove and do, and not remove? screwfix bath rubber 79117... what is it? borax, what does it do? I know its used with laundry, but thats all. is caustic soda usful for paint removal? Wax based paint cleaners etc eg paintklenz... ? what is it? is olbas oil good for wax removal? |
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On 28 May 2005 14:33:49 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote:
Heres the latest version. Any more input welcome. Is it finished now, and ready for publishing? I'm back in UK so will be looking at it shortly. Phil |
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#36
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Phil Addison wrote:
On 28 May 2005 14:33:49 -0700, in uk.d-i-y wrote: Heres the latest version. Any more input welcome. Is it finished now, and ready for publishing? I'm back in UK so will be looking at it shortly. Phil Welcome back. No not yet, I'm having to slot updates in between a busy life at the mo, but it'll get there. Wouldnt say no to a few suggestions on how to fill in the missing bits etc, or any remaining issues. Plus theres a whole new section that needs suggestions. NT |
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#38
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wrote:
wrote: Drain cleaners? -------------- good idea. I'm not quite sure if they qualify as cleaners, what does the group think? Certainly useful, either way, so might as well. acid-type based on sulphuric - thick liquid alkali based on caustic soda - available as thick liquid or powder don't mix them :-| danger if chemical fails to clear drain and mechanical clearing e.g. rodding, plunging then attempted what is the danger? also biological type, works slowly (days/weeks rather than minutes/hours) so more for keeping prob drains clear or slowly clearing partly blocked drain. thanks for another section Solvents -------- ... Nitromors: Methylene chloride, paint and varnish stripper. Produces fumes attacks some plastics etc (friend of sprog's tried to remove unsuccessful paint job from model boat with it, ended up destroying plastic of boat) Limescale removers: ------------------- Sulphamic acid: the most popular acid in limescale removing toilet cleaners. Sulphuric acid: stronger than sulphamic but costs more. And is more harmful, especially in high concentrations. harmful to what, in what way? Hydrochloric acid: powerful and fast. Could be more specific about metal(s). Brick cleaner concentration takes a very long time (c weeks) to dissolve copper, and probably does nothing to iron. I'll test it, I just assumed it would eat iron for breakfast. Re weeks, there is always a likelihood of any cleaner being left behind in small amounts in corners ets, so I dont think I'd advise using HCl on any metal. I expect it reacts more vigorously with light alloys (not sure if Ali's natural AlO2 skin protects it). Definitely tarnishes Chrome (and may attack vitreous enamel on baths?) so don't use for limescale in bathrooms etc. its sold for use on vitreous toilets, (tesco limescale removing toilet cleaner) and leaves them looking pretty good, so I think it would be ok. Whether it can be used on plastic baths I dont know. Remaining Questions: -------------------- is caustic soda usful for paint removal? yes, either au naturel as a liquid for dipping or in gel/paste formulation e.g. Ronstrip which can cling to vertical surfaces while the caustic soda takes effect ok, and I guess the easy way to paste it is with lime. Thanks, NT |
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#40
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Andrew Gabriel wrote:
When I was in my last year at school, someone else in my year had a nasty accident with methylene chloride (at home, not in the school). He was using it to strip the paint off his bicycle. He was overcome by the fumes and collapsed into the bowl of paint stripper. I don't know what happened, and he didn't reappear at school before I left. Thanks, have found data on it, its one of the high risk ones. From what the MSDS says, it would be hard to see how your colleague could have survived, unless help was at hand. NT |
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