Best hand cleaner.

[rogersmithiii]

Back when I was little, my dad went to an electrician's trade show, and brought home a can of ZepCinch Hand Cleaner. It was green, nasty looking, and smelled disgusting. When I tried it however, the stuff was amazing. It would remove paint, grease, oil, stains and anything else that might get your hands dirty.

When that can ran out (about ten years after he bought it), I bought another. When I went to order a third, I found that Zep stopped making it. They said something about the marketplace wanting sweet smelling, citrusy stuff with skin softeners. In other words, another company gave in to the pussification of the would. Tim the Toolman Taylor would never use such ****. Ever.

My question is what hand cleaner do you swear by, that will remove everything? I find the Walmart cleaners (GoJo, etc) to be completely inadequate.

 

[billspit]

It may also have had something hazardous in it.

 

[billspit]

There is a Zep Reach hand cleaner that is green. Have you tried that?

 

[NUTTSGT]

I use the least aggressive as necessary.

Generally dish liquid.

 

[Jeff C]

 

[rmack898]

Coco scrub is my favorite

Amazon.com: Spray Nine 14104 Coco Scrub, 4 lb : Automotive

Buy Spray Nine 14104 Coco Scrub, 4 lb: Automotive - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Boy where do I start? I have used several and found several that work well. At work we have this weird stuff that doesn’t really work half the time it’s called Purple Power made by Algonquin. It’s ok but I still go home with my hands and arms covered in grease it basically just knocks off the top layer. Let’s see then I love cherry bomb made by Zep it’s really good and works really well. Also like anything made by GoJo. Zep Double Play works pretty well. Jacks Magic made by Jacks manufacturing is a walnut hand cleaner that works good. If you like bar soap Fast Orange, Lava and Duke Cannon pumice soaps are the best bars I’ve found. Then they sell this stuff at a local truck shop around here called Mules Head it’s really heavy duty works excellent. One of my all time favorites is Permatex Grease Grabber especially the coconut scent. Then there is another hand cleaner made by a different company called Purple Power that is really good but it will dry your hands out almost instantly. Personally not a fan of the Fast Orange liquid soap the bar soap is excellent the liquid ehh it’s ok but not a first choice. Scott Blue hand cleaner works great too made by the same people who make the blue shop towels it smells good too. We still have a thing of GoJo in our basement my dad bought in 2007 it’s a huge industrial size that still works awesome and smells awesome. The pump stopped working around 2010 or so but we just get it on the straw and put it on our hands. The reason it’s not used yet is because if we see hand cleaner on sale we buy it and then switch it up from time to time haha. Oddly he got that big size at Sportsman’s Warehouse they had recieved the shipment by accident and was told to keep it so they were selling it cheap. Since then we have never seen that size anywhere else. Also even though they are laundry soap bars, Zote and Fels Naptha clean hands just as good as they clean clothes and smell good too sometimes I’ll wash my hands in those after working or after washing my clothes and they clean hands really well too.

I know I’m a nerd on hand cleaners it just fascinates me how many there are out there lol. I have way more that I haven’t opened yet that I didn’t list here because I don’t know how they work. Plenty of good options and bad options haha. And some I didn’t list because I have too many to remember lol.

 

[Keyblazer]

I have tried it all...
Nothing... and I mean NOTHING is as good a Dr Bronners Castile liquid soap...
Rips oil and grease off my hands like nothing else, and no grit or ship in it... it just dissolves it away...
Tip a palm full into you hand with no water... rub it in and the rinse with water after..
But its not nasty and dries you skinm out or need grit in it...

I dare ya.... I DOUBLE Dare ya'll to try this stuff and feedback here....
No angle, no profit for me... just ive been unable to beat this ship...
Buy it at Trader Joe's, or anywhere...

Amazon.com

One warning... if your using it in the shower... and I do after wrestling transmissions out in shorts.... watch your "Sensitive" parts... that Peppermint will wake you up... LOL

 

[PoorUB]

I like Gojo with pumice.

Also, how are you using it? Many guys do it wrong and wet their hands first. Start with dry hands, take a couple shots of GoJo, work it in well, then wash it off. It takes off all the grease and **** I get into.

Once a while I might use a green scrubbie pad if I got into paint or caulking.

 

[sweetk30]

Zenex International | Professional-Grade Surface Care Products

Discover Zenex’s range of cleaners, lubricants, adhesives, sealants and more—high-performance solutions designed to protect and maintain any surface.

zenexint.com

been using there stuff for 20+ years . gojo and other brands dont clean as good and use more product than this stuff . and my hands break out with deep zits and dry as sand paper skin .

the zenex stuff is SUPER great . you have prob used it before and didnt know it as its mostly private labeled and sold local . same bottle shape tho .

1 pump and grind it in . once dry if not happy add a little water and keep grinding it in . then rinse off and enjoy .

there other products for care care are great also . my picky mother even loves there spray can window cleaner .

 

[firebirdparts]

I got some “full bore hand scrub” for Christmas last year and it’s the best I’ve used. Doesn’t make my hands chapped.

 

[39CAMC]

I have switched to Fast Orange in bar form. I have used several of the liquid ones and the problem I always had is if I missed a spot after rinsing, then they didn't seem to work as well wet. The bar seems to be immune-ish to this, at least for me. Still might try some of these others

DaveW

 

[Stuart in MN]

Dawn dish soap, and a nail brush.

 

[crguy]

Kresto became my favorite years ago after trying a bunch of others.

 

[quickfarms]

 

[48windsor]

thats what my dad used when he got greasy.

 

[mikegt4]

Any good recommendation for use in below freezing weather in a unheated shop far from home (ie, I can't walk into the house and clean up there).

 

[jabber]

As a full time mechanic for my entire adult life I feel like I’ve used every commercial brand at one point or another. What I settled on for the home shop is Zep Cherry Bomb. It works extremely well when applied as previously mentioned; dry hands, work it in well, dash of water, keep scrubbing, then rinse off. I buy a big tub of it off Amazon for the home shop.

 

[jabber]

Any good recommendation for use in below freezing weather in a unheated shop far from home (ie, I can't walk into the house and clean up there).

Most of the liquid hand cleaners work fine with out water, zep, go jo, fast orange, you just whipe it off with a towel. Learned that from field service work.

 

[Dozerhand]

Joe's

 

[RedToolBox]

Joe's

JOE'S was the best and when Oilfield hands don't have it, they raise a fuss! I found something better than JOE'S since I retired from the Oil Drilling Company. It is higher priced and I don't recall the name. It was demonstrated by my local car parts dealer. I'll post it here, next time I get by there.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Most of the liquid hand cleaners work fine with out water, zep, go jo, fast orange, you just whipe it off with a towel. Learned that from field service work.

I keep a small bottle of Fast Orange in my truck for those times when I'm doing something away from the house. Along with a roll of blue shop towels. The fast Orange works pretty good, might leave a slight bit of grit on your hands but wiping with a wet paper towel (water bottle) usually fixes that issue.



I'll also add that those who use a grit soap, I hope you occasionally run a sink full of hot water down the drain to help flush that stuff down the drain if you try to use rinse water sparingly.

 

[FMB4]

I've used many brands and types of hand cleaners since the early '70s with varying success. For some years now I simply use an old towel with dish soap (no water). But then again, my hands don't get all that dirty since I wear tight fitting semi 'stretch' gloves that have a rough rubber coating on the balm and the balm side of the fingers (I get these gloves at the Dollar Tree). Note: I, of course, do not wear gloves while working on a running engine, etc.

 

[Lou's Garage]

Over the years I've used almost everything but lately Adam's Polishes hand cleaner has been my go-to. The soap does a good job dissolving the grease while the crushed walnut shells scrub out the pores. In a pinch, Dawn dishwashing soap will work well too. Blue Dawn always seems to be best. Everyone's hands are different so what works for me, might not work as well for someone else.

Lou Manglass

 

[kbs2244]

I uase whatever the wife is using for dishes first
followed by a good amount of hand lotion
(you can see the lotion disolving the grease and getting grey)
than wash the lotion off
repeat if needed

 

[BillK]

I think the Zep Reach used to have plastic microbeads in it which have been banned. I just use Palmolive Gold dishwashing detergent at the shop and it does the job just fine.

 

[txvwnut]

ProSoap, takes off everything except skin and tattoos.

 

[xjfish]

Brake Clean

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Boy where do I start? I have used several and found several that work well. At work we have this weird stuff that doesn’t really work half the time it’s called Purple Power made by Algonquin. It’s ok but I still go home with my hands and arms covered in grease it basically just knocks off the top layer. Let’s see then I love cherry bomb made by Zep it’s really good and works really well. Also like anything made by GoJo. Zep Double Play works pretty well. Jacks Magic made by Jacks manufacturing is a walnut hand cleaner that works good. If you like bar soap Fast Orange, Lava and Duke Cannon pumice soaps are the best bars I’ve found. Then they sell this stuff at a local truck shop around here called Mules Head it’s really heavy duty works excellent. One of my all time favorites is Permatex Grease Grabber especially the coconut scent. Then there is another hand cleaner made by a different company called Purple Power that is really good but it will dry your hands out almost instantly. Personally not a fan of the Fast Orange liquid soap the bar soap is excellent the liquid ehh it’s ok but not a first choice. Scott Blue hand cleaner works great too made by the same people who make the blue shop towels it smells good too. We still have a thing of GoJo in our basement my dad bought in 2007 it’s a huge industrial size that still works awesome and smells awesome. The pump stopped working around 2010 or so but we just get it on the straw and put it on our hands. The reason it’s not used yet is because if we see hand cleaner on sale we buy it and then switch it up from time to time haha. Oddly he got that big size at Sportsman’s Warehouse they had recieved the shipment by accident and was told to keep it so they were selling it cheap. Since then we have never seen that size anywhere else. Also even though they are laundry soap bars, Zote and Fels Naptha clean hands just as good as they clean clothes and smell good too sometimes I’ll wash my hands in those after working or after washing my clothes and they clean hands really well too.

I know I’m a nerd on hand cleaners it just fascinates me how many there are out there lol. I have way more that I haven’t opened yet that I didn’t list here because I don’t know how they work. Plenty of good options and bad options haha. And some I didn’t list because I have too many to remember lol.

Are you a member on The Hand Cleaner Forum? You could probably start a blog and get free hand cleaner. If you are looking for a backup career plan ….

 

[ZRX61]

Swarfega, it's banned in the US.

 

[Renegade1LI]

Zep or gojo with pumice, on dry, scrub good then wipe off with paper towel followed by soap & water. I do keep buckets of gojo wipes every where, great when there is no water available & good for wiping down anything dirty.

 

[Docbentley]

I've heard SimpleGreen works great

 

[FredWanaker]

The two that work well for me are already listed, liquid Dawn soap with a nail brush or wash rag, and Lava soap. The hand cleaners like the orange stuff work but go bad when only about 1/2 the container is used up and I got tired of throwing away half used containers. Also, putting a little mineral oil or hand cream on your hands before beginning will make it easier to clean them of grease and dirt. I usually wear latex gloves of different mil depending on what I am doing, however some things I like to feel what I am doing. It also helps to keep a small container of talc on the workbench to talc the latex gloves on hot days when the hands get sweaty. Heavy leather gloves for working in the landscape etc., too keeps the tannins and dirt off the hands, splinters etc..

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Dirt-infused soap! That is awesome.
I can hear some mom telling her kids how great it is. "And don't forget to get behind your ears."

 

[619DioFan]

Call me a sissy if you want but I find nitrile gloves cut down on a lot of hand washing , combined with long sleeves to keep the arms clean. When needed I have simple green and a jug of cherrybomb.

 

[bobkat]

Boy where do I start? I have used several and found several that work well. At work we have this weird stuff that doesn’t really work half the time it’s called Purple Power made by Algonquin. It’s ok but I still go home with my hands and arms covered in grease it basically just knocks off the top layer. Let’s see then I love cherry bomb made by Zep it’s really good and works really well. Also like anything made by GoJo. Zep Double Play works pretty well. Jacks Magic made by Jacks manufacturing is a walnut hand cleaner that works good. If you like bar soap Fast Orange, Lava and Duke Cannon pumice soaps are the best bars I’ve found. Then they sell this stuff at a local truck shop around here called Mules Head it’s really heavy duty works excellent. One of my all time favorites is Permatex Grease Grabber especially the coconut scent. Then there is another hand cleaner made by a different company called Purple Power that is really good but it will dry your hands out almost instantly. Personally not a fan of the Fast Orange liquid soap the bar soap is excellent the liquid ehh it’s ok but not a first choice. Scott Blue hand cleaner works great too made by the same people who make the blue shop towels it smells good too. We still have a thing of GoJo in our basement my dad bought in 2007 it’s a huge industrial size that still works awesome and smells awesome. The pump stopped working around 2010 or so but we just get it on the straw and put it on our hands. The reason it’s not used yet is because if we see hand cleaner on sale we buy it and then switch it up from time to time haha. Oddly he got that big size at Sportsman’s Warehouse they had recieved the shipment by accident and was told to keep it so they were selling it cheap. Since then we have never seen that size anywhere else. Also even though they are laundry soap bars, Zote and Fels Naptha clean hands just as good as they clean clothes and smell good too sometimes I’ll wash my hands in those after working or after washing my clothes and they clean hands really well too.

I know I’m a nerd on hand cleaners it just fascinates me how many there are out there lol. I have way more that I haven’t opened yet that I didn’t list here because I don’t know how they work. Plenty of good options and bad options haha. And some I didn’t list because I have too many to remember lol.

Wow,You definately are the hand cleaner Guru..

 

[scooby074]

Any good recommendation for use in below freezing weather in a unheated shop far from home (ie, I can't walk into the house and clean up there).

Try the Gojo Towels. They work good.

We used to use the Permetex Blue hand cleaner back when I used to work out of a truck, no water. Shop supplied. But that stuff was worse on your skin than using straight paint thinner.

 

[4xdog]

Gojo with pumice for me. Sometimes a pre-wash with Superclean (the purple stuff) if my hands are really oily or greasy.

 

[RedToolBox]

JOE'S was the best and when Oilfield hands don't have it, they raise a fuss! I found something better than JOE'S since I retired from the Oil Drilling Company. It is higher priced and I don't recall the name. It was demonstrated by my local car parts dealer. I'll post it here, next time I get by there.

I went to my local Auto parts store since the post I made above. They told me the name of the Hand Cleaner I mentioned above. It is "Kresto" A new dispenser comes with each container of the soap for close to $50.00. A bit pricey for me but I can't resist shelling out the bucks for some of this Cleaner. It is a totally amazing cleaner and I've tried most everything else out there including Joe's, Fast Orange, GoJo, Lava & others.
If you have a order with Eastwood you can get free shipping over $100.00.
I also noticed KRESTO website: http://www.krestohandcleaner.com/

 

[dabigj]

Boraxo