In article ,
Tom Gardner mars@tacks wrote:

On 10/25/2011 9:54 PM, Ignoramus10092 wrote:
I have a plastic tub and I wonder if I can fill it with an aqueous
degreaser solution, like Simple Green, and keep it there more or less
indefinitely. I would use that for parts washing. I just cannot
reconcile myself with buying flammable, expensive and hazardous
petroleum based solvent. I want something cheaper, greener, and
safer. So... Will a tub filled with simple green solution, work OK to
degrease stuff? Say, leave stuff overnight in it? If this works, I
would just sell off my parts washer designed for petroleum.

i

"Cascade" powdered automatic dishwasher detergent works great, best if
as hot as possible. I won't use it in my dishwasher, it etches my
glassware.

If you recall from the saga of phosphate-free dishwasher detergents in
July 2011 (subject: Dishwashing machines need phosphates), one effect of
inadequate phosphate levels is cloudy glassware.

Is the glassware etched, or is it coated with a lime film? Coating is
fixable, etching is not.

There is an incomplete article on the problem on page 8 of the October
2011 issue of Consumer Reports, showing heavy liming. The article is
incomplete because they compared only phosphate-free detergents, but did
not provide the control, a standard pre-ban detergent. They also missed
that there are various kinds of hardwater, and that the kind of glass
matters: I see different results with polycarbonate drinking glasses
(used in the bathrooms for safety), ordinary soda-lime glass,
borosilicate pyrex glass, and real lead crystal glass.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/m...ctober/home-ga
rden/dishwasher-detergents/overview/index.htm

To remove the lime, soak the glassware in a strong vinegar solution. If
that fails, use a a dilute solution of battery acid (sulphuric).

And, to prevent re-occurrence, one can provide phosphates. One source
is Finish "Glass Magic":
http://www.finishdishwashing.com/pro...rmance-booster
..php

The MSDS shows Glass Magic to be composed largely of the sodium
tripolyphosphate that used to be in dishwasher detergent. I assume that
because this is not sold as a detergent, it escapes the phosphate ban.
The button that leads to the MSDS is at the bottom of the webpage.


Joe Gwinn