THE BEST hand degreaser?

[torqueman2002]

BORAXO!!!

+1

I have a 'Boraxo' powdered soap dispenser and use it with Go-Jo - gets 98% of the grime out.

 

[walrus]

No one uses Powerclean? It works great

 

[Conor]

I guess everyone is too manly to use Nitrile gloves? Even when they break its much easier to use fast orange after to clean up the parts of my hands that get dirty

 

[gatchel]

I'll have to go with the Zep TKO. The best I've used, hands down. (Ha Ha, pun, get it, sort of...OK maybe not)

 

[shotgunfatcat]

Fast orange (with pumice, the smooth stuff is a F-ing joke) or brake cleaner, sure it dries out your skin, but it cleans better than anything else.
I am really pleased with fast oranges bar soap as well.

 

[beelsr]

tecnu is still around. i bought a tube a couple weeks ago...

There used to be a product called Tec-Nu that was $20/bottle. It's off the market now, and the latest stuff I saw at a drugstore in Utah was almost $30 for a tiny tube.

 

[Kurn]

For me nothing made today works as well as the hand cleaners of old.Most of 'em had benzine in them,which worked,but probably not safe.I use Fast Orange w/ pumice,or the GoJo equivalent. And then,it's good old Boraxo.

 

[61scout80]

I guess everyone is too manly to use Nitrile gloves? Even when they break its much easier to use fast orange after to clean up the parts of my hands that get dirty

I tried that for a while, but then I would be in the middle of something i couldn't stop, the glove would rip and after the job my hands would look like some sorts of gray camo for a week...

Last night I pulled the ****** out of my jeep. I'm fairly certain someone poured oil over the ****** at every fuel stop during it's 231,000 mile life. It was a mess, and so am I. I was wearing shorts and a t shirt. every part of exposed skin is stained. I have grease spots up to my shoulders and thighs. I doubt gloves would have helped!

 

[autopts71045]

When I got desperate after using the final finger full of Fast Orange, I spotted on my shelf a can of Turtle Wax Carpet Cleaner, the one with the plastic brissles attached, With a towel cleanup, its been 6 months and I'm on the same can. Its great however I'm wierd!

 

[jarren]

kfc big bucket

 

[pgreen]

Another odd one, but works very well.

NAPA powdered car wash. Comes in about a gallon bucket. Cleans grease off real well and leaves a nice slippery clean feeling. Use about a tsp of it in your hands with just a dribble of water. Scrub with the mud-like mixture then rinse.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I was using a gallon pump bottle of GoJo with Pumice or grit, and it worked quite well for me. Ran out and I bought a gallon pump bottle of Zep orange cleaner with grit in it, doesn't work quite as well.

I've heard the Zep TKO mentioned before, but its so expensive, even when I found it on Ebay, that I'm reluctant to even try it, I might actually like it and then will be stuck buying it.

At work we use a Stockhausen product with grit (ground walnut shell) in it, Kresto,

http://www.stockhausen-inc.com/

http://www.stokoskincare.com/t-automotive.aspx

and it works real well, but I think it is quite expensive also. Their Cupran Special will remove any paint on your hands, but dries them out and requires a skin cream after cleaning with it.

Edit: looking at Zep products, an outfit called Superkleen Direct markets on Amazon and Ebay. It seems that Zep has several different hand cleaners. "Double Play" is $66.99 for 4 one gallon containers, "TKO" is $96.99 for the four gallons in a case, and "Cherry Bomb" is $101.99 for four gallons in a case. Shipping is about $31 a case. Not sure what the difference is, especially when someone says Cherry Bomb is great, next guy says its terrible, TKO I've never heard anything bad about, and I've never heard Double Play mentioned. Sure would like to do a comparison.

Charles

 

[eborcim]

Wurth USA supplies good hand cleaner in cream or as a wipe.

 

[toolfreak]

Joes hand cleaner is the best I have found.

 

[rocketman]

Scratch a bar of soap to fill under your fingernails to keep the grease out (before working)and then you can use about anything that's around to clean your hands well. I like Palmolive dish soap. Works well with the nylon brush. Soap then disolves and voila, nice clean nails too.

 

[STClurker]

either Cherry Bomb or Cherry Punch (I prefer cherry punch, no water necessary). the only difference between the two is pumice.

not a huge fan of GoJo, and double play didn't really seem to work too well

 

[MarcSeattle]

Some great choices. Here's my favorite:

Ishy Fishy Soap Dope

 

[red baron]

1. Before working, apply hand lotion to areas most susceptible to grease and grime. (if your skin is hydrated it wont absorb grease and oils)

2. Before working, scratch a bar of hard soap to get the soap under your nails. (fill the gap so there is no spot to allow grease to accumulate)

3. While working, wear latex or nitrile or some form of gloves. (If they tear or break jsut put a glove right on top of the bad one)

4. While working, Wear pants, and (as long as you are not working on any operating machinery) long sleeve shirts rolled down.

Follow these 4 steps and just about any soap will work with minimal amount of work.

I worked in an automotive shop for 8 years, and if you follow these steps you will leave clean. Most people did not believe I worked on cars for a living, as I never was dirty. I went through a lot of gloves, and uniforms though. Girls tend to like clean hands, which is why I combined these steps.

 

[IndyGarage]

Even though it looks kinda geeky, I have a some blue coveralls I bought at Tractor supply. It will keep your clothes clean.

 

[Printer Mike]

Been in printing since 1970, and I've tried a lot of hand cleaners. Some that worked great seemed to cause rashes, dry skin. etc... over time. About 20 years ago, someone sent me a sample called "Snow White." A little hard to get used to, because the trick is to use a small amount and rub in well. It doesn't just "melt away" the grease and grime, but once I got used to it, I don't want to use anything else. I've given samples to friends; they come back later wanting more...

I get it in 2# tubs from a nice cajun fellow in LA. I don't have his number handy, but I will get it if anyone's interested.

 

[Outlaw1]

I use several different products depending on the situation.

For the mild stuff I keep some bars of Lava around because it's cheap, works decently well and I can't stand the 'I just squeezed an orange' smell of some of the other hand cleaners.

Out in my shop I keep a dispenser of ZEP MVP hand soap (waterless) and towels on a post between the lift and the work bench. I like to keep my hands pretty clean when I'm working. Before I start working I'll apply this stuff to my hands and it really makes it easier cleaning up later. There's a light oily film that stays behind because of the moisturizer built into it. I'm not a fan of it much, but it's better than dry, cracking hands.

The ZEP products work OK and are pretty easy to find at parts stores/hardware stores. I keep that stuff for the masses to use. IMO, 'the good stuff' is Kresto. When your hands are absolutely filthy, that's the stuff you want. I keep it inside next to the sink in the mud room. It's a very gritty cleaner and pretty much cleans any & all traces of dirt, grease & grime and doesn't really smell like anything, except soap.

My wife had noticed I was running low, so for Father's Day my wife ordered me a brand new dispenser and a couple of refills. Yup, I have a good one.

 

[Printer Mike]

Oh yeah... I like the idea of pre-coating hands before doing dirty work, but usually, my hands get dirty before I realize it was going to happen...

 

[Printer Mike]

IMO, 'the good stuff' is Kresto.

That stuff is fantastic for cleaning dirty hands! However, it was one that seemed to cause skin problems over time; Not just me, but others that I worked with...

 

[NUTTSGT]

I tend to use whatever is availiable. In the garage, I have liquid soap dispenser filled half & half, liquid Dial and Pamolive ( $1 a bottle at Dollar Tree). I also have a smallbottle of some grit soap in an orange bottle. An autoparts store had it on sale for a buck, so the wife grabbed it.

I've used brake cleaner, Liquid Tide, Dawn, hand soap with a spray of Simple Green and whatever else. . . . I'll second the Pizza too, or Little Ceasears Pepperoni bread.

 

[Pure Oil]

I'm really starting to like just using Dawn Dish soap - as the commercial says - "Dawn takes grease out of your way"

I have tried dish soaps as well such as Ajax with grease cutting action - find it works really well with an sos pad.

 

[wouldworker]

Back in the day, I used gasoline followed by Lava or Boraxo. Worked great. No one thought anything about it in the 50's and early 60's.

 

[crewchief888]

at work in the shop i use the green pumice soap from 1st aid corp. similar to fast orange, but with a heavier grit.
out in the field, a combination of pentrating oil and brake cleaner gets the top 3 or 4 layers of **** off my hands.
at home, good old dawn dish soap
i keep a bottle in the shower too,
shampoo, and liquid laundry detergent work to some extent too.

 

[Ray-CA]

I usually coat my hands with liquid soap and let it dry before I work on anything really dirty/oily. Then, when I'm all done, I wash up with more soap and the crud washes off much easier.

Ray

 

[aafadca]

Many years ago one of the truck retailers (Mac,etc) used to sell one called "Lo-shun" or something similar. It came in a gallon pump jug. I still have some and it still works great

 

[ddawg16]

Dirty hands? You allow your vehicles to get dirty? No mine. Oil leaks are not allowed.
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Ok...now that that BS is out of the way....the Zep works for me....but I usally wear gloves so that my hands stay softer and cleaner....so that when I rub them over my wifes back (and other body parts), she enjoys it more.....

 

[cowboy73]

I like the GoJo cream hand cleaner. Can't stand the gritty ****!!!

 

[Auzivision]

GOJO pumice is awesome! Blows away Goop.

http://www.awdirect.com/gojo-pumice...buy-4s/shop-clean-up/?CID=AWSEFGL&EPC=AWSEFGL

 

[Stuart in MN]

I use dish soap and a nail brush. Right now I have Ivory brand, but most brands will work okay.

 

[Project7Studios]

Im surprised no one has mentioned this stuff

http://www.handscrub.com/

All the orange pumice stuff wreaks havoc on your hands. Detergent based cleaners is where its at! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this stuff. It is really gentle on your hands and really gets the job done. Check out the website. I bought the 16oz bottle from the website and they threw in some of the sample containers free!

Leaves hands with a very light fresh scent. Not overly powerful like some of the zep stuff (Cherry in particular). Im not affiliated with them but I cant rave enough about this stuff. Its awesome.

There are videos and more info on the website.

 

[Project7Studios]

Oh yeah,

Lather up with petroleum jelly before working in oils and grease and clean up is usually a lot easier.

 

[TCJ1981]

For me, it just depends on if I have fresh water handy. If I don't, I'll use the fast orange smooth formula. If I'm really dirty and clean water is accessible, then I use some Citrol(made by Schaeffer Oil), then follow it with the green lava bar, then Dawn when I get home.

 

[scooby074]

Zep Reach. Zep TKO. Were my 2 faves until Zep started imposing minimum orders

Stockolan? Kresto is Every bit as good as Reach IMHO, plus no minimum from where i buy

I used to work with a guy that went thru a can of brake Klean a day just cleaning his hands and it was the good chlorinated stuff... He said where he used to work, they had dip tanks full of Perc for degreasing and the guys used to wash their hands in it too. Funny ALOT of them died of cancer.. wonder why?

He eventially stopped using the brake klean, but not because of health concerns, but the service manager bitching about what it was costing

 

[mrb]

Kresto. Cleans great yet is mild.

+100. i have yet to get anything on me Kresto wouldnt get off, and no fruit odor or sticky residue afterwards. Just clean hands. ill never use anything else.

 

[tncatadjuster]

Something I learned in researching a fiberglass/ epoxy project recently is not to use anything with solvents to clean your hands. Even the wife's fingernail polish remover is mostly acetone, and in the past many hand cleaners were solvent based.

The reasoning is that the solvents dilute whatever you are trying to get off your hands and allow it to be absorbed through your skin into your body easier.

Unless your using MEK or some other ketone you will not be absorbing through the skin, most solvents are long chain and will not go into you skin. Your just drying your skin out with solvent. I have been an epoxy contractor for 28 years and have no reactions to products YET. I only clean my hands with lotion and rags, and lots of rubbing.

 

[vette-kid]

A little secret about GOOP: I'm convinced it's identical or close to it as the formulations they sell for poison ivy treatment. There used to be a product called Tec-Nu that was $20/bottle. It's off the market now, and the latest stuff I saw at a drugstore in Utah was almost $30 for a tiny tube.
Meanwhile, whatever emulsifiers there are in GOOP seem to work great on the oils that cause an allergic reaction in poison ivy, so I always use it first.

tecnu is still around. i bought a tube a couple weeks ago...

...Off Topic...

Im hyper allergic to Poison Ivy (seriously, swell up so bad I look like a fat Chinese kid!), I may have to look into that theory as Tec-Nu was the best stuff I have ever used and cant seem to find it down here either. beelsr where do you find it?

....Back to regularly scheduled program....

I use fast orange and try to wear gloves is I think its going to get real messy. Seems to work just fine for me. Although in light of the above I may start using Goop!