About Simplegreen
03-13-07 | 05:22 AM
#1
Thread Starter
The Legitimiser
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,849
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From: Southampton, UK
Bikes: Gazelle Trim Trophy, EG Bates Track Bike, HR Bates Cantiflex bike, Nigel Dean fixed gear conversion, Raleigh Royal, Falcon Westminster.
About Simplegreen
You guys seem to have so much success with Simplegreen that I really wanted to try it instead of white spirit. A swift google reveals that it can be bought in the UK, although possibly only on mail order. Can one of you look at this site:
www.simplegreen.co.uk
And let me know which of the products it is that you actually use, the household cleaner, or the industrial wassname?
www.simplegreen.co.uk
And let me know which of the products it is that you actually use, the household cleaner, or the industrial wassname?
03-13-07 | 05:37 AM
#2
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: NW Ohio
Bikes: 1984 Miyata 310, 1986 Schwinn Sierra, 1987 Ross Mt. Hood, 1988 Schwinn LeTour, 1988 Trek 400T, 1981 Fuji S12-1977 Univega Grand Rally, S LTD, 1973 Sears Free Spirit 531, 197? FW Evans
I use the regular household cleaner. It comes as a concentrated, high-strength solution, but the label has instructions for mixing weaker solutions for general cleaning. I mixed some of the weaker solution in another spray bottle for cleaning frames, etc. At full strength, it will disolve old dried grease and sludge. I had some old deraileurs that were covered with dried grease that resembled dental plaque. After soaking a few hours in SG, they rinsed clean.
03-13-07 | 05:54 AM
#3
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The Legitimiser
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Southampton, UK
Bikes: Gazelle Trim Trophy, EG Bates Track Bike, HR Bates Cantiflex bike, Nigel Dean fixed gear conversion, Raleigh Royal, Falcon Westminster.
I gotta get me some of that. Everyone in my house hates all the little pots of white spirit with a deep sediment of old oil and crap in the bottom!
03-13-07 | 08:50 AM
#7
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Joined: Jan 2005
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From: On the road-USA
Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG
I can't remember but I think Simple Green is an akaline based cleaner. I know that The Purple Power stuff is and it is an awesome degreaser, but will etch bare metal if used full strength for too long
Edit: The Purple Power cleaner is butoxyethanol based (whatever that is...) but it is alkaline.
Aaron
Edit: The Purple Power cleaner is butoxyethanol based (whatever that is...) but it is alkaline.
Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Last edited by wahoonc; 03-13-07 at 09:06 AM.
03-13-07 | 09:04 AM
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally Posted by Sammyboy
I gotta get me some of that. Everyone in my house hates all the little pots of white spirit with a deep sediment of old oil and crap in the bottom!
I usually have only 3 pots going at any one time. The pot that's settling and a pot of fairly clean and an extra. So once the settling pot settles a bit its into the extra pot for continued settling. Then it gets poured into the fairly clean pot and starts all over again. You can get a lot of cleaning out of very little spirits that way. And the pots are usually old plastic peanut butter jars with lids.
I developed the 3 pot system, as I do the same thing with enamel housepaint.
And yes, I'm also a professional house painter. A job I actually make GOOD money at!
Oh GREEEAT, now I suppose I'm obligated to post pictures, huh?
03-13-07 | 09:11 AM
#9
Unique Vintage Steel
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 11,591
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From: Allen, TX
Bikes: Kirk Frameworks JKS-C, Serotta Nova, Gazelle AB-Frame, Fuji Team Issue, Surly Straggler
Oh GREEEAT, now I suppose I'm obligated to post pictures, huh?
03-13-07 | 10:11 AM
#10
Originally Posted by USAZorro
Prolonged soaks can disturb the finish. Anodizing is particularly susceptible.
I have tried the stuff, but use gloves and rinse well. On Chains I think the rinsing part is the big problem, the stuff I think required rubbing with a cloth while rinsing to remove all the "film". I no longer use it.
03-13-07 | 10:51 AM
#11
Get on your bikes & ride!
Joined: May 2006
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From: Lextown
Bikes: See signature (it varys day to day)
https://www.glblast.com/products/Prod...px?ProductId=3
I like this stuff for just about everything I do bike maintainence related. Full strength for chains and really dirty stuff. Dilluted with water as required for general cleaning. Smells great and doesn't tear you skin up that much. I know I should wear gloves, but just don't bother most times.
I like this stuff for just about everything I do bike maintainence related. Full strength for chains and really dirty stuff. Dilluted with water as required for general cleaning. Smells great and doesn't tear you skin up that much. I know I should wear gloves, but just don't bother most times.
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03-13-07 | 11:31 AM
#12
Originally Posted by repechage
There was also a tech notes issue described by Leonard Zinn of Velonews and elsewhere, prolonged soaking of chains in simple green can cause microcracks in chains, Wippermanns seem to be the most problematic. I do not like chains breaking.
I have tried the stuff, but use gloves and rinse well. On Chains I think the rinsing part is the big problem, the stuff I think required rubbing with a cloth while rinsing to remove all the "film". I no longer use it.
I have tried the stuff, but use gloves and rinse well. On Chains I think the rinsing part is the big problem, the stuff I think required rubbing with a cloth while rinsing to remove all the "film". I no longer use it.
https://www.velonews.com/tech/report/...es/9114.0.html
https://www.velonews.com/tech/report/...es/9216.0.html
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03-13-07 | 11:42 AM
#13
Dolce far niente
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 33
From: Southwest Idaho
I've cleaned lots of chains with SG. Just soak them in a pie tin filled with a hot water and SG solution over night, and the grease and crud just falls off. Hit it with a toothbrush, rinse, and re-lube. They come out looking like new.
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03-13-07 | 11:53 AM
#14
I wear gloves as well, as it will degrease the oil right off your skin as well, leaving it dry and chapped. Also, clean heavy grime off first with a paper towel or rag, as it doesn't simply dissolve heavy grease. It will just make a mess of it. It does, however, do a good job of getting grease in hard to reach places. I also rinse with water after cleaning parts, especially if they need to be regreased. I've found it also does a nice job on white brake hoods, though maybe it's damaging them in the long term?
I actually prefer mineral spirits to clean parts, because I find it requires only a small amount on a rag, rather than a good spray or two of SG, and it will cut through grease more efficiently. Mineral spirits have a bit more fumes, however. But, honestly, I can't stand the smell of SG. I believe one of its active ingredients is ammonia, which smells nasty to me. Reminds me of cat piss.
I actually prefer mineral spirits to clean parts, because I find it requires only a small amount on a rag, rather than a good spray or two of SG, and it will cut through grease more efficiently. Mineral spirits have a bit more fumes, however. But, honestly, I can't stand the smell of SG. I believe one of its active ingredients is ammonia, which smells nasty to me. Reminds me of cat piss.
03-13-07 | 12:14 PM
#15
Señor Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 18,463
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From: Hardy, VA
Bikes: Mostly English - predominantly Raleighs
Originally Posted by xB_Nutt
https://www.glblast.com/products/Prod...px?ProductId=3
I like this stuff for just about everything I do bike maintainence related. Full strength for chains and really dirty stuff. Dilluted with water as required for general cleaning. Smells great and doesn't tear you skin up that much. I know I should wear gloves, but just don't bother most times.
I like this stuff for just about everything I do bike maintainence related. Full strength for chains and really dirty stuff. Dilluted with water as required for general cleaning. Smells great and doesn't tear you skin up that much. I know I should wear gloves, but just don't bother most times.
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03-13-07 | 12:17 PM
#16
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,914
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From: Upper Left, USA
Originally Posted by JunkYardBike
I believe one of its active ingredients is ammonia, which smells nasty to me. Reminds me of cat piss.
You mentioning the smell of ammonia takes me back a couple of months to when the wife and I were visiting the Fort Worth Stock Show. We visited the barn that housed the sheep and was almost overwhelmed by the ammonia smell.
I eventually got used to it, though.
03-13-07 | 02:42 PM
#17
Originally Posted by tricky
Simple Green advertises itself as non-toxic. I doubt that it contains ammonia.
Originally Posted by Sunshine Makers, Inc.
Ingredients - What are the ingredients in Simple Green?
All-Purpose Simple Green is made of water, surfactants (surface-active-agents), wetting agents, emulsifiers, green colorant and fragrance. Simple Green does not contain chlorine (bleach), ammonia, formaldehyde or petroleum distillates.
Ingredients - Why aren't the ingredients listed on the label?
Simple Green is non-toxic. Sunshine Makers, Inc. has had the required independent laboratory tests conducted to verify this. Therefore, it is not required by law to list the ingredients on the label. Simple Green's unique formula is protected under the US trade Secrecy Act. Simple Green complies with all current labeling requirements for ingredient disclosure on cleaning products. Some disclosure of ingredients will be given on a case by case basis as required by physicians, veterinarians, or highway safety agents.
All-Purpose Simple Green is made of water, surfactants (surface-active-agents), wetting agents, emulsifiers, green colorant and fragrance. Simple Green does not contain chlorine (bleach), ammonia, formaldehyde or petroleum distillates.
Ingredients - Why aren't the ingredients listed on the label?
Simple Green is non-toxic. Sunshine Makers, Inc. has had the required independent laboratory tests conducted to verify this. Therefore, it is not required by law to list the ingredients on the label. Simple Green's unique formula is protected under the US trade Secrecy Act. Simple Green complies with all current labeling requirements for ingredient disclosure on cleaning products. Some disclosure of ingredients will be given on a case by case basis as required by physicians, veterinarians, or highway safety agents.
I don't know why, but it's odor reminds me of ammonia. There have been flame wars over SG's non-toxicity in the Mechanics forum. Essentially, it's not a wonder product with absolutely no toxicity to the environment, but it is signficantly lower than other cleaners.
https://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0209-03.htm
A word from the manufacturer about toxicity:
Originally Posted by Sunshine Makers, Inc.
In reality, everything is toxic in large enough quantities. A person could consume enough milk, chocolate or even water to cause fatality. OSHA measures a substance by a test method called the Lethal Dosage 50 (LD50.) This is a number expressed as grams of the test substance to kilograms of body weight at which 50% of the test population dies. Therefore, the smaller the number, the more toxic a substance is. For example, it might take many, many of grams of soft drink per kilogram of body weight to kill 50% or more of the test subjects, where arsenic might only take less than one gram per kilogram of body weight to have the same rate of fatality. OSHA sets the ingestion toxicity limit at 5 grams per kilogram of body weight. If a substance is over 5 grams per kilogram, it is considered non-toxic - at or under 5 grams per kilogram is toxic.
Simple Green is almost three times the 5-gram minimum to be considered non-toxic. Therefore, we are able to put the words non-toxic on our label. Because our product is used in the US workplace, the testing is required by law. We are one of the very few cleaning products that you will see on the consumer cleaning product shelf that bears the words non-toxic on the label. The others are either toxic, or they are not used in the workplace and do not have to perform the testing to determine their toxicity level.
https://consumer.simplegreen.com/cons_faqs.php
Simple Green is almost three times the 5-gram minimum to be considered non-toxic. Therefore, we are able to put the words non-toxic on our label. Because our product is used in the US workplace, the testing is required by law. We are one of the very few cleaning products that you will see on the consumer cleaning product shelf that bears the words non-toxic on the label. The others are either toxic, or they are not used in the workplace and do not have to perform the testing to determine their toxicity level.
https://consumer.simplegreen.com/cons_faqs.php
03-13-07 | 03:17 PM
#19
Chrome Freak
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Kuna, ID
Bikes: 71 Chrome Paramount P13-9, 73 Opaque Blue Paramount P15, 74 Blue Mink Raleigh Pro, 91 Waterford Paramount, Holland Titanium x2
And yes, I'm also a professional house painter. A job I actually make GOOD money at!
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1971 Paramount P-13 Chrome
1973 Paramount P-15 Opaque Blue
1974 Raleigh Professional Blue Mink
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1971 Paramount P-13 Chrome
1973 Paramount P-15 Opaque Blue
1974 Raleigh Professional Blue Mink
1991 Waterford Paramount
Holland Titanium Dura Ace Group
Holland Titanium Ultegra Triple Group
03-13-07 | 03:19 PM
#20
Chrome Freak
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,208
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From: Kuna, ID
Bikes: 71 Chrome Paramount P13-9, 73 Opaque Blue Paramount P15, 74 Blue Mink Raleigh Pro, 91 Waterford Paramount, Holland Titanium x2
A Simple Green warning-
I have used it many times to degrease engines, and it does it well. You need to be REALLY careful not to let it get inside bearings such as alternators or A/C compressors. They will almost immediately start making a noise and will not stop. It will wash the lubricant out of them, so if you use it for such things, please be careful!
I have also used it as emergency shampoo. Works pretty good for that, too.
I have used it many times to degrease engines, and it does it well. You need to be REALLY careful not to let it get inside bearings such as alternators or A/C compressors. They will almost immediately start making a noise and will not stop. It will wash the lubricant out of them, so if you use it for such things, please be careful!
I have also used it as emergency shampoo. Works pretty good for that, too.
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1971 Paramount P-13 Chrome
1973 Paramount P-15 Opaque Blue
1974 Raleigh Professional Blue Mink
1991 Waterford Paramount
Holland Titanium Dura Ace Group
Holland Titanium Ultegra Triple Group
1971 Paramount P-13 Chrome
1973 Paramount P-15 Opaque Blue
1974 Raleigh Professional Blue Mink
1991 Waterford Paramount
Holland Titanium Dura Ace Group
Holland Titanium Ultegra Triple Group
03-13-07 | 05:15 PM
#21
Originally Posted by Stacey
Dawn dish soap... ain't nothin' better! Unless they've changed things, I always found you have to rinse SG waaaaayyy too much. 
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03-13-07 | 05:39 PM
#22
Hirsuite moustache'd
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
From: Bowling Green, OH
Bikes: 1987 Centurion Ironman Expert, ~1995 Cannondale F500, 1984 Peugeot PSVN (fixie converstion)
I really like SG for all my degreasing/grime busting. I don't really see a need to wear gloves with it, unless your skin is already susceptible to being dry. It takes me several hours of having my hands covered in SG to have any bothersome drying. I've never liked the results I get from dish detergent; it seems to take so much more work to get everything dislodged, and is a PITA to get rinsed.
As far as where you could find it in the UK.....I have no idea. Here in the states, it seems to most often show up in the automotive section of stores, next to the waxes and polishes.
I also discovered that SG can be found in large-ish jugs at a considerably better price than in the spray bottles. Haven't seen them anywhere but Lowes, but I'd imagine that other hardware stores would carry the same thing.
As far as where you could find it in the UK.....I have no idea. Here in the states, it seems to most often show up in the automotive section of stores, next to the waxes and polishes.
I also discovered that SG can be found in large-ish jugs at a considerably better price than in the spray bottles. Haven't seen them anywhere but Lowes, but I'd imagine that other hardware stores would carry the same thing.
03-13-07 | 07:32 PM
#23
\,,/(^_^)\,,/
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Minneapolis, MN
Bikes: Surly 1x1 Xtracycle, '01 Haro Flair Dave Mirra
NAPA sells it in larger containers
PArt #13013 (spray bottle)
Part #13005 (1 gal)
Part #13006 (5 gal)
PArt #13013 (spray bottle)
Part #13005 (1 gal)
Part #13006 (5 gal)
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03-13-07 | 08:28 PM
#24
Originally Posted by JunkYardBike
A word from the manufacturer about toxicity:
If you want to know more about simple green, call and order a copy of the MSDS, Material Safety Data Sheet, long ago I read it, please use gloves.
03-14-07 | 08:03 AM
#25
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,007
Likes: 2
From: New Jersey, USA
I honestly wouldn't go out of my way to get this stuff in the UK. It is clearly some sort of aqueous surfactant solution that is alkaline (bad for extended contact with Al). A lot of people here seem to like water based systems for cleaning parts, but I'll stick with the hydrocarbon solvents like spirits. More of a problem when it comes to proper disposal, but superior for cleaning greasy metal parts.