Hi Guys,
Whilst doing some recent DIYing, I remembered a tip given to me by an old landlady many years ago for removing gunge from hands.
A couple of spoonsful of sugar and a squirt of washing-up liquid will remove even the most ingrained muck! Don't use any additional water at first, just grind the sugar/liquid into the skin for a minute or so, then wash off - along with all the black stuff. Leaves hands smelling far nicer than Swarfega!
I'm sure many 'older hands' (pun unfortunately intended!) will have heard of this, but I thought it worthwhile mentioning for the benefit of less crinkly ones..... :-)
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I always used to use Swarfega, but now find disposable rubber gloves much better; and they prevent dermatitis.
I keep a pair in the car in case of roadside repairs, wheel changing,etc.
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I think someone once suggested clean engine oil and sawdust.
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I never use Swarfega. A hugely expensive rip-off IMHO. I find the method above perfectly adequate. Washing powder and washing-up liquid does the job too.
Mind you, my father-in-law's been a mechanic for nearly 35 years and he can hold his hands over a flame for a worryingly long time. Must be something to be said for ingrained dirt...! :-)
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Ever since I saw "five boxes of a 100 for a tenner" I've used the rubber gloves. I used to suffer drying and cracking of my fingers using washing up liquid or powder - much better now.
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I know that latex gloves are good for protecting your hands from grime etc, but I find that I can't get a proper grip with them. Either the gloves get oil on them and become very slippery, of they tear and you end up with hands just as mucky as if you'd not bothered in the first place!
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I know that latex gloves are good for protecting your hands from grime etc, but I find that I can\'t get a proper grip with them. Either the gloves get oil on them and become very slippery, of they tear and you end up with hands just as mucky as if you\'d not bothered in the first place!
i usually find that using spanners and sockets makes the job much easier..............sorry couldnt resist it....
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olive oil and castor sugar is even better
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thats very"sweet" of you lhm!
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Re: rubber gloves, I'd echo RobTB's comments - it's all too easy to snag the glove on a sharp edge, letting in oil etc, and gripping small items with oily gloves can be tricky. I do use them when I know there's going to be a lot of gunge around, but also find then uncomfortable after a while with my sweaty mitts!
As is often the case, it's just not the same through rubber....;-)
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I'll stick to using gloves.
A little off topic but I know someone that used swarfega to clean/polish his tyre sidewalls.
Steve.
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I started spending my meagre income on Swarfega when through necessity I took my first steps in the art of motorcycle maintenance.
I, like LHM, was advised by my landlord that I was wasting my money, and should use washing-up detergent, and this I did, but soon noticed I was getting itchy red/flaking skin around my knuckles.
Swarfega is much more mitt-friendly IMO, after all it is formulated for the purpose, whereas the washing up stuff is formulated to remove congealed fat from the roasting tin - although if you believed the old commercials, you might have got the message that the stuff actually protected your hands.
The advice I wish I had had instead, is to wash used engine oil off your hands (etc) asap. It's not the oil itself; fresh oil is no problem afaik, but when it has been round the engine it picks up nasty acids from the combustion.
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I agree 100% with LeZebre. Washing up liquid is basically detergent with added salt, probably more harmful to your skin than the oil/dirt you are removing!
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Dizzy and LZ are right.
Take it from someone who faces this each day....
Use those thin "doctors gloves" at all times. I got through 5 doing a grubby disc/pad change today...but at £2.99 per 100 so what. Now I find they grip better than bare skin, for example when fitting a new oil filter.
If you do get dirty/oily skin use a proper non-agressive hand cleaner, best I've found is the Hycote brand in the yellow tub. After rinsing that off your hands are clean and...well soft!
Neat washing up liquid will tear your hands apart if used every day. I wouldn't use traditional Swarfega either.
Trust me if you get a bad skin allergy it can hang on for years and be a real handicap to manual work.
MM
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I find that the latex type gloves cause my hands to come out in a rash, skin cracks, etc! Not sure if it's the latex, or the powder inside the gloves. I've been looking for vinyl disposable gloves for a while, but can't find any.
If anyone can point me to a supplier of boxes of these I would be grateful.
Thanks
Tony
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Tony,
You're right that rarely folks can be irritated by the powder inside the gloves. I think it's correct they've made a change to them for hospital operations because of the possibility the powder may contaminate a wound.
Do you know that very cheap tool/diy brand "Blackspur"? They make some brilliant working gloves a bit thicker than the latex ones, and without that excess of powder...last loads longer too.
I was buying them from a particular supplier at £1.99 per 100 and then they dissapeared from sale.
MM
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Tony,
Here they are...
www.blackspur.com/index2.html
Look about half way down the long product list for 100pc disposable gloves, product number BB RG101.
The ones I was buying were in a box but otherwise the same item.
MM
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Screwfix also stock the vinyl ones although more expensive than quotes on previous postings, but if you\'re after screws and fittings then there\'s no where cheap and the service is also good.
www.screfix.com
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Many thanks for that link. I've managed to find these too, but I'm not sure how strong they would be:
www.decoratingdirect.co.uk/viewprod/m/MEDDVG/
Postage is hefty unless buying a number of boxes.
Tony
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for cheap substitutes, i've seen rally mechanics clean contaminated brake pads with a mixture of flour and cola,
and for keeping you hands clean, liberal application of a decent barrier cream beforehand makes an awful lot of difference and reduces the possibility of dermatitis from contaminants or cleaners !
I have to grow old - but I don't have to grow up
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As every old hand knows, Swarfega is great for getting tires back on the rim. Any biker worth his salt likes to smell of that stuff - means he knows what a wrench is for :-0
When I was a kid we even used petrol to clean up. Dire health warnings these days but I'm still here....
A good barrier cream is the answer before you start work.
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Swarfega has been used by some sparkies for lubricating cables as they are pulled thru conduit, however it rots the insulation over a period of time.
Steve.
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