I've found that the best stuff for my purposes is concentrated citrus degreaser. This stuff is sold in hardware stores and by some mail order bike places, but in small packages, it can be $40 per gallon or more. I was able to obtain some in 5 gallon pails from an industrial solvents supply house for less than half that. This stuff has become pretty common in industrial plant machine shops, motor pool shops, etc. in the last few years due to its low toxicity and lower flammability than petroleum solvents. In the residence I just moved from, I used half of a large enclosed front porch as a bike maintenance shop. This resulted in an irate spouse when I used kerosene for cleaning, but after I switshed to citrus degreaser, with a lemon/orange aroma, relative domestic harmony was restored. The stuff is still pricey, but it's much cheaper than divorce lawyers.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
now of Houston, TX
Bingham, Wayne R. wrote:
> >>>>
> Any of you have luck with a parts cleaner that is not smelly or toxic but
> works well? I have used Pedro's and another biodegradable kind purchased
> from bike shops that works well but it gets expensive in those little cans.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions.
>
> Kevin "I want a few more months of warmth" MacAfee
> St. Paul, MN.<<<<<
>
> I've been using various LPS products for some time, and have been quite
> pleased with them. They make several different cleaner/degreasers that
> don't seem too toxic or offensive smelling. My favorites are Zero Tri and
> Pre Solve for serious stuff, and Precision Clean for lesser jobs. I've used
> these on MANY bike parts, with no problems. I also use their Contact
> Cleaner for cleaning residue from other cleaners, stickers, tape, etc.
> Their line of lubricants, especially the LPS-1, 2 and 3 series work well
> too. The 3 is a rust inhibitor, which some people use as an internal frame
> treatment (probably not as good as Frame Saver tho').
>
> Just my 2 "scents" worth.
>
> Wayne Bingham
> Falls Church VA