oddjob2

I'm reading this CNN link about meth labs, then looking at the list of ingredients. Other than drain cleaner, we use a lot of this stuff daily to shake off the rust and bring back the luster of our beloved two wheel machines. Just be careful for your own health!

"Making crystal involves a witch's brew of ordinary household products like acetone, acids, brake cleaner, drain cleaner, iodine and paint thinner, which are all used to cook cold medicine containing the now highly-regulated ingredient, pseudoephedrine, into meth."

T-Mar

So, if I ever happen to test postitive I can blaim it on doing too many C&V restorations? Oh, if Lance had only known this a month or so ago!

oddjob2

Given his PEDs expertise, he probably has a FDA compliant laboratory at the 8,000 sf Chateau Armstrong:

rootboy 

Is that his? well....for now, anyway.

Well, I've used solvents all my adult life and yes, care must be taken. Some stuff I wear a respirator to use but I admit I've been somewhat cavalier through the years. I recently bought a gallon of MEK, some nasty stuff, and the guy at the paint store had to go get it from the back room. Hardware stores and Home Depot no longer sell it. Other VOC's will become increasingly difficult to obtain in the future. My biggest problem with this stuff had been deciding how to properly dispose of it when used.

puchfinnland

I got one big pot, and it gets stored in there,

actually the stuff settles, I sometimes skim off the good thinners on top for use de-gunking stuff.

there should be a hazmat collection center for household chemicals, paints, batteries etc.

you could take it and dump it in the waste oil collection containers, if it is a thinner.

rootboy 

Yeah, thanks Mike. I too decant the good stuff from the top. And yes, usually take stuff to the dump on hazardous waste days, but they only do it here once a year, I think.

T-Mar

In my city, we have twice yearly hazardous waste disposal days, when we can drop off said materials at the city's works department for proper disposal, at no charge. I always save one empty container for each material and decant the used/dirty material back into it. That way I know it's properly labeled. If it's not labeled and the contents can't be determined, disposal becomes a real issue.

dbakl

I typically use mineral spirits and WD/40. Heck, you could probably drink that stuff...

Here in Oakland we have a city run hazardous materials drop off center for free any day of the week.

oddjob2

Around Ann Arbor and in Essex Co. NJ, there is a county wide drop off day for household hazmats at least once or twice a year. I try to use stuff that is somewhat drain friendly, Greased Lightning, whose active ingredient is sodium hydroxide, like Drano or oven cleaner. The other ingredient, 2-butoxyethanol, is mixed in at a rate lower than Simple Green. I tried Simple Green, but it just doesn't degrease in a reasonable amount of time.

I try to limit my use of VOCs, but with adhesive residue, there is not much choice.

Despite the hubbub about plastic shopping and grocery bags (which I need for my golden retriever), why does clamshell plastic packaging exist? Duracell batteries look fine in a paper box! Or why does a multi-pak of Wrigley's chewing gum result in five layers of wrap to get to a stick of gum?

jimmuller 

I worry about this for a lot of things, not just bike-cleaning materials. Old oil, brake fluid, ATF, dead batteries, old electronics which may contain lead, etc.

noglider 

Maybe we should just use dish soap, such as Dawn.

Flying Merkel

I put my old mineral spirits (AKA paint thinner) into a two liter plastic bottle with water & dish detergent. Shake well, let settle. Poke a hole in the side to drain off the top layer of solvent. Ready to go again.

rootboy 

Me too Jim. After this recent power outage, I cringed when I had to discard several Alkaline batteries. Cringe every time I do. Making a stop down to Radio Shack today to get two more rechargeable AA battery packs. I've converted to rechargeable batteries for some things, but am going further. At least the NiCad batts can be recycled.

Reynolds 

Better call Saul!

oddjob2

I originally posted this so those working in their basements and spare rooms don't have indoor air quality issues, however the landfill and hazmat concerns are many.

I have the same concerns about batteries, but my sister, who is in environmental remediation management, says the newer alkalines no longer have cadmium in them, so the EPA has removed them from need to recycle list.

I have some APC UPS backups that need new sealed lead acids, but haven't figured out who takes the old ones yet.

Best Buy is great though, because you can bring 7 unused electronic items a day there for recycling at no charge.

JohnDThompson 

Be especially cautious using brake cleaner around flames:

https://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

JohnDThompson 

I buy replacements at Batteries Plus; they accept the old ones for recycling.

gl1000honda3

VOC's are all very toxic...MEK especially so! The long term affects can lead to; skin, liver, and brain related issues. So, if you have to use a "witches brew", remember the following: ventilate, mask, wear gloves (at all times)..and, limit your exposure time accordingly...Ultimately, read the hazmat data that comes with the product (carefully) before you start with any cleaning/polishing project on your prized baby.

Be safe, not sorry....and try to use enviromentally and human safe cleaning products...they exist.

clasher

Denatured alcohol does a decent job for light cleanup and is pretty cheap. Acetone isn't toxic either but is pretty flammable... gotta keep the lid on too since it evaporates quickly. The co-op uses some "green" degreaser that seems to be alcohol and lye mixed together with some surfactants and colour but it does a good job with heavy gunk... and it's no longer "green" when it's full of petroleum residues.

ColonelJLloyd 

unworthy1

That's the easiest: lead is always in demand at any metal recycler, lead can be very easily (s)melted and re-used with very little loss.
Around here, Goodwill donation centers (and thrift stores) will take nearly any electronics for free: these are worth money, too. I'm afraid most of that "E-waste" goes right back to China on big freighters, but they want those rare earth elements and all the other metals...easier to recycle from old goods than extract from Africa (maybe).

Grand Bois

You don't want to use cleaners containing lye on aluminum since it dissolves both aluminum and anodizing. If you insist on using Simple Green, rinse it off promptly.

Dawn dishwashing liquid is a great grease cutter. The car guys use it.

Denatured alcohol is not a great grease cutter.

We're not combining and cooking our solvents, so the meth lab comparison does not really apply.

southpawboston

Ha! But it'll cost you. His friend of a friend ain't cheap.

southpawboston

I'm no chemist (but I play one at work), but Simple Green has a close to neutral pH, so it's not alkaline like lye. I don't know what's in it that attacks aluminum, but I agree that it does something to it, and that you shouldn't soak aluminum in it overnight or it won't look the same. That said, I discovered this because I soaked a non-anodized derailleur in it overnight and the aluminum came out chalky-white (anodized?). But after scrubbing it with steel wool and detergent, what emerged was actually a nice, soft anodized appearance.

I often use just dish soap and steel wool to degrease and polish aluminum and chromed steel parts. It usually comes out well, especially if I pre-soak the parts in simple green for just a few minutes.

southpawboston

That's a great idea! I've always reclaimed used mineral spirits after letting it settle, but I always leave a little behind or else the insoluble crap starts to stir up. Never thought to try a phase separation. I guess the idea is that the insoluble crap settles at the bottom, away from the organic layer and doesn't mix in when you go to decant.