Citrus vs White Spirit degreaser

Ste_S
Ste_S Posts: 1,173
edited October 2007 in Workshop
I've been using white spirit (or a left over bottle of bbq lighter fluid :oops: ) for cleaning the drivetrain on my bike and had excellent results. I've also tried a combo of citrus degreaser (bought dilute) + soap and water and had less satisfactory results.

Is citrus concentrate much better ? I'd probably prefer to use something a bit enviromentally kinder if it does the job as well as white spirit

Comments

  • Lbaguley
    Lbaguley Posts: 161
    I have used Citrus to great success - black sludged-up chain/drivetrain :oops: to shiny - although I have not tried the lighter fluid/white spirit option, so have no comparison. It didn't kill the lawn where it splashed, although there was some black residue for a little while - the first rain washed it away! I was absolutely amazed by the stuff.

    Pretty sure it wasn't diluted when bought - just a tin of the stuff (not the aerosol) bought from Evans. Also used quite dilute to wipe over the frame - comes up a treat!
  • clanton
    clanton Posts: 1,289
    IIRC it is possibly to buy citirc acid on its own as a poder from chemist's. Has anyone tried using this on their bikes?
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    paraffin

    a few pence for gallons of the stuff
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • Titanium
    Titanium Posts: 2,056
    Neither parafin or white spirit are degreasers. They are solvents and so dissolve the grease on a chain or sprocket but in turn leave a finer film on the surface. So when you come to reapply lube, the white spirit in turn dissolves the lube a bit.

    Citrus degreaser is water soluble, so it removes the gunk and then you can rinse all away.

    The best thing is to buy degreaser in bulk. Get some from your auto shop or look online for some Loctite 7840. You can buy 5 liter mini barrel of this for £15 and then you can still dilute this with 50% water to make it last even longer.
  • Ste_S
    Ste_S Posts: 1,173
    Titanium wrote:
    Neither parafin or white spirit are degreasers. They are solvents and so dissolve the grease on a chain or sprocket but in turn leave a finer film on the surface. So when you come to reapply lube, the white spirit in turn dissolves the lube a bit.

    Citrus degreaser is water soluble, so it removes the gunk and then you can rinse all away.

    The best thing is to buy degreaser in bulk. Get some from your auto shop or look online for some Loctite 7840. You can buy 5 liter mini barrel of this for £15 and then you can still dilute this with 50% water to make it last even longer.

    I give it a good clean with soapy water after the spirit has evaporated, and not had any problems with resiude affecting the lube.

    Does Loctite 7840 work as well as white spirit in shifting oil and grease from drive trains ?
  • Titanium
    Titanium Posts: 2,056
    I use one of those chain baths, pour some diluted degreaser in there and turn the cranks 20 times and the chain comes out real clean. Then rinse under the hose and it comes up clean. And it's biodegradable, white spirit is messy. Some pour it away (don't) and others have to filter it again.
  • Chris5150
    Chris5150 Posts: 107
    Ive only ever used Muc Off, seems to do a reasonable job...especially when using the chain bath and various brushes. Ive never really felt the need to use white spirit or anything else really
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    clanton wrote:
    IIRC it is possibly to buy citirc acid on its own as a poder from chemist's. Has anyone tried using this on their bikes?

    Its not the citric acid that removes the gak, but the essential oils that are extracted from citrus skins/peel. Its claimed these wonder compounds can do everything from repelling mosquitoes to changing your mood, in my experience they are best for cleaning chains. I guess there may be some surfactant in them as well to emulsify the oils once they've dissolved the dirt.

    You have to do a good job of removing all the degreaser before you re-lube, so that the new lube doesn't was off as soon as the chain gets wet. I speak from experience there.
    The Master
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  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    Term1te wrote:
    Its claimed these wonder compounds can do everything from repelling mosquitoes to changing your mood, in my experience they are best for cleaning chains.

    If your chain is nice and clean, that could make you feel good..........
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • The Mechanic
    The Mechanic Posts: 1,277
    You should also take into account that petrol, parafin, white spirit etc are also highly volatile (noctious and, in some cases, toxic fumes) and highly flammable (fire risk). :wink:
    I have only two things to say to that; Bo***cks
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    I have found citrus degreasers to do a fine job. They are environmentally favourable compared to petrol etc, but do remember not to poor the residue down the drain because it contains the nasties from your chain.
  • gbr236
    gbr236 Posts: 393
    so where/how should we dispose of the gunk?
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    Suggest pouring it into newspaper and putting it in the bin - will head for the landfill but less likely to leach into the watertable.
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    pour it into a 25 litre oil tub then when it''s full take it to your local recycling depot
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • onbike 1939
    onbike 1939 Posts: 708
    clanton wrote:
    IIRC it is possibly to buy citirc acid on its own as a poder from chemist's. Has anyone tried using this on their bikes?

    You can but citric acid as a powder from the chemist but beware as it's very aggressive and can damage components. I use it to descale my Espresso machine.
    The chemist will probably give you some searching looks as it's used to manufacture Crack Cocaine I understand.

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