You all wipe down your wrenches.. but..

[ZRX61]

Why is it no one seems to wipe down the plastic handles on their channel-locks etc? I give mine a quick wipe with a rag/laquer thinner & even at 10+ years old they all still look new... I also see red plastic handles in the toolbox thread etc that look almost black....

 

[JayL]

Is lacquer thinner better at cleaning Channellock handles than say WD-40? I do clean mine after use in an oily environment but have not tried thinner yet.

 

[woody 73]

I realize that you are going to kill me for even saying this,but I never clean my tools I try and leave as much oil and grease on them as possible. My brother tells me how ugly they look but then again I never have any rust problems.

I am sure that people (customers) like seeing a clean area I do too,but in my garage moisture is a big killer,so I do what it takes to stop the rust.

 

[mdbeck1]

I realize that you are going to kill me for even saying this,but I never clean my tools I try and leave as much oil and grease on them as possible. My brother tells me how ugly they look but then again I never have any rust problems.

I am sure that people (customers) like seeing a clean area I do too,but in my garage moisture is a big killer,so I do what it takes to stop the rust.

Leaving them dirty also keeps BILs from touching (and "borrowing") them.

 

[plinker]

I spary mine with brake cleaner or perferably citrol every so often. Dont like gummy/oily/dirty pliers (or soft grip screwdrivers).

 

[sberry]

I try not to get grease gobbed all over in the fist place. So much easier to stay clean than fix the mess.

 

[shotgunfatcat]

I don't clean mine unless they are full of grease.

 

[atlinwi202]

I clean them all just about every time.

 

[bgott]

I have a friend that uses Armorall on his pliers.

 

[supertooljunkie]

I hate dirty pliers handles. Especially on electrical pliers or screwdrivers. I use purple degreaser soap or paint thinner. Works well with no residue. Then a wipe of the steel with WD-40 or silicone spray

 

[Indy_500]

HF is smart and makes orange handles on their pliers

 

[rockchucker]

Mine get wiped before returning back to the box but I do not run them through a parts washer or anything.

 

[mrholeshot]

I wipe mine down with WD40, sometimes they turn black before I get around to it. I don't use brakeclean because it will deteriate the handles over a few years. WD40 cleans the better than about anything I've found. I don't mind washing them in SafetyClean parts washers but nothing else.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I have a friend that uses Armorall on his pliers.

That must make it fun to try to hold on to them.

Makes me think about when Armorall first came out, back when I was a teenager. I put some on the seat of my motorcycle...I found out that wasn't a very good idea, the first time I got on the gas.

 

[mrholeshot]

HF is smart and makes orange handles on their pliers

Yeah but get them good and dirty and you'll never get them clean. The handle will double as a file though, lol

 

[mrholeshot]

That must make it fun to try to hold on to them.

Makes me think about when Armorall first came out, back when I was a teenager. I put some on the seat of my motorcycle...I found out that wasn't a very good idea, the first time I got on the gas.

I did the same thing but found out when you hit the brakes hard get ready to ride the gas cap, lol

 

[Indy_500]

I put armorall on my snowmobile seat, helps me move around better in the corners.

 

[mrholeshot]

I put armorall on my snowmobile seat, helps me move around better in the corners.

Yeah but youre in a padded suit on fluffy powder.

 

[Rickster]

I use auto "Bug and Tar Remover" to clean up plastic parts.

 

[zmotorsports]

I wipe them off after every use. All my tools get cleaned prior to being put back into the toolbox. I generally have a bench or toolcart full of them and after completing the job I will wipe each tool off and put in its proper place in my toolbox. If the handles on my pliers look exceptionally dirtier than normal I will spray a shop rag with brake wash and wipe the handles down to keep them looking good. Not much bothers me more than grabbing a pair of pliers and having grease still on the handles (or any tool for that matter).

I seem to work much better and proficiently with clean tools rather than filthy, disgusting looking and feeling tools. Mike.

 

[MrMark]

WD40 seems to be safe and work fairly well for cleaning handles. It's about all I use it for, really. I know lacquer thinner is the badest of the common solvents and that it will get those hard to clean new red SO handles clean, but won't it also destroy the handle in the process?

I can't stand working on a dirty car or with nasty tools.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I clean mine with WD-40. 2 years on and the plastic-dipped handles are still nice and glossy.

 

[dkroth]

I don't clean mine unless they are full of grease.

One summer in college I worked as a mechanic's helper at the corner garage. The head mechanic's sockets were all packed with grime and grease. There was enough space to get on the bolt head, but the rest was solid dirt.

One day when things were slow I took a couple of his socket rails to the parts washer and cleaned them up real nice. When he went to close up his box at the end of the day he though someone else had put their sockets away in his box!

 

[littlekillertoad]

I wipe down everything with wd-40 and it seems to get the job done just fine.

 

[Flash21]

Speaking of wiping down the rubber handles on pliers / etc..


Does anyone know how to get cigarette smoke smell out of a rubberized tool handle? No offense to the smokers out there, but I don't enjoy the smell and I occasionally buy used tool that has handles that smell like smoke. After using the tool, my hands smell of it and I don't like it.

I've tried and few things but nothing has been effective.

Anyone know how to knock the smell out of the handles permanently without damaging them?

 

[shotgunfatcat]

Speaking of wiping down the rubber handles on pliers / etc..


Does anyone know how to get cigarette smoke smell out of a rubberized tool handle? No offense to the smokers out there, but I don't enjoy the smell and I occasionally buy used tool that has handles that smell like smoke. After using the tool, my hands smell of it and I don't like it.

I've tried and few things but nothing has been effective.

Anyone know how to knock the smell out of the handles permanently without damaging them?

Let the handles soak in ice cold water. for a while, but watch the rust.

 

[nate379]

I don't get that **** about any of my tools. I have them for use, not to polish them and keep them new.

I wipe greasy or dirty stuff down before putting them away and that's about it.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Speaking of wiping down the rubber handles on pliers / etc..


Does anyone know how to get cigarette smoke smell out of a rubberized tool handle? No offense to the smokers out there, but I don't enjoy the smell and I occasionally buy used tool that has handles that smell like smoke. After using the tool, my hands smell of it and I don't like it.

I've tried and few things but nothing has been effective.

Anyone know how to knock the smell out of the handles permanently without damaging them?

I had that with a hard handle, just soaked it in WD-40 and it's now odourless.

 

[yotarover]

can't remember the last time i cleaned mine ( electrial tool/power tools i clean) but wrenches sockets ratchets etc i just put them in a pile and be done cause just as soon as i do i'll get them again and go back to grease monkey work or something in that nature. now as for expensive tools i keep them clean and put up in their org packaging or something in that nature

 

[blarf]

I clean them when I get tired of picking up greasy tools with my bare hands. I've been using hand cleaner because it's around and it manages to get rid of most of the grease.

 

[wafrederick]

I have spray down tools with brake clean or clean them in the parts washer if automatic transmission fluid gets on them.ATF is the worst to wipe off,spraying the tool down with brake clean or washing them in the parts washer gets the automatic transmission fluid off.

 

[TCJ1981]

That must make it fun to try to hold on to them.

Makes me think about when Armorall first came out, back when I was a teenager. I put some on the seat of my motorcycle...I found out that wasn't a very good idea, the first time I got on the gas.

Dang that takes me back. I worked at the filling station in town when I was in high school. Whenever we were slow on a Saturday the boss would have us clean the service trucks which all had vinyl seats in them. We used to put that stuff all over everything (door handles, window cranks, dash, steering wheel, and even the foot pedals) then wait and watch until someone would come in and try to move them. It was mean and stupid, but sure was funny at the time. Needless to say, after a few times, the armorall was banned from the shop.

 

[DaleK]

I find a thin coating of oil or grease helps get the manure off easier.

 

[Solid Lifters]

All my tools are surgical clean. I am a surgeon (of electronics).


I wash soft handles with laundry detergent and hot water. Then, whipe down the metal with a silcone gun cloth with some Break Free.

If a tool starts to develope rust I toss it out, give it away or sell it. I've had just a few items rust on me. All were cheap tools so it wasn't a big loss to just toss them.

 

[Justanoldguy]

"wipe down your wrenches"

Damn I thought you said Wenches.
They usually wipe themselves down when we are finished.

 

[arkangel06]

I put armorall on my snowmobile seat, helps me move around better in the corners.

Do you put flame stickers on the side to help you go faster?

 

[Danglerb]

When I work I have have two shop towels stuffed in pockets, clean and not so clean, and without thinking as I walk between the car and toolbox etc the not so clean towel is wiping whatever tool I have with me. I don't fuss with handles much, just wipe everything down, and the not so clean towel usually has some spot with Marvel Mystery oil on it.

 

[wcglover]

I wipe down my tools when im done a job and clean them with brake clean or spray nine (apparently its so good it kills HIV, says so on the bottle) about once a month. Im a field mechanic thats always on the run, i cant spend an hour everyday polishing the tools i used that day.

Lots of people like to use WD40, it can clean and prevent rust but i wont allow it in my service truck, i use a penetrating oil or a lubricant spray but dont use the jack of allspray WD40.

The biggest prob i have is my impact sockets rusting in the rain/snow rather then overly dirty tools, i wish i could find a solution to that

 

[Bolster]

Isn't lacquer thinner kind of hard on your health?

 

[Justanoldguy]

Isn't lacquer thinner kind of hard on your health?

Tell me what isn't nowadays..