Recycle Chain Degreaser: Save Money and Prevent Pollution
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2024
- How to recycle bike cleaning products to save money and prevent pollution: When cleaning bicycle parts or chains, you may need to soak the part in degreaser. Well, don't discard the used degreaser or solvent. Rather, recycle solvents for use again. We show you how. Pour the solvent into a clean plastic container such as a used peanut butter jar. Let it sit for a few days to a couple of weeks. The dirt and grime will settle out leaving a clear although slightly yellow solvent at the top that can be decanted (pour off) carefully and reused. The idea comes from those of us that have don't any painting and use distilled pure turpentine as a thinner and brush cleaner. We let the dirty turpentine sit for several days or weeks and the paint from the brushes used settle to the bottom. Just decant (pour off) the clear top layer and reuse. This can also be done to recycle paint thinner, recycle gamsol and other products.
How often can you repeat the process until you must discard the solvent? I've reused both degreaser and turpentine for many years. I only discard the residue of grime that won't clear when it begins to take up much of the bottle or the solvent becomes cloudy and won't clear. Then I dispose of the dirty solvent at a hazardous waste disposal center (which might, depending on use, every 5 years or so). I never pour it down the drain or let the solvent evaporate (which pollutes the climate leads to climate change).
One should consider the above when ever you use degreaser for your bicycle chain or bicycle drivetrain or when soaking bike parts to remove grime and grease.
I personally use one of those coffee filter funnel (may come from an old coffee machine or buy one for cheap) with a paper filter first, let it sit for at least 24 hours, as you do, then filter again. It may seem like I overdo it but since I'm pouring the liquid in a container, I may as well filter it down.
Generally after degreasing the parts/chain, I may clean them with a soapy water and rince but I always finish with isopropylic alcohol. It displace all the water and evaporates quickly avoiding any possible rust.
Thanks for you're tips. I, myself, find that filtering with a coffee filter doesn't seem to remove much if any grime and grit from the degreaser or solvent. Using a lab grade filter takes much time. The idea of using isopropyl alcohol as a water displacement liquid is a great idea. See:
www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/isopropyl-alcohol#:~:text=Another%20method%20of%20drying%20uses,condenses%20on%20the%20wafer%20surface.
Thanks for your input. Regards and safe cycling, Tony
Great tips! Just stumbled upon your channel and instantly subscribed! Thanks for these videos
You're Welcome. Also visit our TH-cam home site at:
th-cam.com/users/MrTony10speed
Regards and safe cycling, Tony
First…thanks for the great tips sir
You're Welcome. Also visit our TH-cam home site at:
th-cam.com/users/MrTony10speed
Regards and safe cycling, Tony
Love saving money Tony and recycling is a good idea. Be careful transferring flammable liquids from one container to another though. There is a pretty good chance of a static charge causing a flash fire. I worked for a company that had a laboratory become a total loss from just such a fire. It is a good idea to ground containers to prevent any potential spark when transferring solvents.
Good point. I, myself, use plastic containers and a biodegradable degreaser such as Finish Line Citrus which has a low volatility but still take many precautions. But some mechanics use Kerosene or Gasoline which can prove to be quite hazardous. Your point is well taken. Thanks, Tony
@@tony10speed Gotta love water based citrus cleaners.
Thanks as usual for all the Great tips and tricks on repairs and saving money. It helps a lot since i'm Currently studying and dont Have too much money to put in to The hobby.
Safe cykling 👍
Your welcome, Also be sure to check out our other tips and hacks:
th-cam.com/play/PLYbCdE49qIMeXKHeb1FfxI3I7-Vvwb6FP.html
Regards, Tony
I personally put used degreaser in a plastic container that is stored outdoors. When it gets filled it goes to the local recycling centre and that’s it. Yes I know I can decant and reuse it but life is too short for that and I am handling the degreaser in an environmentally friendly way
Yes you are and that's helpful. Thanks for your input and visit our home channel at:
th-cam.com/users/MrTony10speed
Regards and safe cycling, Tony
I use the same method but with coffe filters. What is the purpose of piece of wood under the bottle?
Nice, I use coffee filters for cleaning Cpus with nail polish remover xD
He probably has tipped the bottle over one too many times?
I've tried coffee filters. Depending on the ones you use, it seems to take a long time and others don't seem to filter out all the grime. Which brand are you using and how long does it take? The container with the small bottle (use to hold Dawn dish liquid) is glued to the block of wood to stabilize it when filled (so I don't easily knock it over). I used it here for demo purposes because it gives less distortion of light so you can see what the liquid looks like after the grime has settled. The old peanut butter jar in the video is more stable and better for separation and decanting. Thanks for your interest, Tony
@@tony10speed it takes long, for sure ;) I am from Europe - Poland so I dont think that these filters are avilable in USA.
@@therollingwheels1603 Let me know the brand name and I'll take a look. Thanks for your input and safe cycling, Tony
Is Simple Green safe to dispose down the drain?
Simple Green is probably one of the safer products for cleaning and degreasing on the market. See the SDS (Safety Data Sheet) at : cdn.simplegreen.com/downloads/SDS_EN-US_SimpleGreenIndustrialCleanerDegreaser.pdf
Using Simple Green to clean your bike and chain is practical way to prevent environmental contamination. However, when used in to larger quantities to soak greasy or oily parts, the products that get dissolved in the simple green could possibly be hazardous. In such cases, I would not dump the left over grease and grime down the drain but rather handle it as we do for degreaser in the video (i.e., allow the grease and grime to settle and decant the liquid for reuse - treat the settled grease and grime as you would any hazardous protect).
Why not just let the gasoline I use evaporate and throw away the grime and dirt?
I, personally, would not recommend this. Solvents released into the environment pose a hazard and promote climate change.
Not to mention the obvious fire hazard, or the potential for absorbing not just the gas, but all the additives, through your skin and lungs. Not worth it. Mineral spirits work just as well and are safer.