What Do You Use to Clean Your Sockets?

[BJ42LX]

What do you use to clean your deep well sockets? I usually jam a rag in there with some solvent and work it around. But I'm thinking a round brush would be better. Maybe something like one or two of these engine cleaning brushes:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CONYTS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Of course, if there's a cheaper option available from the grocery store or Target I'd like to know about it.

 

[shoturtle]

I actually use a tool clean solution I get at my local big box in germany. It works really well and does not leave a oil film like wd40. And I use old soft tooth brushes and some pipe cleaner.

 

[drew03cmc]

Clean? Clean you say? I must say that I clean them with new grease...those damned front ends are sure dirty. They might get wiped down, but I am not spraying a water displacer or some other solvent in every socket I own. Sorry, they can get dirty, in fact, I think they like it.

 

[GSteg]

Just a towel, but when they get really dirty, I throw them in the ultrasonic cleaner. It cleans out the letters on the socket damn well too. I spray them down lightly with WD40 afterwards.

 

[plinker]

I find a brake cleaner bath does wonder's for getting the inside clean.

 

[Danglerb]

I clean tools with either WD40 or a spray bottle I have filled with Marvel Mystery Oil, no brush, just a shop towel.

OTOH I tend to clean a car off before I dig into it, and/or spray the Marvel Mystery Oil or PB Blaster clear debris.

 

[Steevo]

You made me go look into my deep sockets (some I've had over 40 years) to see if they were full of grunge.
Not so much.
I know over the years I have had the occasion to work on something extremely greasy, and in those cases, I have washed out the sockets in the solvent tank, but it is a rare exception for me. Wipe them off as you put them away is my motto.

 

[House Sparrow]

I generally just wipe out the inside of cruddy sockets with a rolled up shop rag. For hard to remove gunk, a shot of Spray Nine or carb cleaner works well.

I use Spray Nine on my screwdrivers, prybars and plier grips. I hate picking up a slippery, grimy screwdriver that looks like it's been riding around inside the oil pan of an old Detroit Diesel.

 

[wreckercologist]

Beats me. I make the girlfriend clean 'em.

 

[fury9]

IDK I haven't ever actually cleaned my deep well sockets, but I'd proly try the brake cleaner or if I have none on hand ( I get em by the case)I'd give gas and a flathead a go if they're really cruddy,proly a flathead with the brake cleaner too...

 

[el tanque prohibido]

Q-tips and lacquer thinner.

 

[davesnothere]

I use pine-sol and unicorn mane hair.

 

[jtfc]

I use pine-sol and unicorn mane hair.

Truly the best way to get all the gunk out

 

[4BT]

Bottle brush and Zep Purple

 

[quattrojon]

I use GT 85. Spray it on and it soon dries, and leaves a nice satin sheen on impact sockets.

 

[ajchien]

I usually wipe down with a cloth. Unless it's that crusted grime. Then maybe some carb or brake cleaner.

 

[woody 73]

Clean? Clean you say? I must say that I clean them with new grease...those damned front ends are sure dirty. They might get wiped down, but I am not spraying a water displacer or some other solvent in every socket I own. Sorry, they can get dirty, in fact, I think they like it.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Every day I wake up I learn of new OCD tendencies in seemingly normal humans.....

Only if they are dirty to the point of seriously hindering a work operation will I ever clean a socket. And then, are detergents and solvents really necessary?

Wipe them down as I put them away. What is inside a socket generally stays there.

 

[toolmaker1]

Use them, wipe the grease off as you put them away ; easy
never could understand the tool polisher mentality. I am all for taking care of your possessions so they last but I think some take it a bit too far. The grease on the inside actually keeps it from rusting so I think that scrubbing them out with solvent actually causes the rust that so many on here cry about. Just use the damn things and be happy

 

[Hawk321]

Try "Cilit Bang" a power cleaner from the next supermarket...or all purpose surface cleaner for the garage floor...wait some secs. and remove the rest with a Qtip and air.

 

[Cookannapurna]

I use pine-sol and unicorn mane hair.

The problem is finding unicorn mane hair from the US, it seems all of it is comming from China now.

 

[ctb]

I wipe my sockets down with the same dirty rag I use to wipe my hands on. A little film of grease and oil keeps them from rusting when out in the rain.

 

[bob15]

Clean the insides of them? Are you serious? Why? Are you going to eat out of them? Cook a meal in them?

 

[N-10Z]

Apparently, the remaining U.S. unicorns have become more sedentary, pilfer garbage cans for food, and demand too much for their fur.

 

[mambo]

I wipe my sockets down with the same dirty rag I use to wipe my hands on. A little film of grease and oil keeps them from rusting when out in the rain.

I've never had a problem with my hands rusting, no matter how much it rained

 

[richfinn]

I used to wash them out in a parts washer about once every 2 years when I had nothing else better to do and I was getting paid overtime for it

 

[Gary S]

Clean tools are rusty tools. My tools go back in the toolbox with a nice covering of grease they picked up from use. They never rust even after 40 years.

 

[ctb]

I've never had a problem with my hands rusting, no matter how much it rained

Probably keep them in your pockets

 

[Todd.Brock]

Egyptian cotton q tips. If you use standard, they will scratch the finish.

 

[onelochevy]

Every day I wake up I learn of new OCD tendencies in seemingly normal humans.....

Only if they are dirty to the point of seriously hindering a work operation will I ever clean a socket. And then, are detergents and solvents really necessary?

Wipe them down as I put them away. What is inside a socket generally stays there.

 

[Jawn]

I usually just wipe 'em down with a rag (that probably has a touch of WD40, PB Blaster, or who knows what else on it). If they're real messy, I'll shoot some WD40 or Rem-Oil on 'em then hit 'em with the rag.

 

[lowbucktruck]

If I must clean my sockets... with something other than a finger-full of grease... I use an old toothbrush... and some LA's Totatally Awesome Orange cleaner/degreaser from... the dollar store! Yes, you guessed it... I'm a cheapskate! Hey, no joke, it works.

 

[Tarheelgarage]

Clean sockets you say....

Actually, I wash them down daily using only the finest of cleaning detergents; not too harsh. I then polish each socket, inside and out with only the finest of chamios cloth.

Finally, I air dry them and dust each one lightly with a feather duster, being ever so careful not to scratch them.....

 

[Gort the giant robot]

I clean all my tools at work. Both home and work tools. For greasy tools I put them on a socket rack I made by driving large nails thru a piece of marine plywood and set them in the Storm Vulcan parts washer with engine parts. For rust on the inside of a socket, I run them thru the Mac glass bead blaster also at work. light rust comes off with a fine wire wheel. Don't use or buy tools with heavy rust.


Gort.

 

[steve308]

I let the wife out of the kitchen to go to the store to restock the sandwich supplies and simply put the sockets in the dishwasher on the pots and pan cycle and all is well.

 

[mudflap]

***** Juice, cleans and lubes at the same time, plus it makes your tool smell good....

 

[ChrisF250]

Then your toolbox smells like the fish market

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

Clean the insides of them? Are you serious? Why? Are you going to eat out of them? Cook a meal in them?

Agreed!!!
Sockets are be used and abused!!!!\
Clean the insides of them? What are you a nutjob or something!

 

[mudflap]

A long time friend of mine, who is an engine builder by trade, is a fanatic about keeping his tools clean, and organized. He has complete seperate sets of tools for teardown, and assembly. On the other end of the spectrum, it seems like transmission builders are the most un-organized, dirty slobs i know.

 

[jrsulo]

***** Juice, cleans and lubes at the same time, plus it makes your tool smell good....