Parts Washer Solution Recipe ?

[ChoppyChoppy]

I put Zip degreaser and Dawn in the tank.
It does clean with soaking and scrubbing. It needs heat. I'm searching for a 115 volt heater that I like.
If the paint is chalky on metal parts, it will take it off if scrubbed on to much.

1500 watt water heater element.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I've had some degreasers damage rubber, bare metal, and paint.

As a kid, my brother and I decided to tidy up my Dad's workshop.
He had some Super Clean so I sprayed that on the first drawer of his work bench.
It turned the paint gummy almost instantly.
Had been rattle can painted probably 10 years prior (was a metal drawer/cabinet set from an old hospital) and held up just fine to gas, oil, grease, etc.

Sprayed down my firewood processor with ZEP purple degreaser last summer. Labeled as machine and engine degreaser. I mixed it maybe 1 cup to a gallon. They allow 4 cups to a gallon for "tough soil"

"FOR HEAVY MACHINERY, ENGINE PARTS & TOOLS
USE ON SHOP FLOORS & WORK SURFACES
WORKS ON UNFINISHED CONCRETE & METAL"

It took the gloss out of the paint and made white chalky areas all over too. Also corroded some aluminum and steel parts.

In the Air Force, Simple Green was the go to for years. The smell of stagnant Simple Green/greases/water mix makes me gag still to this day. The hangars were usually stinking of that and maybe some jet fuel top notes.

At some point, they were finding corrosion in between aircraft panels and found out that Simple Green was causing it.

Before that, it was viewed as safe for everyone and everything. I do see now they make an aircraft specific Simple Green.
No idea what the AF uses now. For a while they weren't doing "washes" but more like towel baths.

 

[Philbert]

SuperClean, and some Zep purple degreasers contain lye (sodium hydroxide): great for removing grease, but can be hard on aluminum (and, apparently, some paints). Simple Green says not to use on aluminum, as I recall.

Philbert