Hand cleaning tip

[davidlee]

I have found that a well worn green Scotch Brite pad with some Lava soap does a great job of hand and forearm cleaning. I like it better than a hand brush because it does not splatter everywhere and yet still gets the grease and grime off of you hands, arms and finger nails. I now keep one at my shop sink at all times.

 

[kevin47]

Great...! But it's not for some hands...I prefer nitrile gloves...quicker and easier...

 

[IONH]

I used to never wear them but I now also prefer gloves. They're very cheap and I'll bust open a couple of fingers (of the gloves) before I swap them.

Plus, if you cut yourself a little, you can slap on a glove and not get the cut dirtier before you go inside to clean / bandage.

 

[kevin47]

I agree...Gloves...I love'em...I get up in the morning and make sure I have a pair in my pocket...You know what else I use them for...? Raw chicken...Heck, cooked chicken, when cleaning chicken for the dogs...? You don't want that "fat" under your finger nails...Yuck...Gloves ...quick & easy....My co-workers call me "Dr." lol

 

[GRX]

Good tip.

Try as I might, just can't get used to working with gloves on.

Dawn & Boraxo hand soap for me. Yes my hands are like leather.

 

[stonesfan68]

I have found that a well worn green Scotch Brite pad with some Lava soap does a great job of hand and forearm cleaning. I like it better than a hand brush because it does not splatter everywhere and yet still gets the grease and grime off of you hands, arms and finger nails. I now keep one at my shop sink at all times.

Thanks for the tip. Sometime I forget to put on gloves and then suddenly find myself looking like Pigpen from the Peanuts comics.

 

[bgarrett]

sandpaper, 3M pad on a drill motor, simple green with SS scouring pad

 

[MarkG]

Here's an interesting thread:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Clean-Greasy-Hands-With-Lotion---The-Poor-Man-s-Go/#step1

I've also heard of using plain old olive oil the same way-----it works! Either option still requires regular soap to get really clean. If you're one of the fortunate people with 'normal' skin, GoJo is probably fine for you, but as I get older, I have more dermatitis problems, so these more skin-friendly alternatives are a good option.

 

[zoomzoomjeff]

Started with brake cleaner in my 20's cuz I thought I was invincible, then moved to GoJo or one of those orange pumice cleaners.

I've found dishwashing soap like Joy and a sponge/scrubber all lathered up with that soap to be the single best thing at getting all of the grease and grime off. Course, my wife hates it as I ruin her scrubber sponge, so now she has a separate one for me below the sink.

Even better, she approved funding for a utility tub in the basement that's just for me after garage work. But I'll still stick to Joy or Dawn and one of those dish washing sponge/scrubber combos. Ground in grease and grime comes RIGHT off.

 

[tommudd]

Brillo pad with strong soap

 

[GShelton]

A small handful of powder laundry detergent does great. Careful though as it gets hot.

 

[bonneyman]

Quick N Brite and a copper (not steel) wool pad. No harsh chemical smell, drying skin, or toxicity.

http://www.quicknbrite.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=190

 

[mrpizza]

I like goop. Without the grit in it.

 

[Haveblue]

I dont use the pumice cleaner unless I have to. One cleaner I have found I like is Joes Winter formula hand cleaner. Easy on the hands, yet It works very well. As I get older, I find myself using gloves more. Its nice to get a job done, pitch the gloves, and pull a vehicle out without having to wash my hands.

 

[bumblebee]

I have used dish soap and a little table salt to act as an abrasive. Works really good!

 

[SCTony]

For getting under the fingernails clean, take an old toothbrush and cut the bristles to about half length with some scissors. Add some soap onto the brush and it works great.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Once you get the first couple of layers off the best way to clean deep dirt is ... wash dishes.

 

[Ray-CA]

If you want to really freak out the other guys in the shop. Put on a pair of those veterinary gloves. You know, the ones that go from finger-tip to arm pit. Tell them you got them from your brother, cousin etc. the cop. He uses them for body cavity searches.

Ray

 

[BMcC]

I like Boraxo soap. It works kind of like pumice soaps. I've never found it in the stores though, so you'll probably have to special order it.

 

[neel2008]

At the shop, I wash my hands/arms off in the parts washer and follow up with a good pumice hand cleaner in the sink.....Only way I have found to get diesel truck (hd truck) oil off quickly and easily.....but your skin has to be able to take it all the time.....drys it out...

 

[78C-10]

Zep Cherry Bomb hand cleaner is a good hand cleaner, if you can find it. I have bought it off of ebay in the past.

 

[RCPro87]

PERMATEX COCO SCRUB. It is hands down the best cleaner Ive ever used. No chemicals and will never dry out your hands. I wash my hands once and they are perfect. You will have no regrets. You dont have to use alot and the tub lasts forever.

 

[GRX]

PERMATEX COCO SCRUB. It is hands down the best cleaner Ive ever used. No chemicals and will never dry out your hands. I wash my hands once and they are perfect. You will have no regrets. You dont have to use alot and the tub lasts forever.

Sounds like good stuff. My hands do get pretty dry from the Boraxo & Dawn, and my girlfriend is always telling me to moisturize.
Is it one of these?


>> Coco scrub ..... >> Coconut Grease Grabber

 

[copterdoctor]

I had a coworker who used to wash his hands, get them clean and dry, then rub dish soap into his hands like lotion. The next time he'd wash his hands they were much easier to wash...
I got this lotion called Hand-e-Glove, "invisible glove" from napa. I've used it a few times. it works ok, but is basically expensive lotion.
I use nitrile gloves if it's too dirty of a job. Otherwise it's gojo and dawn dish soap for me

 

[chep58]

Sounds goofy but PAM, the anti stick stuff you spray on your pans before cooking works great on grease and some paints.

 

[RECox286]

I have gotten into the habit of using dish detergent liquid. It cuts oil

and grease, while being gentle to the skin (and it won't wrinkle your

nail polish either). I keep a container of Lava at the sink too, just in

case I need a bit of grit (rarely). I used to use GOJO all the time, but

found that it was really drying out my hands. Take it for what it's worth.

Last point: The dish detergent is cheaper than the other stuff in use,

and if you get it at the Dollar Store, it's cheaper still. A little goes a

long way. Oh, I forgot, I also use it to find leaks in tires, so it is like

a 2 fer 1 deal.

Uncle Bob

 

[ryan t]

I use Fast Orange if I'm really grimy and greasy, like after working with wheel bearing grease or gear oil. For just general dirty garage hands I use dawn dish soap.

 

[alpinewhite]

I put lotion (or petroleum jelly) in my hands and jam as much of it as possible under my fingernails. Once I can jam no more, I wipe my hands dry and get to work. The lotion limits the amount of dirty grease that gets under my fingernails.

 

[Cemoto]

Try clean new 20W motor oil (not used). A good friend of mine is a diesel truck mechanic and says that is the best way to start - then switch to goop.

I've been using that trick with a toothbrush for years.

Tried ATF once but the hands stunk afterward.

Regards,

 

[61falcon]

Once you get the first couple of layers off the best way to clean deep dirt is ... wash dishes.

thats it right there. the only other way is a weeks vacation at the beach.

 

[kevin47]

As you get older you'll realize that harsh stuff is harming your hands...Take it easy...Try the gloves...You'll thank me later...

 

[kevin47]

thats it right there. the only other way is a weeks vacation at the beach.

Or a couple of weeks in jail...lol

 

[thomasjw4]

By far the best hand cleaner is shaving cream. Not the new gel style, but the old Barbasol foam. Try it, you'll be amazed.

 

[c39er]

Powdered laundry soap (Tide) with a small hand/nails bristle brush. Cleans real mechanics hands to pansy mans pink and pretty hands. Better than GoJo too.

 

[Fixnair]

I use nitrile also but short sleeve shirts expose my arms to grime. I too have discovered the benefits of 3M Scotchbrite for washing up but rather than Lava soap I use Dawn dish detergent. Cuts grease fast. It was developed to clean animals involved in oil spills.
After 50 years messaging iron my fingernails and hands are finally perfectly clean.

 

[Justanoldguy]

For the last 21 years I have been using Amway Liquid Organic Cleaner ( LOC )
Made with coconut oil and great for the hands.
A scotch brite type pad helps with the lathering as well for those real grubby hands.

 

[Garage5.9]

Wd40 works well and isn't too harsh on the skin. Most grease/oil wipes off easily then i use TKO and wash like regular

 

[Drew_flux]

dish soap and washing powder is a good mix. kero/parts washer will also do a good job but drys the skin.
I have found a good trick lately, that works with most grit based soaps.
Put the soap on a paper towl,it tends to work the soap in better and the paper pulls the dirt off fairly fast.

 

[Drew_flux]

Do you guys get "hand barrier cream" over there. I used to get it cheap, put it on your hands and yhe grease sticks to it.not yor hands.

 

[Moose02]

if using bare hand take a bar of soap and scrape your fingernails into it so no dirt collects under the nails been doing that for years keeps them clean with just a little effort from a surgical nail brush to clean out