On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:17:38 -0800, Bruce L. Bergman
wrote:

On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:00:35 -0500, Wes wrote:
RoyJ wrote:

The other degreasing method is hot alkaline wash. A tin can with water,
half a cup of laundry detergent, boiling merrily on the stove will take
off most everything (including paint!) . Do a finish wash in plain
boiling water, spread out on a clean surface.

TSP!

That would work, if you can still find the real stuff - AIUI the
enviro-nuts don't like it anymore because of the phosphates in the
waste water, and the substitutes aren't.

Procedural note - Roy, if you want aggressive alkaline cleaning you
want 'automatic dishwasher detergent' like Cascade, not 'laundry
detergent' like 'Tide'. If you tried doing your laundry with
something that alkaline, some items would go into the tub as cloth and
come out as lace.

-- Bruce --

Dead right, in context here. Note that dishwasher detergent doen't
get active below 120F. I'm not making this up; I was told this by a
P&G chemist.