Degreaser - which is best value and does the job.
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I’m not. Did you dilute that gunk or neat. Cheers deema.I don’t dilute the Gunk, it’s neat. Works really well. I use Diesel on really thick horrid stuff. Once it’s fully filthy I pop it in a container for a couple of weeks. The crud settles out leaving ‘clean’ diesel once again. This gets reused for cleaning again. After a few uses its popped into a screw top container and left for the rubbish men. They collect waste oil around here. I only use a few litres so it’s never an issue to get rid of it properly.
For painted parts they go through Gunk after diesel and then the usual panel wipe etc. Diesel stops stuff rusting too, another bonus.
You can’t just drop used Gunk down the drain, it will contain oil and all sorts of nasties! So it’s the same disposal routine for me.
For painted parts they go through Gunk after diesel and then the usual panel wipe etc. Diesel stops stuff rusting too, another bonus.
You can’t just drop used Gunk down the drain, it will contain oil and all sorts of nasties! So it’s the same disposal routine for me.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
I've just used that £10 a gallon stuff. It's not the gunk I remember, it worked but I suspect it could only be used once. I've a gallon of Jizer (that I couldn't put my hands on), about ten years old, that I just allow the muck to settle out in and return it to the can for reuse.
Do you know what, that’s really useful information. I appreciate you can’t put used gunk down the drains and obv diesel. But your explanations make a lotta sense
Phil you put Jiza over Gunk (sounds awful) 
@Sideways likes Jizer, it’s brutally expensive but has no aroma. It’s a very good degreaser, better than Gunk IMO. However, as I don’t mind the smell of Diesel, I’d put it at about the same degreasing level as Diesel. I use PR88 hand barrier cream and also the right gloves when using any chemicals / oily stuff. The PR88 is supposed to be sufficient as a barrier on its own. When I do get oil and stuff on my hands with it on, it comes straight off. The old advert for PR88 had a chap stood in sulphuric acid with bare feet washing his hands in hydrochloric acid popping things into the baths showing them fizzing and devolving quickly. That ad. seems to have gone in the last two years. Anyway, I get eczema on my hands from all sorts of stuff, however, the PR88 has stopped me getting it from even the stuff I’m most sensitive to.
The Gunk ultra degreaser is a water-based product. It is thus a detergent rather than a solvent. It is very similar to generic traffic film remover. A reliable product with the same chemical composition is Screwfix' No Nonsense degreaser. These are both relatively odourless.
The next step up from this is a solvent-based emulsifiable degreaser. It is a lot better on really greasy stuff. It can be washed off with water (the emulsifiable bit) and disposed of down the drain. It leaves a slightly oily film on parts after rinsing, which gives a little corrosion protection. Everybody and their mother sells it (Rye Oils, just as an example Degreasant - Rye Oil come in and see what we have on offer). It smells very solventy and lingers on your clothes. JennyChem sell an odourless version (no experience of it).
Above that are pure solvent degreasers like kerosene (paraffin), heating oil, diesel, petrol, cellulose thinners, white spirit, etc. These cannot be poured down the drain.
For a really good clean, use the solvent-based emulsifiable one first, rinse with cold water, followed by a hot wash with the Screwfix one (around 4:1 dilution). Hairdryer or hot air gun to dry and then a corrosion protection spray.
The next step up from this is a solvent-based emulsifiable degreaser. It is a lot better on really greasy stuff. It can be washed off with water (the emulsifiable bit) and disposed of down the drain. It leaves a slightly oily film on parts after rinsing, which gives a little corrosion protection. Everybody and their mother sells it (Rye Oils, just as an example Degreasant - Rye Oil come in and see what we have on offer). It smells very solventy and lingers on your clothes. JennyChem sell an odourless version (no experience of it).
Above that are pure solvent degreasers like kerosene (paraffin), heating oil, diesel, petrol, cellulose thinners, white spirit, etc. These cannot be poured down the drain.
For a really good clean, use the solvent-based emulsifiable one first, rinse with cold water, followed by a hot wash with the Screwfix one (around 4:1 dilution). Hairdryer or hot air gun to dry and then a corrosion protection spray.
That’s a very thorough and well informed response and I applaud it. I’ve gone (old school) diesel coz I’ve a proper old Jerry can 1/2 full for filling up my old machine plant.. I’m only cleaning n refurbishing an old nippy record machine vice n will salvage that oil to reuse again.
much appreciated to allUB 10 is very good if you want something that leaves no residue, and by far the best thing I have ever come across for removing stubborn stuff on engines etc. But for general stuff I would go with Deema's very good explanation 're diesel.
clogs
just can't decide
I am now down to my last gallon of Screwfix's own brand.....before I moved to France bought 10 galls.......
works well and wasn't expensive.....
used on disgusting tractors etc....for small parts I use an old container with a mesh just above the level of cleaning fluid.....
for the bigger jobs I used a rose sprayer or a recycled pump household cleaning bottle.....
If u use a rose sprayer make sure it has a PLASTIC pump shaft or wash out the bottle if it's metal shaft....
being tight I strain the old liquid thru paper towel and reuse.....
If I remeber it's envoiro friendly.....
tractors were cleaned on the grass outside the old workshop....it never bothered the grass any....
works well and wasn't expensive.....
used on disgusting tractors etc....for small parts I use an old container with a mesh just above the level of cleaning fluid.....
for the bigger jobs I used a rose sprayer or a recycled pump household cleaning bottle.....
If u use a rose sprayer make sure it has a PLASTIC pump shaft or wash out the bottle if it's metal shaft....
being tight I strain the old liquid thru paper towel and reuse.....
If I remeber it's envoiro friendly.....
tractors were cleaned on the grass outside the old workshop....it never bothered the grass any....
Inspector
Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
Cleaning tractors of oils, greases and pesticides, any vehicle for that matter, puts those oils in the ground. They eventually work themselves into the water table and contaminate the well water. If you have ever seen how big a hole is made to remove oil and fuel contaminated soil around a service station you would understand. When they can't excavate deep or a wide enough area they end up having to surround them with wells that continuously pump out the contaminants for removal processing. Take years to clean up.
Pete
Pete
John Hall
Established Member
White spirits for small parts…
My mates have been using "elbow grease" all purpose degreaser recently. The vivid yellow, cheap spray from many of the supermarkets. I haven't tried yet but they say it's excellent.
As @deema mentioned, I find the stink of diesel quickly gets to me so I bought a gallon of Jizer to clean my old Harrison lathe prior to the refurb. It's stupidly dear but I only needed a a couple of pints for cleaning all the parts, plus (yes) a couple more pints of diesel to run through and flush the head before putting in new oil.
As @deema mentioned, I find the stink of diesel quickly gets to me so I bought a gallon of Jizer to clean my old Harrison lathe prior to the refurb. It's stupidly dear but I only needed a a couple of pints for cleaning all the parts, plus (yes) a couple more pints of diesel to run through and flush the head before putting in new oil.
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Homeless Squirrel
Established Member
Ive always Used Comma Hyperclean cleans quick and easy and leaves a protective film unlike gunk.
pgrbff
Established Member
Brake cleaner when going cheap at Lidl.
clogs
just can't decide
Inspector,
in all my years have never seen that in the UK or anywhere else for that matter......
obv your more envoir friendly that us.....
in all my years have never seen that in the UK or anywhere else for that matter......
obv your more envoir friendly that us.....
Paraffin is my usual go-to - if you shop around it's sold quite cheaply ~£3/L in most garden centres or DIY sheds for greenhouse heaters.
I've not tried 'elbow grease' as @Sideways mentioned but I'll definitely will give that a try since it looks like its even cheaper and likely more eco-friendly for degreasing small stuff.
I've not tried 'elbow grease' as @Sideways mentioned but I'll definitely will give that a try since it looks like its even cheaper and likely more eco-friendly for degreasing small stuff.
I unexpectedly had to go out this morning - kettle died and Asda £16 model got good reviews online, so picked up some elbow grease too.
Not tried it for degreasing yet, however looking at the constitùents it's pretty similar to most alloy auto wheel cleaners comprising anionic surfacants.
Tried it on one wheel of the car and yes it removes brake dust residue very well, I even tried it on an inner and never before cleaned portion and it came out nice and shiny
At ~¼ the price of Halfords/Screwfix equivalents if only used for this purpose it is seriously good value - I thoroughly recommend it - thanks Sideways!!
Not tried it for degreasing yet, however looking at the constitùents it's pretty similar to most alloy auto wheel cleaners comprising anionic surfacants.
Tried it on one wheel of the car and yes it removes brake dust residue very well, I even tried it on an inner and never before cleaned portion and it came out nice and shiny
At ~¼ the price of Halfords/Screwfix equivalents if only used for this purpose it is seriously good value - I thoroughly recommend it - thanks Sideways!!
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