Cleaning cordless tools and comfort grips

[2ndGearRubber]

My job involves many gross things, and I'm trying to make my electric tools a bit cleaner. Over time, my M12 tools especially, get caked in gunk/grime/filth which then transfers back to my hands when using the tools. Annoying. Today I got a new M12 hex impact, to replace my well worn non-fuel model, and I'd like to try to take better care of it.

My main issue is the black soft rubber area. Obviously that stuff hates both oil and brake clean, so I do what I can to limit exposure. A light wipe with a rag works, but it's never actually clean. Frankly this is one of my big gripes with comfort grip anything, so aside from my impacting air ratchet all my tools are metal/composite body.

So what are you using to clean these tools of brake fluid/grease/coolant/dirt/oil/tape residue, etc? My long neck M12 ratchet looks like it's been to hell and back compared to my new hex driver. My M12 tools end up looking matte red due to the dirt and junk all over them.

 

[kbeefy]

wd40 and a toothbrush go a long way to renew plastics. Not sure about the comfort grips.

 

[ike]

Yeah wd40 is a great cleaner.

 

[JradM]

I like simple green. I use full strength, give it a spray, then wipe. Never seen any ill effects and it works well.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Penetrating oils and wd40.work good on plastic, but I'm worried about hurting the rubber grippy stuff or making it swell and separate from the tool.

Tub of towels seems to have mixed reviews, I'll look into simple green. Just spray on a rag and wipe?

 

[JradM]

Yep, that's all I do. With comfort grip pliers I just spray the tool. Power tools I tend to spray the towel.

 

[merkyworks]

I spray Simple Green on shop towel and wipe down, no issues.

 

[Fedwrench]

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I think 409 or GP Cleaner works too.

 

[itwnexus]

Will simple green work to get all the caked on grease and dirt? What about "Grease Lightning" or "Purple Power"?

 

[Zewnten]

Simple green and a tooth or nail brush or the tub o towels works well for me. Kind ocd about cleaning everything Friday so Monday I can make a mess again

 

[Kscardsfan]

I’ve never tried to clean my power tool handles like that. Good ideas from everyone.

 

[RTM]

Not a pro, but Simple Green is my garage grease cutter. I keep 4x diluted for most cleaning, and an undiluted bottle for the really gross stuff. On the caked on stuff I try to scrape the worst off, leaving only a thin amount for the SG.

 

[DHCrocks]

I use wipes like grime boss. it also takes off latex paints which seem to get everywhere when I'm painting.

 

[mfewtrail]

Will simple green work to get all the caked on grease and dirt? What about "Grease Lightning" or "Purple Power"?

Greased lightning wipes work well for me on tool grips. I clean up the tools pretty much immediately after completing dirtier jobs, so that probably helps to some degree as well.

 

[Fly YX]

Be careful about using WD 40 on plastics. I had to do a job that I had to replace all the electrical connectors because they told me that they got WD-40 on them and the degraded the plastic overtime.

 

[vwpieces]

I use WD40 from a gallon can, in a had pump bottle. Squirt some on a terry towel or microfiber and wipe the tools. I have 15yr old Milwaukee NiCd with black grippy handles and no issues.

 

[619DioFan]

I am also a simple green user for tool clean up . I also use it to clean of my hands.

 

[JradM]

Full strength simple green is a very good degreaser. It will remove caked on grease, but you make need to let it sit for a little bit if it's bad. You can just spray a rag and wrap it around the tool handle.

I would not use purple power or any other degreaser the same way. They might be more powerful but in my experience they're too caustic and might damage your tool.

Simple green is strangely perfect for tasks like this. It seems gentle on surfaces in comparison to most degreasers - but still cuts grease and oil like nobody's business.

 

[Jeepster04]

If they used a rubber that is harmed by anything typically used in a shop (like WD40), I would buy a different tool.

 

[SS5150]

I use Goo Gone to clean my soft grip tools (M12, soft grip ratchets, and bi-material screwdrivers). It's a 2 step process though, Goo gone a rag, wipe the tool clean, and then a clean rag to wipe off the goo gone. The nice thing about the GG is it won't take off any printed part or ID numbers from the tool.

 

[dnschmidt]

I prefer Super Clean but Simple Green and any of the waterbased degreasers like Purple Power all seem to work equally well. Just make sure to wipe down with a lightly water soaked towel after using to make sure you got rid of any of these.

 

[VolvoRyan]

Simple Green has always impressed me.

It's kinda fun to clean up tools that I thought were "uncleanable".

-Ryan

 

[Billy Jack]

I'm not a pro, just a weekender, so my tools get cleaned after every job. I keep a spray bottle of mineral spirits paint thinner on the bench.
All the tools both hand and power tools get wiped down with a dampened cloth after every job.
I've been doing it for years and have never seen any deterioration of plastics or rubber grips.

Bill

 

[39 LaSalle]

I too am a weekender, but I have never had any issues using Tub O' Towels on my Milwaukee M12 and M18 gear and I swear by them. I give my tools a good going over after each project.

 

[BOOT]

Some kind of degreasing hand cleaning wipes would prob work, see some used in a video but don't know the brand...

 

[Jweebothee]

Tub o towels, will make them look brand new

 

[Indexmill]

Be careful with cleaning solutions on plastic. Chemical incompatibility is a real and big deal with plastics. Some plastics will stand up to solvents and many will not. Ask me how I know not to pour gasoline into a Styrofoam cup (on my parents asphalt driveway many moons ago). Even 409 can destroy some plastics especially if the plastic is under load. Dawn dish detergent and warm water might be best if uncertain.

 

[ajchien]

I used this stuff from HD: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Miracle...y-Duty-Cleaning-Wipes-90-Count-3454/315471213

I presume any equivalent product would do the same.

 

[merkyworks]

Ask me how I know not to pour gasoline into a Styrofoam cup (on my parents asphalt driveway many moons ago).

Someone was making homemade Napalm

 

[sparky 1971]

I will either spray WD40 on a rag and wipe it down or use hand cleaner towels.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I decided to try out grime-boss cleaning wipes. It has a resealable lid on a flexible plastic container. Some reviews said the tub-o-towels got so beat in shipping the popped open and dried out.

 

[d.mcfarland]

Works great for this particular task!

I've never tried tub o towels to compare.

 

[billconner]

Which works well on pine pitch? One YouTube suggests hand sanitizer, being so plentiful these days. It does work.

 

[Buckgnarly]

SK wipes, but guessing they are NLA so here's the maker....they are AMAZING for cleaning M12 tools. I clean them before any interior job that matters....

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[2ndGearRubber]

SK wipes, but guessing they are NLA so here's the maker....they are AMAZING for cleaning M12 tools. I clean them before any interior job that matters....

Proferred - T99001 PROFERRED Hand and Tool Wipes, Heavy Duty Tool Cleaning Wipes, Hand Cleaning Wipes, Degreasing, Waterless Hand Cleaner, Dual Surface, Work Surface Wipes: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Proferred - T99001 PROFERRED Hand and Tool Wipes, Heavy Duty Tool Cleaning Wipes, Hand Cleaning Wipes, Degreasing, Waterless Hand Cleaner, Dual Surface, Work Surface Wipes: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

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I know that pain, just swapped an evaporator in a tan colored interior bmw this week, right after a wheel bearing/ball joint/exploded axle on an old taurus. Very annoying to be using dirty tools or be dirty yourself. I had axle grease soaked to my soul but I still made decent time pulling it.

I ended up only beating flat-rate by about 3 hours due to wasting 30min wiping down the interior afterwards. Never done one before, so I was okay with that time, but I KNOW I lost an hour due to hand washing and cleaning. Thus, this thread.

 

[wkndwarrior29]

Put a little goop on a towel and wipe them down, it will make your hands soft and won't damage the plastics.

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[Badgerstate]

My job involves many gross things, and I'm trying to make my electric tools a bit cleaner. Over time, my M12 tools especially, get caked in gunk/grime/filth which then transfers back to my hands when using the tools. Annoying. Today I got a new M12 hex impact, to replace my well worn non-fuel model, and I'd like to try to take better care of it.

My main issue is the black soft rubber area. Obviously that stuff hates both oil and brake clean, so I do what I can to limit exposure. A light wipe with a rag works, but it's never actually clean. Frankly this is one of my big gripes with comfort grip anything, so aside from my impacting air ratchet all my tools are metal/composite body.

So what are you using to clean these tools of brake fluid/grease/coolant/dirt/oil/tape residue, etc? My long neck M12 ratchet looks like it's been to hell and back compared to my new hex driver. My M12 tools end up looking matte red due to the dirt and junk all over them.

I work in automotive manufacturing and we use a lot of Milwaukee M12 impacts. For the past 1.5 years, we've been wiping out guns down every 2 hours with alcohol and theyre the cleanest theyve been in years. Might try that.

 

[plinker]

Schaeffers citrol worked pretty well for soft grip stuff. I've been using these lately on stuff that is disagreeable with brakekleen, such as work light lenses that are not already meh. Works good for cleaning hands too. https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/MTHSWIPE/MATCO-HAND-AND-SURFACE-TOWELS-70-COUNT/ Not sure who the OE is, but they do work.

 

[rk_tek]

I use full strength Simple Green or lighter fluid. If those don't work, I use alcohol. I also wipe down extension cords and air hoses with Simple Green and it does an amazing job of cleaning grime before taking them indoors for other projects.

 

[M635_Guy]

I've been using a bit of brake clean on a shop towel. I did notice it took the serial # off the sticker - oops!

I bought a six-pack of the SK wipes when they put them on clearance. They work really well. Once I use those up, I'm guessing I'll go to Simple Green.