Petrol And Its Amazing Cleaning Properties.

[Guest BrainFluid]

This is not for folk who already know about this like the aircraft engineer who past it onto me.

 

I am amazed with the cleaning/degreasing/crap loosening properties of petrol, after four months of using the stuff I wouldnt use anything else. Yes I'm sure it all boils down to chemistry but, its fecking amazing for under the bonnet or part cleaning (Hell even on paint work, it does not appear to be doing any damage). Block, block face and cylinder head face cleaning made easy.

 

Pour into a tuna sized tin and apply with a paint brush and it turns cleaning jobs into an absolute joy.

 

(Make sure you disconnect battery and be fully aware of what your using, dont go blowing yourself to smitheriens is what I'm trying to say).

[Pug_101 0]

Yep great stuff.

Be careful you don't melt anything with it and i'm not talking about heat.

Watch the vapours though.

[KRISKARRERA 2 1 Cars]

Yeah it's not bad, soaked my spark plugs in it before I put them in the dishwasher .

[sonofsam 5]

Yep tis' good, same as parrafin it should come with a warning ~ Dermatitis!

[Beastie 1]

It should come with a second warning too: Cancer. Unleaded is rich in Benzene which is highly carcinogenic. Petro Chemists I have known usually insist on getting right out of the passenger seat of the car while you fill it up with petrol because of the fumes filling the interior. When 4 star leaded became unavailable I invested in a parts washer so I didn't have to use unleaded all the time for cleaning stuff off. I still do use petrol for cleaning but only when wearing a respirator with charcoal canister filters.

[funkymofo 0]

oh pish anything can apparently give you cancer nowadays, I'd never leave the house if I was worried about things like that!

 

Ok I appreciate the warning but I do think so long as you arent sitting there for 6 hours a day sniffing petrol its not too much of a worry.....for the odd cleaning job its fair game.

 

Cheers for the advice, I shall try it next time I get stuck on a cleaning task!

[jim21070 2]

You're right Beastie, benzine is nasty stuff, it's an aromatic hydrocarbon IIRC and most of the aromatics are cancer-causing but benzine is one of the very worst in common use. I'm really quite surprised that benzine is allowed to be so freely used in petrol blends but it's a cheap and easy way for the oil refineries to boost octane level now that tetryl-ethyl lead is no longer permitted. A case of a not-nice chemical being replaced by a far worse one in my opinion.

 

Best to play safe and limit your exposure to ANY hydrocarbons to as little as possible and always use in a well ventilated area.

 

White Spirit is a very effective degreaser and solvent and works nearly as well as petrol or paraffin but it is a lot safer in all respects but again use in a well ventilated area.

[KRISKARRERA 2 1 Cars]

So should we start wearing gas masks when we fill up atthe petrol station?

[Pug_101 0]

So should we start wearing gas masks when we fill up atthe petrol station?

 

I wonder how long it would take the Police to arrive if you turned up to your local Petrol station wearing a gas mask

[pdd144c 0]

It should come with a second warning too: Cancer. Unleaded is rich in Benzene which is highly carcinogenic. Petro Chemists I have known usually insist on getting right out of the passenger seat of the car while you fill it up with petrol because of the fumes filling the interior. When 4 star leaded became unavailable I invested in a parts washer so I didn't have to use unleaded all the time for cleaning stuff off. I still do use petrol for cleaning but only when wearing a respirator with charcoal canister filters.

 

Thats a tad over the top! I work with the stuff everyday on refineries and the like, we don't have to wear respirators, or even masks. I'm sure if it was that bad we would, they dont want to be sued do they?!

[Beastie 1]

Thats a tad over the top! I work with the stuff everyday on refineries and the like, we don't have to wear respirators, or even masks. I'm sure if it was that bad we would, they dont want to be sued do they?!

I think that evacuating the car for refuelling is over the top. Nevertheless I've known two petro - chemists who do it. As for working with petrol - how do your clothes smell at the end of the day? I was using petrol to clean some parts yesterday and I reeked of the stuff hours later. Even I could smell it and when I got home it was even more obvious to my wife. Yesterday's clothes still reek of petrol today and as far as I'm aware I didn't splash any on myself. There's a world of difference between working in a nice, properly designed refinery compared to standing over a bowl of the stuff and agitating it around with a brush! I'll keep wearing the mask when I use it for parts washing thanks!

[PumaRacing 2]

I'd strongly recommend paraffin rather than petrol. It's not such an aggressive solvent but it's a hell of a lot safer, isn't full of nasty carcinogens and is half the price.

[sonofsam 5]

Yep and you can have an 'oily rag while using it! lol

[benje 0]

oh pish anything can apparently give you cancer nowadays, I'd never leave the house if I was worried about things like that!

 

How true is that!