What cleaner to dissolve oil?

[myxpykalix]

I'm making some stands on the bot for some of those 275 gal containers that have a sticky thick oil type coating inside and i need to clean them out but just using a powerwasher don't cut it.

I wonder if anyone knows of something that will dissolve the greasy substance or if you've ever had to clean one of these?:confused:

[genek]

try dawn dish washing fluid or simple green. and plenty of hot water/// it need to get to 180 to clean good.

[myxpykalix]

I'm going to have to hook up my solar hot water collector because i don't know how to get water that hot other then boiling it and i don't have a pot that big!

How would you suggest applying the dawn? I have a insecticide type applicator to spray it all over and how much per container should i use?:confused:

[genek]

Jack not sure on the best way to apply the dawn dish washing liquid, other than just to put it in the container and work it around. do you have a 55 gallon drum that is clean. that you could boil the water in over a fire..
the thick oil is hard to get out... why do you want the containers anyway... you can find them clean that had other things in them.

[genek]

j
Jack what are you going to use them for. they take up so much room.
puzzeled.

[dana_swift]

Oil doesn't dissolve by itself.. otherwise we would have no petroleum industry!

You can combine it with lye (drano) and water to make soap. Do a little at a time, the soap you create will help wash away the oil! Note- that the reaction with lye will produce a lot of heat. Another reason to do a tiny bit at a time. Once the reaction is complete, rinse the by-products out with a garden hose. This should be done outside :) At first the new soap is liquid until it cools, that is the easiest time to wash it out.

Oil is organic, so it will also react with chlorine. That is really toxic tho.. special equipment and knowledge required.

Just some alternative ideas. The simple green idea is really good too-

D

[genek]

Mr. Swift I knew that lye and animal fat made soap, they still make lye soap and home made soaps here in KY. I actually have my grandmothers recipe that she used and a recipe to make the lye itself from wood ash...but did not know that oil and lye would produce soap also..that would work... lye does react hot when it is mixed with things..

thanks for sharing.

[coryatjohn]

You can get hotter water by upping the temperature of the thermostat in your hot water heater. It's probably set to between 120 and 140f now. Just crank it up to maximum, do you cleaning job and then reset it back where it was.

[jzarski1]

Hey Jack, In he restaurant business we use a product called SC2000. Its a heavy degreaser and comes in one gallon concentrate. This stuff will take anything off. I can't remember off hand the manufacture but when I get the the restaurant today I will look at it.

John

[gerryv]

Do you know for sure what exactly the substance is? We don't want you getting poisoned by an unexpected chemical reaction - who would be left to tell us corny jokes :-)

[genek]

You can get hotter water by upping the temperature of the thermostat in your hot water heater. It's probably set to between 120 and 140f now. Just crank it up to maximum, do you cleaning job and then reset it back where it was.
this I would not do... a hot water tank can be come a rocket. that is to close to boiling point.

best to get large tub build a fire under it and dip and pour...

my grandmother used to boil water in a wash tub then transfer it to other things..


much easier and safer.

[coryatjohn]

this I would not do... a hot water tank can be come a rocket. that is to close to boiling point.

best to get large tub build a fire under it and dip and pour...

my grandmother used to boil water in a wash tub then transfer it to other things..


much easier and safer.

I don't believe a hot water heater thermostat can be cranked high enough to boil. The maximum is probably around 150-160f. Unsafe for a shower but certainly not rocket fuel potential.

[genek]

google hot water heater failures... one on a naval base went through three floors plus the roof.. and destroyed another roof.

[coryatjohn]

google hot water heater failures... one on a naval base went through three floors plus the roof.. and destroyed another roof.

If setting a thermostat to the maximum setting caused a failure in an otherwise good condition water heater, the lawyers would be having a field day with it, don't you think?

[jerry_stanek]

Most commercial water heaters use a boiler to heat the water

[genek]

Jack in my area there are people who rent steam cleaners sort of like the car wash... it is hot enough to take grease off of trucks. you might want to check into that.

[Keyco Wood]

Or, take them to car wash and do it in the bay. Use what ever chemicals you want. People wash all kinds of stuff out in those things. Engines with gunk degreaser included.

[myxpykalix]

Gerald,

who would be left to tell us corny jokes :-)

I resemble that remark!:rolleyes:

[bcondon]

How ever you clean the tanks, what are you planning on doing with the waste?

You can't just dump this stuff in the back yard so a bit of care needs to be given to the plan.

I think it is best to contact the car wash owner to find out what waste capture system he has. I can tell you that a local boat yard got into a lot of trouble and big fines because one of his yahoo boat owners did his own maintenance and wet sanded a boat bottom dumping the paint onto the ground and then washed it into the ocean...

best we think about this....

[jerry_stanek]

Around here the car washes have a setting for degreasing engines and they have a grease trap in their system.

[Mayo]

If the dawn dishwashing liquid doesn't get it off, I would try some of the new citrus based cleaners that are made from orange oil. They're pretty safe to use.

[danhamm]

Mr. Clean works wonders.

I had a 966 cat loader and the oil cooler line broke in the rad, and turned oil into grease, stripped it down and called finning and was floored when they said flush with mr. clean liquid soap.

[ssflyer]

Hey Dan,

I was just going to mention that! I've been pretty impressed with Mr. Clean, lately!