Originally Posted by
Dave Cutter
This is a trick question... isn't it?
Mechanics use MEK: Methyl ethyl ketone (butanone), a solvent. Not safe for use or storage at home.
Probably not. MEK (butan-2-one or 2-butanone) is relatively polar and a poor solvent for grease...which is nonpolar. It also has a low flash point (-9°C). It is also a slight lacrymator (eye irritant).
I agree that its use at home is not safe.
Originally Posted by
Dave Cutter
Oderless Mineral Spirits
aren't safe either(<see the pdf safety sheet) although slightly better than MEK. No solvent is safe for use outside of the shop. Or... safe to be stored anywhere around a home.
Commercial part cleaning tanks use mixtures closer to odorless mineral spirits which is nonpolar and has a much higher flash point (40°C to 50°C). From a toxicity standpoint, it's not terribly toxic, especially the odorless variety.
For the metrically challenged, -9°C is 16°F and 40°C is 104°F.
And, since it will invariably come up,
don't use gasoline! It's toxic and highly flammable (flashpoint of -45°C or -42°C). It can be easily ignited at any temperature that we would normally use it in.