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6 Underrated Chemicals to Have In Your Shop
The first thing anyone needs to start a DIY project is the drive to learn and get their hands a little dirty. The second is, naturally, the necessary tools. In a surprising third place are the cleaners, lubricants, and menagerie of other chemicals that tend to fill a shelf, drawer, or cabinet in any garage where work gets done. Some are obvious: Brake cleaner, carburetor cleaner, penetrating oils. Others are less so, but can be just as handy. Here are six from my own garage that don’t get the love they deserve.
Fogging oil
This stuff is popular in the marine world for coating the interior of engines prior to long storage. Put simply fogging oil is a light oil in an aerosol can, which makes it very handy for keeping corrosion at bay on anything you store or need to worry about moisture on. Since my shop is heated but not humidity-controlled, some of my rarely used tools get a wipe-down with this before going into the box to keep the moisture in the air from condensing and aiding in forming corrosion. It’s also great for coating parts being assembled that don’t need a coating of assembly lube or will be sitting partially assembled for some time.
Goo Gone
We all love it when new parts come with stickers, but I know I’m not alone in being a little miffed when adhesive residue or gunk is also included. a citrus cleaner like Goo Gone is perfect for this but also for other light degreasing where you might typically reach for brake cleaner. I’ve found Goo Gone to work just as well as brake cleaner, and I can use it in a non-ventilated area (as most are in the winter) without my brain involuntarily entering the space race.
Tire mounting lubricant
As a motorcycle rider who changes his own tires, I had this stuff on the shelf for at least a year before I ever thought to use it for anything else. Not sure why it took me so long. This is the liquid version rather than the solid brick, and that makes it easy to wipe onto items like intake tubes or other rubber boots that need to slide into place. It is safe for rubber, dries away clean, and even has a little cleaning effect. I’ve had great luck using this for all kinds of small tasks compared to other aerosol solutions like silicone spray which come with other drawbacks and concerns like causing fisheyes in paint.
Canned air
I have never smoked and I spent a decade as a competitive runner and a handful of years as a trombone player, but even my better-than-average lungs can only concentrate so much air to remove debris from a project. I also don’t want to spend my Saturday doing my best big bad wolf impersonation just to clean a carburetor.
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And I know you are saying “Get a compressor,” to which I counter that a compressor and shop air is a luxury that not everyone has access to. I’ve done a lot of work to great results without having an air compressor and the tools associated with it. Canned air is not a real replacement, but can do more than one might think, including being a budget freeze spray if used while turning the can upside down—works great for press-fit bearing installations.
Gummi Pfledge
Weatherstripping is something that typically slowly fades away without our noticing. Hobby cars that are only driven in fair weather, often with windows down, are almost expected to be louder inside than a modern car. It doesn’t have to be so bad though. A little bit of care from wiping on some Gummi Pfledge will help restore some of the sponginess to that weather stripping and keep it sealing well for longer. It’s not something I reach for incredibly often, but it has no real replacement.
Pine-Sol
While I probably should mop my floor once in a while, the jug of Pine-Sol in my shop lives next to the ultrasonic cleaner and works great to remove gunk and grime from aluminum parts like carburetor bodies. A friend told me to use this stuff, and while the smell was a little strong at first, the results convinced me to keep a jug on the table alongside the other solutions and detergents I use in the ultrasonic. Just don’t let aluminum sit in a Pine-Sol solution long—I never go more than 10 minutes on carb bodies—it will eat the aluminum and leave you with no part! Rinse with clean water once out and you’ll have a bright clean part with no scrubbing.
Are these the only chemicals hiding on the hardware store shelves worth bringing home? Probably not, but they work great and I wish I’d discovered them sooner.
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I don’t change enough tires to keep tire goo around, so I usually just grab the dish soap
Spray Nine is my go-to cleaner, and I have found that it works well as a penetrating lubricant
When I was 16, I got a job at a Good Year store. We used RuGlyde on the beads to mount the new tires using a Coats 20/20 Super Power Man. It seemed like just really soapy water but there are probably some other sttuff in it.
I swear that today, 60 years later, you could put me blindfolded in front of that machine and I could dismount and mount a new tire in less than a minute. Then roll it over to the bubble balnacer
Wow!! Brought back memories of working at the Chevron station across from the main gate U.of Arizona Tucson in 1968 (not there anymore). Used soapy water with the changer and used the bubble balancer too. Thanks for the memory.
Made me smile! Worked at an independent tire dealer in my late teens. I can still remember the smell of the RuGlyde! Used a coats 4040sa and computerized spin balancer. We had an old bubble balancer that was used occasionally. Hand tools for the multi piece wheels. Studded tires in the winter. Long time ago.
I never heard about Gummi Pfledge before. Will look into purchasing it to try on our old project car seals.
Thanks Kyle.
+1
I use Shin Etsu on door weatherstripping rubber and seals.
Agree on Shin Etsu grease. And a little goes a long way. When I learned it was a recommended Honda product for my S2000 I bought a tube. Pricey, but it worked great on the rubber seals of all my cars. I still have some of that tube left after 20 years.
Shin Etsu is just pure silicone grease which is dielectric. 3M makes the same stuff in a container with a brush. Great for everything to protect electrical connections from corroding and all things with a gasket for water systems.
Instead of Pine Sol use Simple Green Extreme. This is FAA approved for engines and other aviation parts as it will not destroy fragile metal or plastic pieces. No more etching of aluminum.
Product works great. I use it annually, even on my daily drivers. Keeps door seals soft and helps with doors freezing shut in winter zones. It can even breath some “life” and pliability back into older rubber. With that said, don’t expect miracles on old crusty seals but slightly hard will revive.
+2
What a funny name, Gummi Pfledge. We have a town called Pflugerville, was it made there? :^)
“Gummi pflege” is simply German for “rubber care” (think of another great German product: Gummi Bears). I sometimes use the aerosol version that I get from the BMW dealership.
Plain ole Vaseline is my go to item to keep weatherstripping flexible and a bit shiny. Doesn’t take much, but rub it well into the rubber and the results will be great. Only need to redo about once a year.
I’ve used Shin Etsu (silicone dielectric grease) a lot over the years, but once I discovered Gummi Pfledge that’s been my goto. It doesn’t attract dust like the grease can and is much easier to apply. Good stuff.
I use a Napa product called Syl-Glyde. Great for weatherstripping and keeps it from freezing also.
It’s actually “Gummi Pflege” (rubber care) – good stuff
Three things I prize.
Lighter fluid. It is a great solvent to remove emblems ets. We even used it as lubricant on the Soap Box Derby car. Yes it is the recommended oil. Just don’t smoke using it.
Grease Lighting cleaner it just works.
Finally Dawn dishwashing liquid. I have used it to clean carburetor parts. Spill oil put it on the spill. If they can clean up ducks with it you can degrease many things with it.
Try the Dawn Platinum Plus in the spray bottle for degreasing, works great.
And check on-line for the homemade version, Dawn, rubbing alcohol and water, make your own refills.
The Pine Sol in ultrasonic cleaner, do you dilute it or use full strength?
I started using pine sol as a clock cleaner formula mixed with ammonia and a dash of acetone and it is now my general ultrasonic cleaner.
I had some weber side draft parts in the ultrasonic with undiluted simple green. Apparently I didnt rinse sufficiently and found that there was a build-up of simple green on the brass parts that would not come off (possibly with some effort).
Now I dilute it with two parts of water to one part simple green.
I was watching a YouTube video a few days ago and the presenter was comparing various chemicals to do some de-greasing of engine parts (rods and pistons). He found that dishwasher pods had the best cleaning of all the products used.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRP5ub9qycE&t=973s
Lighter fluid is my go to first and just not for car stuff.. Goo gone if whatever is too tough for lighter fluid. Lighter fluid seems less risky to use on some items.
Love learning about stuff like this. Ordered some Gummi Pfledge off that site named after the Amazon river. Thanks!
I use Simple Green in my ultrasonic cleaner, and it works great, especially on carbs. I’ll have to give the Pine Sol a try, thanks!
I like Simple Green mixed 50/50 with water. It cleans well and doesn’t smell as bad as Pine-Sol.
We use Aviation Simple Green on our airplanes, which cleans aluminum very well, without corrosion. We’re not allowed to use the regular green stuff.
+1
Same here. If it wicks between the aluminum sheets, it doesn’t cause issues. Also good for aluminum condensers, evaporators and radiators.
We use Fabuloso in our heated ultrasonic cleaner at the motorcycle dealership I work at. It works very well and smells pretty darn not nasty….
I have used Gummi Pfledge since getting my convertible about 8 years ago. I like it. I apply it to all of the rubber (seals, weatherstrip, etc.) prior to winter storage every year.
I saw a video the other day of someone using deet/off to remove sharpie marker. I wonder what other off-label uses it has
Rubbing alcohol works perfectly for taking off sharpie markings.
Sharpie can be taken off with dry-erase markers. All a dry-erase is, is a permanent marker with the solvent in the marker.
Scribble over the old sharpie with a dry-erase, then wipe it all off.
Does anyone have a process for removal of stickers without harming paint?
A heat gun and plastic decal scraper to remove (carefully) the sticker, then Goof Off (or Goo Gone) on a micro fiber rag to remove adhesive residue. Just did this on my ’95 993 to remove the old cloudy rear quarter PPF stone guards. Slow, tedious process (the old PPF material kept coming off in small pieces when heated/scraped) but worked well, with no paint damage (may have to do some polishing/paint correction after removal).
I have seen online where they used hot (boiling) water to remove PPF without shredding to little bits. I have not tried it but seems to work well.
Prep-sol, wax and grease remover. Different names for the same product. Used for surface prep prior to paint. Wear nytrile gloves when using in a well ventilated environment. I use it in an old spray bottle. Great for removing tree sap too.
Blow dryer, followed by rag with lacquer thinner, for adhesive reside.
The best thing to remove stickers, decals, and two sided tape left from emblems are drill mounted circular rubber erasers you can purchase at automotive paint stores. I am a retired used car dealer and we have used these for years and never damage to paint. These are fast and effective.
Isopropyl alcohol.
I have to do this regularly while refinishing metal and plastic motorcycle panels: I warm with heat gun, slowly scrape & peel with FRESH plastic razors. Remove the remaining adhesive using a little heat, then apply 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner (worked in with a blue non-scuff kitchen pad), wipe and repeat till the surface is clean. Labor intensive, but the underlying surface is not affected. BTW, those rotary decal “erasers” will damage plastic, and can even overheat thin metal.
Kroil is the best penetrating oil I have ever used. It is available in liquid and aerosol form and is a Godsend when working on 60’s corrosion.
Agreed. Very good product.
I keep “The Works” toilet bowl cleaner around. It eats rust inside of gas tanks. I suppose I should try it on more stuff but cleaning tanks is why I have it.
Like the others, I am going to try the Gummi Pfledge, sounds great.
I have used Draino to clean out rust & varnish on old tractor gas tanks with great success,too.
3M general purpose adhesieve cleaner #08984 You’re welcome. I’ve been using it for 50 years… Slowly warming up to goo gone for other situations……
So you have an ultrasonic cleaner but you don’t have a compressor?
Simple fact, cordless tools have rendered shop air obsolete for the DIY-er. You do not need it unless you paint, end of story.
One of the silliest things I have ever read here. You are clearly JoeKing.
I almost never use it for power tools. I have noticed though that my cordless sandblaster, my cordless air gun for drying off, or blowing out items, and many other cordless tools, all seem a bit substandard.
Walk into the garage of an AVERAGE DIY-er, how many of them are doing those sorts of things, not many people are doing in home restorations? This argument is antiquated nowadays with modern tool technology.
Maybe I’m a dinosaur, but I’ll take air tools over cordless in my home shop any day. I have pull down hose reels, so air supply is always where I need it. No batteries to charge or replace. Air tools last a lifetime. Try that with cordless, which they seem to change every few years to force you into buying again.
Like Rob said, much more versatile.
Maybe not a dinosaur, that seems mean. You’re just already heavily invested in shop air, and it sounds like you started that path at a time when it made a lot of sense.
“No batteries to change or replace”, true, but you do have to maintain a compressor; draining it of water, changing air filters, fixing any leaks, regular service items. A lot of people just ignore this stuff, but it should be done and really softens the strength of your comparison.
and air tools are only much more versatile if you know you are going to be staying in that specific building for a while. Those starting out in DIY are likely not home owners and investing in setting up shop air just to have to move all of it is tough, plus batteries tools can travel with me in my classic and make road trips and roadside repairs easier if and when they happen.
It’s not that air tools are bad. No one is saying that. It’s just that unless a person is already heavily invested in pneumatic tools, battery tools are great. Even some corded tools are great! Horse for courses.
Or have pneumatic cylindrical containers (tires) on your vehicles 🙂
Cordless tire inflaters are great and pretty affordable, and the nice thing is that they travel with you.
Far from true. Shop air is used to fill tires, bleeding / flushing brakes, vacuum filling cooling systems, sandblasting and a lot more. This includes running an air impact gun: any air impact gun is infinitely stronger and more capable of loosening stuck fasteners.
And all of those things you listed can be accomplished without owning an air compressor, just at greater effort. Shop air is a luxury, and often an expensive one that people really discount in their heads. A compressor large enough to run a sandblasting cabinet (let alone the actual cabinet and the space to put it) is not chump change. A home DIY enthusiast can do A LOT of work without owning a compressor.
“any air impact gun is infinitely stronger..” is just plain wrong. Get your head out of the sand.
While I otherwise agree, new electric impact wrenches are incredibly powerful. Much more so than my pneumatic Mac impact. I would never be without air for all of those reasons, though. There’s a big reason that large compressors are still readily available.
Agreed. My cordless impacts work much better than my air impacts ever did.
My neighbor’s house caught fire from a rechargeable lithium battery left in the charger.
Never heard of that happening with a compressor.
Your anecdote does not make a fact. Compressors are plugged in to electricity and can experience electrical failure or malfunction just as easily. Just because you haven’t heard of it doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.
Additionally hoses laying on the floor create a trip hazard that is not present with cordless tools.
Yes, hoses and cords are a bane for me as I became a senior citizen. I love my new quiet air compressor and my cordless tool collection has grown. 409 has been my go to cleaner for years.
Correct. The ultrasonic plugs into a regular 15amp outlet, sits on a bench top, and was only $120. I hope to add a compressor in the near future but I only have so much shop space and power in the garage, plus a compressor is more of an investment. One day, but that day hasn’t come yet.
I use WD-40 instead of Fogging Oil [never heard of that actually, same idea . WD is also a very good cleaner in may areas. Dish soap for tire changes but haven’t done on of my own for decades. Goo-Gone for stickers has always worked well for me, safe on paint. One more I would recommend always having around is Brake Cleaner. Excellent all purpose cleaner but not as dangerous on paint like Carb Cleaner is. Just my $0.02 worth.
I had a 60’s s/b 327 Chev balanced and rebuilt. Planned to reinstall engine within couple of months or so. Builder said just to spray WD-40 into each spark plug hole every so often and all is good. Which I did religosuly every month. Not quite two years later, I get ready to finally install the engine when my friend/mechanic inspects and does not like what he sees. We decide to pull the heads for a closer look on this fresh engine. We found decent Rust rings all along the pistons and the block walls. Had to ship out for a bore clean. Learned to use Fog Oil and hand turn the crank. WD-40 is wonderful but not for everything. It dispels water yes, but in this case I made a mistake. Good intention – but wrong process with wrong product. Nothing new!
The goo gone works great on high end cars, like Ferraris, that get sticky (to the touch) knobs and switches. Try it!
Combination of 50/50 Transmission fluid and Acetone. Proven to be the best penetrating oil for removing stuck parts this side of a blow torch.