A good shop soap???

[dink]

What is a good shop soap to keep in the garage for cleaning your hands and stuff like that......do you guys think Lava Soap is still pretty decent???

 

[Rickster]

Lava's OK for mild clean-ups and to get the slimey feel off your hands from some of the oil/grease cutting soaps. I've tried the Go-Jo but it always smells bad and the D&L Hand Cleaner (along with the Go-Jo) leaves a residue on your hands. The Fast Orange works well on grease and paint and is my go-to soap for tough clean-ups. It doesn't leave a residue or smell bad.

 

[dink]

Lava's OK for mild clean-ups and to get the slimey feel off your hands from some of the oil/grease cutting soaps. I've tried the Go-Jo but it always smells bad and the D&L Hand Cleaner (along with the Go-Jo) leaves a residue on your hands. The Fast Orange works well on grease and paint and is my go-to soap for tough clean-ups. It doesn't leave a residue or smell bad.

Oh yea I forgot about Fast Orange....also I know Mean Green and Simple Green are also good....any other opinions???

 

[kartracer55]

Well it depends on what your trying to clean. Gojo does leave a residue, but it ceans pretty well. Lava soap is great for when your hands are pretty dirty. I also have this stuff called ReDuran, and its a soap usually found in print shops, because it removes inks and dyes, however it burns a bit when your using it lol. I saved a pump bottle from softsoap or something and I fill it with dawn. Its great for when you have oil or light grease on your hands, and you dont need lava or gojo. Another product similar to gojo is called GOOP, and it works pretty well, but still has the residue. ZEP orange pumice hand cleaner doesnt leave a residue, but it doesnt come in the past like gojo does. Lava also makes soap in a liquid form.

Jim

 

[TOMWELDS]

If you're getting real dirty, i like to use Go-Jo with pumice and then use a regular bar of soap. It gets all the dirt off. Also, a scrubbing brush for the stubborn grease and under the nails.

 

[kartracer55]

Dawn is def. underrated for the shop. it cuts grease REALLY well. Just make sure its non-ultra dawn otherwise it will take 15 minutes to rinse off your hands.

Jim

 

[TOMWELDS]

Which of these detergents do you find mildest on your hands??...LOL..couldnt resist!

 

[evildky]

CRC makes an orange hand cleaner, I can't recall the exact name, but it seems to work better than the other orange hand cleaners I've tried, smells like oranges (big suprise right), and works great

 

[REFLEXX]

Gents!

I use latex "surgical" type gloves. at HF you can pick up a box of 100 for like $4. then some ivory or irish spring just to get the talc off at the end of the day.

hands are filthy, phones rings, snap-snap, hands are spotless! Plus the countless of nicks and gouges that I've saved my self from handling sharp amul or steel parts. I go thru about four pairs a day especially when dealing with greasy or really dirty parts.

I'm a machininst/designer/fabricator and I have smoother hands than my wife!

using power tools with regular gloves is dangerous (like drill presses or mills) because they can catch and wrap you up! With latex gloves they just grab and you instinctivly pull back and they stretch then break. A good sting from the latex snapping is all the reminder you get for being foolish! Ask me how I know!

later,

REFLEXX

 

[rsitzejr]

X2 for Dawn, works great, always a bottle on my deep sink.

 

[vmo]

I have used ZEP TKO for a long time with good results. Very gritty and rinses off well. Cleans really good.

 

[kartracer55]

I use latex gloves alot, but for sometimes they are a pain. I mean, one moment Ill be working on something dirtya nd greasy, then when I want to swtich to something clean, I either have tog et new gloves or "wash them" I like just using a rag with some simple green on it through the course of the day

 

[Luke73]

I have ZEP Grip in the garage. Doesn't rough your hands up like Go Jo. I have using using rubber gloves recently. Cheap at Sam's Club - $8 for 100 pairs.

 

[MXtras]

3X for Dawn. Good stuff, cheap.

3X for gloves. Especially for air filter oil and fork oil.

1X for talking my neighbor into doing the dirty work while I call for pizza.

Scott

 

[realz]

I'm looking at a tub of waterless hand wipes, simular to baby wipes, but manly. This tub is Wypall brand made by Kimberly-Clark.
They take off grease, paint and general crud.
They work very well and you don't need water or even any other towel.

 

[sberry]

I agree with the dishsoap, its all we really use. Dawn, Ajax lemon or lemon Joy. I buy about 10 bottles at a time from Walmart when its on sale. You need something high detergent like these 3 are. I tried some generic lemon and it doesnt work very well, we mixed it 50/50 until it was gone. I got some Ajax at Wally world for a 1$ for the large bottles. We have other stuff but have found over the years that dishsoap works about as well as anything. If I get really slimey I rinse in the parts washer first.

 

[dink]

I agree with the dishsoap, its all we really use. Dawn, Ajax lemon or lemon Joy. I buy about 10 bottles at a time from Walmart when its on sale. You need something high detergent like these 3 are. I tried some generic lemon and it doesnt work very well, we mixed it 50/50 until it was gone. I got some Ajax at Wally world for a 1$ for the large bottles. We have other stuff but have found over the years that dishsoap works about as well as anything. If I get really slimey I rinse in the parts washer first.

Actually what I use to get things started in cleaning my hands I use WD-40 first....this gets most of it off then I move to Lava soap

That WD-40 works wonders....kinda like Arm and Hammer baking soda

 

[kartracer55]

Actually what I use to get things started in cleaning my hands I use WD-40 first....this gets most of it off then I move to Lava soap

That WD-40 works wonders....kinda like Arm and Hammer baking soda

Yeah, I use wd40 sometimes too. Ive actually been known to use brakekleen on occasion but I heard that its really bad for your skin so I usually dont do it. Simple green on a rag works pretty well for "waterless" cleaning.

Jim

 

[l_bilyk]

Combination of fast orange for the caked on grease and dishwashing detergent for oil

 

[TOMWELDS]

Im guilty of using WD-40 also. When i was a kid, i used old ****** fluid first, then soap....lol

 

[avsfan733]

i prefer the orange but in a pinch have been known to use brake clean

 

[kartracer55]

Carb cleaner actually works better than the brakleen, but it tends to burn cuts worse as well. Either way, its and expensive way to clean your hands... I like simply green on a rag.

Jim

 

[REFLEXX]

gents,

I heard / read that using the "good stuff" like gasoline or solvents can do some nasty things to your body. A few percent of what you use gets soaked into your skin!!! that's some serious poison going in.

I've used gas in the past, but that info scared me! I'll stick with latex, orange stuff and irish spring

my 2c.

REFLEXX

 

[vmo]

I've been known to Methyl Eythl Ketone on occasion. It will take damn near anything off! Potting compound, paint, sealant, and easier things like grease and dirt. Only problem is that it dries out your skin so fast you can watch it happen, and it causes cancer in lab animals in California.

 

[red98gt]

Agree with REFLEXX, cheapo latex gloves are great! Keeps the stuff out from under your nails, snap and they are off. Yes some chemicals will eat right through them and if you are allergic to latex, but other than that cleanop is really easy.

 

[kartracer55]

nitrile gloves are alot nicer than latex... hold up much better but are also really expensive.
Jim

 

[ironroad 9c1]

causes cancer in lab animals in California.

well your ok long as your not a lab rat in cali. lol
i use dawn and comet ,that usually gets everything except the little permanant grease in the valleys of the finger prints

 

[kartracer55]

Everything causes cancer in the peoples republic of kliforna... even channellocks lol

 

[Stuart in MN]

Another vote for Dawn dish soap. If I'm really filthy I'll use Simple Green first. Gas or solvents, besides not being very good for you, are hard on the skin.

 

[C4Jimmy]

Go-Joe "Paint and Stain" is by far the best stuff I have ever used!

And yes, like others have posted: I usually wear latex or other (Nitrile) type gloves!

Now when I go out to eat, I can pass dinner rolls with confidence!!

 

[krooser]

I like ZEP "Cherry Bomb" OR most any cheap dish soap....

 

[MXtras]

nitrile gloves are alot nicer than latex... hold up much better but are also really expensive.
Jim

Maybe I am buying the wrong expensive gloves - the "Touch-n-Tough" nitrile gloves I tried SUCKED. They tore almost instantly. What gloves are you refering to?

Scott

 

[jeepgod]

latex gloves? those things dont last 5 minutes around my shop...


and there is nothing better than a good de-greasing dish soap... plus its way cheaper than anything else out there.... i have a scrub brush to get the nicks and cuts.... for between jobs... a rag takes care of things....

 

[dink]

Yea I think I will just stick with Lava soap...its done well for me in the past

 

[kartracer55]

have you tried the pump stuff or only the oldschool bar? I have found the liquid version works pretty well actually.

Jim

 

[vettescout]

Best stuff I've found is "Joe's Hand Cleaner" distributed by Kleen Products in Ok city, found it at an industrial trade show in El Paso Tx., don't know if it's nationally distributed but it cleans like crazy and doesn't kill your hands, important cause I have to wash my hands a dozen or so times a day...

 

[chevy302dz]

CRC makes an orange hand cleaner, I can't recall the exact name, but it seems to work better than the other orange hand cleaners I've tried, smells like oranges (big suprise right), and works great

I 2nd the CRC stuff it works great.

 

[kartracer55]

CRC stuff usually is. Whats the name of it?

I really like how gojo and goop comes in a "past" it seems to work better than the liquids.

Jim

 

[dink]

have you tried the pump stuff or only the oldschool bar? I have found the liquid version works pretty well actually.

Jim

I have only ever used the liquid form....the bar I dunno....I couldnt see how it would work better then the liquid....with the liquid the pebbles are settled in better...or sand...whatever they use

 

[kartracer55]

Pumice... from volcanos. I hav used both, and both work well, btu the bar roughs up your hands a bit more.

jim