To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Are there any good spray bottles?

seber

Well-known member
Joined
May 31, 2016
Messages
4,202
Location
Deep East Tx.
Even the Zep sprayers fail pretty quickly for me. I make sure no spray bottle ever gets tossed just because the bottle is empty. I get a lot from my wife that way. I also save them from auction and estate sale lots and usually dump the contents.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Colin Len

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2013
Messages
1,233
Location
Long Beach CA
I had so-so luck with the Zep bottles but mainly I just hate the ergonomics of them. I did some searching and its strange but the bottles that Autozone sells are cheap and better than pretty much anything else I've tried. Although, admittedly I haven't tried any of the high dollar ones.

I've been considering upgrading to something from Obsessed Garage and getting better organized with all my detailing bottles.
 

CGarage

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2018
Messages
3,028
Location
United States/Switzerland
I used to think the Griot’s spray bottles and spray nozzles were the best......

Until I tried ZEP. Which blew the Griot’s out of the water.

My only gripe is I have to retighten the threaded cap to the bottle top rather frequently.
But it is a minor gripe for how well they spray.
And the price at Lowe’s is less then $10 for 3 spray bottles.
 
OP
N

n8n

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
3,607
Location
Curtis Bay, MD
The ZEP spray bottles are FANTASTIC!!!!!

I've had no luck with those, or the Spraymaster ones, those were the first two I tried and I was very disappointed. I guess they may be good for most chemicals but not bleach.
 

CGarage

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2018
Messages
3,028
Location
United States/Switzerland
I've had no luck with those, or the Spraymaster ones, those were the first two I tried and I was very disappointed. I guess they may be good for most chemicals but not bleach.

I have not used them with bleach. I did use them with soap and water and just water and they work really well.
 

bonneyman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 22, 2010
Messages
8,836
Location
Desert SW
Yeah, for 1-2 gallon jobs (like coil cleaning) I use a B&G stainless sprayer. Once in a while the weird plunger/closure device they use cruds up, but I'm not complaining. I use citrus cleaner or HD evap cleaner (with potassium hydroxide) and only have to worry about changing the check valve occasionally.

The hand-held quart sprayers generally are trash. Even the supposed HD ones. We'll see how the Harris ones do.
Update: I put some CalClean HD cleaner in one, and it worked flawlessly. Left the remainder in the bottle, and didn't rinse out the sprayer. Just to test them - I normally rinse sprayer tanks and tips before I store them. The cleaner is potassium hydroxide-based (pretty nasty), so sitting in the sprayer should be a fairly good non-scientific test. After 2+ weeks no issues.
 

KnurledNut

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
8,166
Location
n/a
I've had no luck with those, or the Spraymaster ones, those were the first two I tried and I was very disappointed. I guess they may be good for most chemicals but not bleach.
When water evaporates out of bleach solution it crystallizes and that wreaks havoc on spray bottles.
 

engineer2

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
11,814
Location
Chicago burbs
I picked up a couple of the Zep bleach-resistant spray bottles at Menards today. I'll let you know in a month or so if they hold up.

First impression: they are 32 oz with a larger diameter than other spray bottles. They are taller than normal spray bottles and won't fit my shower niche. Ergonomics are horrible. Expect hand cramps. My thoughts were "Who the hell designed this?" Only $5, so no big deal.
 
Last edited:

Bryan Burns

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 3, 2010
Messages
1,243
Location
Grayslake, Illinois
I'm a fan of this Zep spray bottle. I've been using mineral spirits in it for a couple years and it seems to spray without priming. Not for bleach I guess, but posting this for other members. zep.jpgzep2.jpg
 

Sumboodie

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2021
Messages
10,706
Location
AK
I've had good luck with with these Zep professional bottles. I can usually find them locally for closer to $3 each
For some reason those have lasted the least of the ones I've tried. Even empty Windex and the like have lasted better. I had one in the house for floor cleaner, which is very very mild stuff, and it didn't even last a month.
 

slodat

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
3,682
Location
Central-ish, WA
D34C22A5-C15A-494B-80DF-889D8559BF98.jpeg
I’ve had very good luck with the Sureshot line of Sprayers from Milwaukee sprayer and the Sprayers by the Vapor brand. These get charged with up to 200psi of air from your air compressor and then work like a typical spray can. The Vapor one does a strong thin concentrated stream. The Sureshot has an adjustable tip for everything from a very concentrated stream to a very fine mist.

This just cost me a few bucks. Ordered a few. Thanks for sharing!
 

WurthUSA

Active member
Joined
Jul 21, 2022
Messages
30
I use the Wurth ones (a bit spendy) but they are indestructible, I have one for penetrant oil, one for brake cleaner and another for water and dish soap (for locating leaks) had them for years, fill em up, pump up some pressure and hose it down. You can even buy repair kits for them with new seals (but I've never had an issue).

If I had to transfer any of my mechanic skills to housekeeping (unlikely but you never know), I would definately carry them over into my new trade 😉

I might give the Mrs some for Christmas as a joke gift that she will come to appreciate come to think of it 🤣

 

richfinn

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 29, 2011
Messages
4,817
Location
Leeds, Yorkshire, England

$75 😯 , I can buy them under $20 in the UK all day long!!!
 

dutchgray

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2014
Messages
6,468
Location
Dorset. England.
Check https://www.birchmeier.us/en/content/home.php they are a Swiss company specialised in spraying equipment. They have a lot different spray bottles for various types of solutions. I think the Reilang ones are also made by them, they look very similar.
Birchmeier also make the best small fuel can I have ever used, the Rapidon 6, but I don't believe they are available in the US as you have to change the website to an European option to get them to show up.

I like Wurth pump sprayers myself as they are easy to get here in the UK
 
OP
N

n8n

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
3,607
Location
Curtis Bay, MD
Following up to this:

ended up having to drive by a HD (not my usual one) yesterday and stopped to see if they had another spray bottle for me to try. The only ones they had were the Zep ones and "VPC" and both were marked not for use with bleach, solvents, and something else I forget what. In fact I suspect they may be made by the same company as the wording printed on the bottles was exactly the same.

I'm still using the HDX spray bottle and my only complaint is the fixed spray pattern which is really a stream. It's lasted about 8 weeks so far so, that's better than I'd had with other products.
 

JWILLIE1977

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 8, 2020
Messages
142
Location
WNY
Just had two spill ncidents at work in two days with different spray bottles, and it reminded me to re-visit this thread to check for updates.

I keep a bunch of different solvents, cleaners, etc. In spray bottles when cleaning equipment I use at work. All are in different spray bottles. . . WD-40, isopropyl, simple green, purple power, citrus release, etc. .

Someone above mentioned that the Zep bottles aren't very ergonomic to use. . I tend to agree on that.
I find that the threaded neck of the HDX bottles is the real point for me. . I have dumped entire full bottles because of the threaded neck coming loose. This happened Thursday with a full bottle of isopropyl. The extra large opening of the HDX bottles leads to extra large messes in a hurry. Friday, had another cheapy no-name bottle do the very same thing full of purple power.
Ultimately. . . The second days mess led to a temper tantrum, and a mass execution of ALL spray bottles in the shop. . .cheapy no names. . Zep, HDX. . All got their contents removed and were destroyed in dramatic fashion. There were NO survivors. . . I was unaccompanied in the shop during all of this, thank God.

So, starting from scratch, I went to Amazon. Bought 2 Sure Shots, and 8 of the WD-40 labeled refillables. Working for a winter in an engine shop back in my 20's, I remember the owner had bunches of the WD-40 sprayers with all different stuff in them.
Prepsol, WD, isopropyl, etc.

The WD-40s were 4 for $22.00. I couldn't pass it up.

WD-40 Spray Bottle-EMPTY, 16 OZ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BXKZ5G/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Any one have any other suggestions, that haven't already been mentioned, if the WD40s fall short?
 
Last edited:
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

dnschmidt

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2014
Messages
7,284
Location
Phoenix, AZ
They are actually made by COLAD out of Holland. Are widely used in the autobody industry for wax and grease remover. Should be able to find one in any properly stocked autobody supply house. They aren't cheap at $40 each.
 

dscheidt

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2017
Messages
2,905
They are actually made by COLAD out of Holland. Are widely used in the autobody industry for wax and grease remover. Should be able to find one in any properly stocked autobody supply house. They aren't cheap at $40 each.
Given the thread, it's worth pointing out that colad makes different versions of the spray, with different seals and pump materials. Pick the version compatable with what you're putting in it....
 

bdbecker

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Messages
5,573
Location
Iowa
These are the most reliable ones I've found.


We use them for all sorts of different chemicals at work. Easy to fill, adjustable spray pattern, relatively inexpensive, and far more durable than anything else we've tried. Dropping them on their heads is about the only thing that kills them, but that could be said for pretty much any spray bottle. We used to burn through a case (24 bottles) every 2-3 months. A case of these bottles lasts us 6-8 months, and that's with nearly double the number of people in the shop than we had 5 years ago.
 

dnschmidt

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2014
Messages
7,284
Location
Phoenix, AZ
These are the most reliable ones I've found.


We use them for all sorts of different chemicals at work. Easy to fill, adjustable spray pattern, relatively inexpensive, and far more durable than anything else we've tried. Dropping them on their heads is about the only thing that kills them, but that could be said for pretty much any spray bottle. We used to burn through a case (24 bottles) every 2-3 months. A case of these bottles lasts us 6-8 months, and that's with nearly double the number of people in the shop than we had 5 years ago.
This surprises me as they state that they use Buna-N o-rings. Typically, solvent resistant bottles use Viton o-rings.
 

bdbecker

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Messages
5,573
Location
Iowa
This surprises me as they state that they use Buna-N o-rings. Typically, solvent resistant bottles use Viton o-rings.

While I don't think bleach isn't considered a solvent, I think you are on to something. Your comment dusted off a memory out the old brain archives where I feel like I had to look into this at one point and I found that while nitrile can handle some exposure to bleach, it will eventually break down. It might also explain why the OP has been having trouble finding a bottle that holds up. My suggestion might not be a good one if this is true (chemistry was a loooong time ago, so I could be wrong).
 

dchawk81

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
14,407
This has been a frustration for years... just this morning I was cleaning the bathroom and after I was done was going to spray the shower and tub with a bleach solution to kill any remaining nasties. Spray bottle doesn't work. Are there any that last more than a month or so? What do professional cleaners use?
I have some no name ones that have lasted for years. Just soapy wooter and plain wooter though.
 

engineer2

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
11,814
Location
Chicago burbs
I've had my zep sprayer for a few months now and the bleach hasn't killed it yet. I wish the spray pattern adjustment was finer. It's either stream of fine mist with not much in between.
 

DBX_5

New member
Joined
Mar 28, 2023
Messages
3
only made an account to post.

I have had my hands on just about every spray bottle out there for general "cheap" use Zep bottles from home depot (the blue yellow ones) generally can last any where between 3 weeks and 2 months from what I have seen with storing the chemical/cleaner in the bottle over long periods of time and with consistent use, if you are looking for a cheap bottle the zep bottles are probably your best bet but expect them to only last a month or less depending on how harsh of a chemical you use.

Here in Canada and parts of the USA there's a brand called "Pro Pump & Spray" developed by a company called "FSB Distribution" they develop specialty products for automotive painting by the looks of it I have had a few of their products in my hand and they work okay, the biggest thing that differs them from other products is they have a large approved chemical list for each version of the spray bottle so if you need coverage on a specific chemical it claims it covers it, I primarily used their standard bottles for general cleaning and they worked okay but never had one long enough to tell you how long they last.

I recently purchased one that is specifically designed for use with M.E.K (Methyl Ethel keystone) an extremely aggressive cleaning solvent when I start testing ill get back to you when it fails.

They also provide replacement seals as these spray bottles are expensive, the one I bought for MEK was a special order that was about 85$ CAD through KMSTools.

http://qrcgcustomers.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/account7357869/25178485_1.pdf?0.0721144986028972 - model compatibility chart
 

dnschmidt

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2014
Messages
7,284
Location
Phoenix, AZ
I'm very familiar with FBS. Their American distributor is Cumberland Products. They sell/make (don't know which) very good fine line tape as well as these pump up bottles. Good stuff that looks identical to Colad's offerings so I'm not sure if they manufacture or simply relabel Colad stuff. You're right they do make a bottle for every chemical known to man but I have to tell you that their bottles are quite expensive.
 

AFSOC

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 15, 2008
Messages
67
Location
NW Florida
Contact the folks at Obsessed Garage. This is a high end auto detailing enthusiast outfit. The owner has spent countless hours researching and testing spray bottles. I believe he has determined Presol bottles to be staate of the art. I'd certainly leverage the exhaustive research he's done on bottles.
 
OP
N

n8n

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
3,607
Location
Curtis Bay, MD
Well the Zep "bleach resistant" sprayer is still working, but I just refilled it and the screw on part cracked. So I still haven't found one that lasts more than one or two refills.
 

paulsomlo

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 16, 2013
Messages
3,898
Location
Northern Colorado
Plastic spray bottles are a constant source of frustration for me - every time I use one, I vow that someday, I'll replace it with a SureShot.
 

insidethehoax

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2021
Messages
8
Location
Your mommas house
Contact the folks at Obsessed Garage. This is a high end auto detailing enthusiast outfit. The owner has spent countless hours researching and testing spray bottles. I believe he has determined Presol bottles to be staate of the art. I'd certainly leverage the exhaustive research he's done on bottles.
Countless hours? 😂🤣😂🤣. Far too often products are chosen without him ever having used them before. He’s even said that he is able to tell how good something is just by looking at it and not needing to even test or try them out.
 

nadogail

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Messages
32,007
Location
Coronado, CA
The spray bottles holding products purchased by Mrs. Nadogail are often repurposed in my workshop.

They are a household expense, and are considered "Free Stuff" in the Workshop.
 

isb cornbinder

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 3, 2010
Messages
7,073
Location
Pacific South West, BC, Canada
This has been a frustration for years... just this morning I was cleaning the bathroom and after I was done was going to spray the shower and tub with a bleach solution to kill any remaining nasties. Spray bottle doesn't work. Are there any that last more than a month or so? What do professional cleaners use?
There are only two and I have both of them. I bought them both at https://buyindustrial.ca/
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom