Here in Germany we use Petroleum in our parts washers since generations.
It is different from what you call Peroleum I belive - it is between crude oil an cerosine - more like Disel oil but without all those additives.
What I like is that you don`t have those dangerous vapours like gasoline.
I even use it to wash my hands.
Remember that Vaseline is nothing but Petroleum Jelly.
The raw material for petroleum jelly was discovered in 1859 in Titusville, Pennsylvania where it was sticking to some of the first oil rigs in the U.S. The riggers hated the paraffin-like material because it caused the rigs to seize up, but they used it on cuts and burns because it hastened healing.
So I belive Petroleum can´t be that bad.
Frank
