Thread: Hydrochloric Acid as a degreaser.

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I read an article about using a 50:50 mix of drano and water as a degreaser bath if used outside and in a chemical proof container with rubber gloves. I was looking through the clog removers and the cheapest happens to be strictly Hydrocholoric acid. I know I'd have to treat it the same as the lye mixture, but will it still degrease the parts and then wash off with enough cold water?

I use degreaser. It's much safer and easier to use. It works good too. I never heard of using acid for degreaser. I've spilled battery acid by accident and it didn't remove the grease it just changed the color.

If your really cheap like me, a can of 1$ oven cleaner will remove all kids of exoctic grease mixtures. just be sure to do it outside.

Grainger has nice industrial strength degreasers. pretty cheap, too. Some are water based and can be deactivated to be disposed of down the drain.

I can't find the post at all right now. But the guy used lye (drano) and water, then heated it or left it out on a warm day to degrease the parts. Works great and then after it's washed, paints on just fine. I wasn't quite sure HCl would be a good way to go.... now that I'm at least semi awake.... def. a dumb idea. Though I am going to go pick up soem Drano to do it. Engine degreaser is just to expensive to use right now, cause I'd need to use it in larger quantities. Any recommendations or alternatives? I'm going to use a metal net to hold the parts while they "cook" No rubber parts at all. Unless they are goign to be rebuilt. I'll continue looking for the article too

Sorry I forgot to mention, I'd like to stick to using a bath (about a 5 gallon container) because I'll use it all summer long. I've got chemical proof containers to use it in.

.. oven cleaner for a buck..?....I have used it...Sorta OK..Makes the engine smell good though...Sorry...I mean motor...Berkelsnort just breezed in and reminded me that its "motor" now......Oh..the days of steam cleaners...now that got grease off.!!...They left an awful mess though. A pressure washer with at least 3,000 LBs does nicely..Just wear rain gear.. ......

I have a five gallon container that I use for degreasing. I bought three spray cans of degreaser at Walmart for $1.89 a can and used that. I degreased some parts in the container so I didn't lose any degreaser. Then I added one gallon of Kerosene to that. (under $2.00). Now I can degrease parts without needing a respirator, rubber gloves or goggles. It's also good for degreasing your hands when they get coated with grease. It doesn't dry out your skin like gasoline and it washes off with water. You can't get much cheaper than that. Especially if you buy gloves, respirator and goggles. Can you scrape up $8.00 somewhere? Maybe mow somebody's lawn or something.

I think I spelled it right, VALSPAR, works great for cleaning greasy/oily parts.

This is the first time I have ever heard of using ACID to degrease parts. My local engine builder has a steam unit he uses to wash/degrease my parts. Its really NOT that expensive and he checks for cracks and damage too.


Tazz

...Hey Al.....does that canned degreaser smell like diesel fuel to you,??......Oh yeah..Kerosene....I too have used it for degreasing...Works pretty good....Mixing canned defreaser.Diesel?? and kero sounds like a good idea...The high priced solvents of today aren't what they used to be for sure.......Al.....

Ya. The spray degreaser does smell like diesel but it's mixed with something to make it water soluable. It still is after thinning with kero. I read the back of a gallon can of GUNK degreaser it says to mix it with 5 gallons of kero. That's where I got the idea to mix it with the spray cans. My eight dollars worth of degreaser has lasted 2 years so far. The sludge settles to the bottom and I clean it out before I use it if it's been sitting for a while. There's no grease to tough for it so using harmful chemicals really makes no sense. Most of the good degreasers that we used in the machine shop are banned now by the EPA.