Hand cleaner

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Gentlemen,

I hate using gloves when working on dirty jobs as I find they get in the way but have found through my job that if my hands are still mucky after using hand cleaner I wear latex gloves for half an hour and my hands sweat themselves clean, at home I use Swarfiga Orange.

Martin P

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 21/06/2015 23:25:44:

Washing up liquid with a spoon of sugar in it. Rub in well before adding water.

Another effective way of getting the hands clean is washing your hair (where applicable). Alternatively, make some bread, but DON'T get caught

Neil

.

Putty also works well, so that has to be the linseed oil ?

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Resin from evergreen trees, fibreglass, epoxy etc is a sod to get off. I used to have some "Emulan" which was a white waxy hand cleaner. It worked a treat when I was doing car repairs but seems to be no longer available.

There seem to be other resin hand cleaners such as Tufanega, Loctite / Henkel 7855 etc. Some people are happy to use Acetone but this dries out your skin, pushes resins into your bloodstream and causes dermatitis. I already have a eczema-like condition caused by use of solvents, petrol, strong hand cleaners etc. Once you have sensitised your skin, there's no easy way back. Best find and use the correct cleansers to start with.

Murray

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

Over the years I have tried just about all commercial hand cleaners and some home formula ones but the best by far is Lidl's W5 Heavy Duty Hand Cleaner available in 500ml tins. Put a little into the palm of one hand and add a little water then rub with the other hand until a creamy consistency ( a little patience is needed here) is obtained then spread it all over both hands an work it in. It removes anything you are likely to use in the workshop.

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Make some pastry. Works a treat.

Martin

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by alan smith 6 on 21/06/2015 17:25:00:Always buy the non powdered variety as some of the powder lubricants have been suspected of causing cancer.

The lubricant in these gloves is talcum powder. There has been an unproven scare that it can cause ovarian cancer: **LINK**. So perhaps you just need to be careful where you put your hands

Russell.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

White cheddar cheese seems to work well too from memory.

[Trevor WrightParticipant @trevorwright62541]

L'Occitane liquid soap……came with a christmas pack for SWMBO.

It is superior to Swarfega, will not hurt the skin and even removes dried on paint. Not tried it on Leylandi goo but would not be surprised if it did. Thick grease is washed off with very little at one attempt, even fingernails.

It is expensive – but works better than anything I have used in my 40 years in industrial engineering – and I have tried a few.

Trevor – usual disclaimer, very very satisfied customer

Edited By Trevor Wright on 22/06/2015 12:53:01

[Nick MoodyParticipant @nickmoody91191]

I can heartily recommend 'Scrubs in a bucket' pre-moistened Hand Cleaner Towels for removing just about anything; super-glue, ink, epoxy resin, polyurethane glue, oil; I haven't found anything they won't remove. A bit expensive at around £20 for 72 towels but one towel is all you ever need. I cleaned the smoke box and chimney on a 7.25 Bagnall resulting in a tennis sized ball of oily soot, the really super black sticky stuff. One towel cleaned my hands enough to go straight out for dinner. Also leave you hands soft and smelling OK too!

NickM

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Gave up using Barrier Cream, (not that it was not effective) but it it gripped any non rotating handle or socket extension, so that it rubbed the skin.

Often wear industrial gloves, but they are not waterproof, (so your hands can become soiled with dirt carried through in the oil/coolant) and eventually become soft and start to sag or get trapped between the workpiece and the jaw as the vice is tightened.

Washing Up Liquid is good, (with or without sugar/sawdust – never tried salt. NOT if you have a cut!) but dries out my skin, and having had Dermatitis, try to avoid using it. Still using original green Swarfega, IMO, better than the more expensive Orange version.

Howard

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

The only barrier cream I remember from years ago was pretty much pure Lanolin, I would have thought. Never experienced the clay layer mentioned by some.

These days I just use that squeeze bottle handwash from the supermarket plus Solvol soap. Not sure if Solvol is available outside Australia? It is a pumice powder-based soap that is abrasive as well as a soap.

In worst case scenario – machining cast iron or working on stinking dirty old diesel engines – WD40 does the trick. Then wash the WD off with soap afterwards. Probably some highly carcinogenic aromatic solvents in the WD so I try to use it only in desperate cases.

[Mark P.Participant @markp]

Hi all, some years ago I worked for an airline in the wheel bay, we used a barrier cream which seemed impervious to all the grease/ carbon dust from the brakes but when hands were washed it became soap and left hands squeeky clean and soft as a babies proverbial. Can't for the life of me remember what it was called though. At home I use Manista by Comma from the local cheepy shop works for me.

Mark P.

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

I try and avoid getting my hands dirty by wearing vinyl disposable gloves. The main problem with them is they dissolve after a while particularly when using oil and solvents (brasso zaps them quicker than anything). On an oily job I have used up to three pairs a day. I keep costs down by buying boxes of 100 at a boot for between £2.50 and £3.50. Also, Costco do them for £3.50 if I remember.

For heavier jobs like yesterdays band saw blade change I use the heavy duty industrial gloves with the cotton wrist – these are unaffected by oil.

Looking back to my teenage at work I spent day after day up to my ears washing parts barehanded in a tank of diesel/paraffin I am surprised my mitts have not fallen of from the abuse.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

I have been using something called "The Really Good Stuff" made by Tetrosyl (maybe Carplan branded), seems to work very well for me.

 

Edited By V8Eng on 23/06/2015 11:01:43

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

If you dunk your hands in white grease on entering the workshop the lowest layer of goo will be white. So after cleaning what oozes out later will be less visible. Some people may need to use a graphite or copper grease here. More seriously perhaps a lanolin based paste would work.

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

I used to use swarfega then one day at a car boot I saw Knight's Castile hand soap. We just bought some out of curiosity as we remembered the add on TV from a long time ago now. For some reason it does it's job and it's what we always have by the sink now. We come across it from time to time and buy it to keep a stock.

I wonder if it works so well because it's real soap. It's rather odd that it will shift oil and grime really. My son wont use it as he doesn't like the smell. My wife and I use it all of the time now.

At work, machine work mainly, they used to have some green gritty stuff. No idea what it was called. The gritty aspect was borax as the company had found that this helps prevent skin infections and dermatitis.

John

–

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Wright's Coal Tar Soap is the real McCoy

My best investment was a nail brush

Neil

[Maurice Cox 1Participant @mauricecox1]

I don't know if it is still available, but many years ago, when employed by the G.P.O. To repair teleprinters, we used a barrier cream called Rozalex. It took a little while to rub in properly when applied, but was very effective and washed off readily. As for washing hands, the same employer issued glycerin and borax hand soap. It was dark green and felt very gritty when used, but did get the grime off. I wonder if it's still about?

Regards. Maurice

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Maurice,

Rozalex is still available, I have a tub on the bench. I bought it from Popes tool supplies in Manchester.

Don't know about the Glycerin and Borax soap though.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Michel Design Works – Large Bath Soap Bar

The missus got one for xmas and I've been ordered to use it up

It's a pretty big lump and did a great job with a single wash on my long afternoon grot from a lathe move and dismantling etc, 2 year old black oil and grease etc, proper muck

Usually takes swarfega to make a dent

and my hands feel great too

So if you're the sensitive type this stuff is worth a look, unfortunately its a tenner a bar unless you go to somewhere like TKmax

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

Boraxo is still available online and is the best hand cleaner i have used

i bought a large bag of borax and mix it with soap flakes and that works as well as the branded version

[AJAXParticipant @ajax]

Posted by Gas_mantle. on 21/06/2015 11:47:06:

I always use washing up liquid too and find it works fine.

I read somewhere that shampoo is basically just scented washing up liquid, that was 40+ years ago and I still wash my hair in the stuff without any probs after all this time.

Must have saved a fortune in shampoo.

Well I used shampoo and now don't have any hair. Who is making the greatest savings?

[AJAXParticipant @ajax]

The thing I like about swarfega is I can use it in the workshop without access to a sink and wipe my hands fairly clean and dry before returning to the house where I can wash them properly without making the sink filthy.

[Jouke van der VeenParticipant @joukevanderveen72935]

My way of removing black machine dirt from my hands is to take a (very) small bit of margarine “butter” and rub that out on the dirt. You will experience that most of the dirt already dissolves in the butter. Then followed by spreading some washing up liquid on your hands. Finally, you rinse the mixture with the dirt in it from your hands under a running tap. But I understand that application of a protective cream before doing the “dirty” job is a further improvement.

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

eat sandwiches

make pastry

make bread

regards Martin

;O)

[Author]

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