I was struck by a passage in Marilyn Robinson's Home, in which a
character (in a small town in 1950s Iowa) dry cleans his suit by
brushing it with a rag soaked in petrol. There's a a comment that this
was an old trick, or an old way (I don't have the passage to hand).

And more recently in Sebastian Barry's Days Without End, a character
describes how the uniforms of dead soldiers being prepared for burial
would be freshened up by being brushed with lamp oil in much the same
way.

I'm not planning to try this on any of my suits, by the way. Was this a
common way for those without other means to clean clothes that couldn't
be washed in water? How good were the results? And has anyone here tried
it?

Daniele

On Fri, 03 Mar 2017 18:59:08 +0000, D.M. Procida wrote:

Was this a common way for those without other means to clean clothes
that couldn't be washed in water? How good were the results? And has
anyone here tried it?

Not sure about ordinary petrol but my dad used to use lighter fuel on his
bus company uniform, got rid of odd spots and splashes a treat.

--
TOJ.

On Fri, 3 Mar 2017 18:59:08 +0000,
(D.M. Procida) wrote:

I was struck by a passage in Marilyn Robinson's Home, in which a
character (in a small town in 1950s Iowa) dry cleans his suit by
brushing it with a rag soaked in petrol. There's a a comment that this
was an old trick, or an old way (I don't have the passage to hand).

And more recently in Sebastian Barry's Days Without End, a character
describes how the uniforms of dead soldiers being prepared for burial
would be freshened up by being brushed with lamp oil in much the same
way.

I'm not planning to try this on any of my suits, by the way. Was this a
common way for those without other means to clean clothes that couldn't
be washed in water? How good were the results? And has anyone here tried
it?

Daniele

Knowing how effective tetrachloroethylene is, I would imagine petrol
would work quite well.
--

Graham.
%Profound_observation%

Graham. wrote:

Knowing how effective tetrachloroethylene is, I would imagine petrol
would work quite well.

Got an old bottle of DabItOff stashed away?

On 03/03/2017 19:25, The Other John wrote:
On Fri, 03 Mar 2017 18:59:08 +0000, D.M. Procida wrote:

Was this a common way for those without other means to clean clothes
that couldn't be washed in water? How good were the results? And has
anyone here tried it?

Not sure about ordinary petrol but my dad used to use lighter fuel on his
bus company uniform, got rid of odd spots and splashes a treat.

Yes, and my Mum would use it to remove beach tar.

Cheers
--
Clive

On Fri, 3 Mar 2017 19:25:38 +0000 (UTC), The Other John wrote:

Not sure about ordinary petrol but my dad used to use lighter fuel on
his bus company uniform, got rid of odd spots and splashes a treat.

Yep, petrol is full of kak that niffs and isn't overly volatile so
hangs about. Lighter fuel is pretty refined, very volatile and leaves
no kak, or only very very little.

--
Cheers
Dave.

wrote:

Even in the 1940s this was both a common method and a recognised danger:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4KrtWWa2Jo&nohtml5=1

Good God, I don't think I will be able to sleep after watching that!

Daniele

On 03/03/17 21:34, Clive Arthur wrote:
On 03/03/2017 19:25, The Other John wrote:
On Fri, 03 Mar 2017 18:59:08 +0000, D.M. Procida wrote:

Was this a common way for those without other means to clean clothes
that couldn't be washed in water? How good were the results? And has
anyone here tried it?

Not sure about ordinary petrol but my dad used to use lighter fuel on his
bus company uniform, got rid of odd spots and splashes a treat.

Yes, and my Mum would use it to remove beach tar.

Cheers

Autoglym Tar Remover is more or less naptha and works quite well

On 03/03/2017 18:59, D.M. Procida wrote:
I was struck by a passage in Marilyn Robinson's Home, in which a
character (in a small town in 1950s Iowa) dry cleans his suit by
brushing it with a rag soaked in petrol. There's a a comment that this
was an old trick, or an old way (I don't have the passage to hand).

And more recently in Sebastian Barry's Days Without End, a character
describes how the uniforms of dead soldiers being prepared for burial
would be freshened up by being brushed with lamp oil in much the same
way.

I'm not planning to try this on any of my suits, by the way. Was this a
common way for those without other means to clean clothes that couldn't
be washed in water? How good were the results? And has anyone here tried
it?

I understand it was the standard cleaner for silk at one time.

--
Max Demian

On 3/3/2017 1:59 PM, D.M. Procida wrote:
I was struck by a passage in Marilyn Robinson's Home, in which a
character (in a small town in 1950s Iowa) dry cleans his suit by
brushing it with a rag soaked in petrol. There's a a comment that this
was an old trick, or an old way (I don't have the passage to hand).

And more recently in Sebastian Barry's Days Without End, a character
describes how the uniforms of dead soldiers being prepared for burial
would be freshened up by being brushed with lamp oil in much the same
way.

I'm not planning to try this on any of my suits, by the way. Was this a
common way for those without other means to clean clothes that couldn't
be washed in water? How good were the results? And has anyone here tried
it?

My Dad said he did that with his uniform during WWII. He used aircraft fuel.

On 03/03/17 18:59, D.M. Procida wrote:
I was struck by a passage in Marilyn Robinson's Home, in which a
character (in a small town in 1950s Iowa) dry cleans his suit by
brushing it with a rag soaked in petrol. There's a a comment that this
was an old trick, or an old way (I don't have the passage to hand).

And more recently in Sebastian Barry's Days Without End, a character
describes how the uniforms of dead soldiers being prepared for burial
would be freshened up by being brushed with lamp oil in much the same
way.

I'm not planning to try this on any of my suits, by the way. Was this a
common way for those without other means to clean clothes that couldn't
be washed in water? How good were the results? And has anyone here tried
it?

Daniele

All dry cleaning fluid is, is a solvent for grease.

Water being a solvent for almost everything else.


--
"I am inclined to tell the truth and dislike people who lie consistently.
This makes me unfit for the company of people of a Left persuasion, and
all women"

On 03/03/17 21:37, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Fri, 3 Mar 2017 19:25:38 +0000 (UTC), The Other John wrote:

Not sure about ordinary petrol but my dad used to use lighter fuel on
his bus company uniform, got rid of odd spots and splashes a treat.

Yep, petrol is full of kak that niffs and isn't overly volatile so
hangs about. Lighter fuel is pretty refined, very volatile and leaves
no kak, or only very very little.

If you really want low residue, cellulose thinners (MEK, Xylene or
acetone) are really good degreasers


--
"Women actually are capable of being far more than the feminists will
let them."

On Friday, 3 March 2017 18:59:12 UTC, D.M. Procida wrote:
I was struck by a passage in Marilyn Robinson's Home, in which a
character (in a small town in 1950s Iowa) dry cleans his suit by
brushing it with a rag soaked in petrol. There's a a comment that this
was an old trick, or an old way (I don't have the passage to hand).

And more recently in Sebastian Barry's Days Without End, a character
describes how the uniforms of dead soldiers being prepared for burial
would be freshened up by being brushed with lamp oil in much the same
way.

I'm not planning to try this on any of my suits, by the way. Was this a
common way for those without other means to clean clothes that couldn't
be washed in water? How good were the results? And has anyone here tried
it?

Daniele

In days of yore, "dry cleaning" was done with petroleum based fluids.
Later they used fluid similar to refrigerant gases.

The fluid is saved up and distilled to get the muck out of it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_cleaning

On Friday, 3 March 2017 18:59:12 UTC, D.M. Procida wrote:
I was struck by a passage in Marilyn Robinson's Home, in which a
character (in a small town in 1950s Iowa) dry cleans his suit by
brushing it with a rag soaked in petrol. There's a a comment that this
was an old trick, or an old way (I don't have the passage to hand).

And more recently in Sebastian Barry's Days Without End, a character
describes how the uniforms of dead soldiers being prepared for burial
would be freshened up by being brushed with lamp oil in much the same
way.

I'm not planning to try this on any of my suits, by the way. Was this a
common way for those without other means to clean clothes that couldn't
be washed in water? How good were the results? And has anyone here tried
it?

Daniele

Back then, it was leaded petrol. Really good for you!

Chris Hogg wrote:

Also trichloroethylene, as in Dabitoff, or carbon tetrachloride as in
Thawpit, all now sadly things of the past.

Way back in the late 60s, I was on a training placement at
Eggborough power station. On one occasion I was pointed towards
the three enormous power terminals in the bottom of the now empty
stator casing, which were still covered in remains of the old
jointing compound and needed to be prepared for the new stator
connections. I was simply given a bundle of rags and a can of
trike and left to it. I wondered why I was getting a little
light-headed.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Plant amazing Acers.

Don't 'arf leave a pong on the clothes, I'd imagine.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"D.M. Procida" wrote in
message
...
I was struck by a passage in Marilyn Robinson's Home, in which a
character (in a small town in 1950s Iowa) dry cleans his suit by
brushing it with a rag soaked in petrol. There's a a comment that this
was an old trick, or an old way (I don't have the passage to hand).

And more recently in Sebastian Barry's Days Without End, a character
describes how the uniforms of dead soldiers being prepared for burial
would be freshened up by being brushed with lamp oil in much the same
way.

I'm not planning to try this on any of my suits, by the way. Was this a
common way for those without other means to clean clothes that couldn't
be washed in water? How good were the results? And has anyone here tried
it?

Daniele

On Sat, 4 Mar 2017 06:29:40 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Yep, petrol is full of kak that niffs and isn't overly volatile so
hangs about. Lighter fuel is pretty refined, very volatile and
leaves
no kak, or only very very little.

If you really want low residue, cellulose thinners (MEK, Xylene or
acetone) are really good degreasers

If there are any synthetics/plastics about test first with those and
lighter fuel come to that...

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 04/03/17 11:34, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sat, 4 Mar 2017 06:29:40 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Yep, petrol is full of kak that niffs and isn't overly volatile so
hangs about. Lighter fuel is pretty refined, very volatile and
leaves
no kak, or only very very little.

If you really want low residue, cellulose thinners (MEK, Xylene or
acetone) are really good degreasers

If there are any synthetics/plastics about test first with those and
lighter fuel come to that...

Years ago I acquired a plastic Cox model Pitts special with a little
glow engine in it. It was oily. Glow fuel is mehanol nitromethane and
mineral or vegetable oil. It attacks many plastics. But not this plane.

My first move was to remove the oily gunk from the model with...petrol

BIG mistake, Instantly the plastic surface started to craze and dissolve



--
Karl Marx said religion is the opium of the people.
But Marxism is the crack cocaine.

On Fri, 3 Mar 2017 22:37:58 +0000, Tim Watts
wrote:


Not sure about ordinary petrol but my dad used to use lighter fuel on his
bus company uniform, got rid of odd spots and splashes a treat.

Yes, and my Mum would use it to remove beach tar.

Cheers

Autoglym Tar Remover is more or less naptha and works quite well

Fortunately we don't get the beach "Tar" to the extent you used to in
the 1950's and 60's. Most of it wasn't "tar" but heavy bunker fuel
oil from ships losing it over the side either accidentally or
deliberately when cleaning tanks or bilges and for a good time after
the war a fair amount was still escaping from various war casualties.
When cold it was fairly solid but stuck on a beach pebble in the
summers sunshine it got sticky enough to be a right nuisance and most
mothers would take something to clean it of their children.
Vessels using it are getting rarer as emission targets get imposed
more and more and dumping it over the side has been banned for years.

G.Harman

On 04/03/17 13:58, wrote:
On Fri, 3 Mar 2017 22:37:58 +0000, Tim Watts
wrote:


Not sure about ordinary petrol but my dad used to use lighter fuel on his
bus company uniform, got rid of odd spots and splashes a treat.

Yes, and my Mum would use it to remove beach tar.

Cheers

Autoglym Tar Remover is more or less naptha and works quite well

Fortunately we don't get the beach "Tar" to the extent you used to in
the 1950's and 60's. Most of it wasn't "tar" but heavy bunker fuel
oil from ships losing it over the side either accidentally or
deliberately when cleaning tanks or bilges and for a good time after
the war a fair amount was still escaping from various war casualties.
When cold it was fairly solid but stuck on a beach pebble in the
summers sunshine it got sticky enough to be a right nuisance and most
mothers would take something to clean it of their children.
Vessels using it are getting rarer as emission targets get imposed
more and more and dumping it over the side has been banned for years.

G.Harman


I used the Autoglm product to clean the silicone oils off car plastics
prior to fixing self adhesive velcro for a boot liner. Seemed to work -
velcro stuck rather less well on new plastic and very well after cleaning.