The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Gasoline or Kerosene parts cleaner?

Don’t exactly know where to put this, it’s a safety issue but I can’t post any thing there.
Back in the 50’s and 60’s when I was a kid, the standard way to wash parts was in a bucket of good old Sinclair regular, with bare hands. Well times have changed and I’m a little bit wiser now but probably still haven’t learned my lesson completely. In recent years I’ve kept a tank of kerosene bought in bulk at the local supplier. I’m still washing parts with bare hands but don’t think it is as bad as the gasoline. It doesn’t seem to dry my hands out to much and if I wash good and put a little lotion on all seems well. At least my hands don’t tingle and go numb like they did with the gasoline, that’s some improvement. Anyone have any “facts” concerning kerosene absorption through the skin and it’s affects?
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I think the gas fumes were worse that any absorption. doubt kerosene is as bad.

1. never lock your truck
2. leave the keys in it. They usually won't
start for a unfamilar person.
3. read step one again.

I used to use methylene chloride all the time to wash parts in. No gloves. Hands in it. I'll probably die of it. Can't do nothing bout it now.

My grandparents used to put turpentine on themselves as a remedy for about anything. Before neosporing cream was around, turpentine was the antibiotic. If you sprained something, soak it in turpentine. If you got cooties, bathe in turpentine. They no longer make turpentine from pine sap, so it no longer has the "pine sol" smell about it. You'd probably have your kids removed by the child protection agency if you put turpentine on a cut they got while playing in the yard. Times have changed.

I also washed parts hands deep in kerosene, but find it gives my hands the tingles afterwards. Buy yourself a pair of rubber gloves. They last for a while, not that expensive, and will keep you from stinking as much. I usually do a finish wash with a spash of gasoline to remove any oil or such that was dissolved in my kerosene. This way I end up with clean parts with no oil or kerosene on them that needs to dry.

Skin cancer is the most likely issue when dealing with these chemicals as well as motor oils.

Also very hard on the kidneys,,Brian

If you get a hold of a WHMIS book it will tell you to wear proper gloves as these petroleum cleaners are cumulative in your liver. They will eventually kill you ,so use caution and proper protective equpment.
Lothar

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

Rusty Rod has used gas, diesel ect as a parts cleaner for years with no apparent evidence of harmful after/side effects..... (URK.. goes into convulsions)

Neither, I use varsol. Cleans like gasoline smells like gojo. Was used in the 1800's as dry cleaning solution on clothes. But so was imbalming fluid.
Will burn won't explode.
Funny thing but my 1942 shop manuel says use gasoline to clean dirty parts. Uhhhh NO!

The past 37 years I have breathed gasoline, kerosene, MEK,(methyl-ethel-keytone) copper flouboric, chromic acid, and tons of varsol, also printed using solvents, ethyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, selsove/acetate, and inhalded lots of asbestos (sprayed it on steel beams for fireproofing). As you can suspect..MY GHOST is writing this letter. I died several years ago.
None the lest I use the stuff my nephew buys in the big 55 gal barrels for his machine shop. I also like gasoline but mostly use purple power, simply green.

Dad is a retired machinist. Washed parts/pumps in varsol,etc. for years.
Now he can't get it on his skin...
We should wear gloves...

I know you asked about skin absorption but the other very important reason for not using gasoline in a parts washer is the flash point. Gasoline has a flash point of -40 degrees while kerosene has a flash point of about 110 degrees. The gasoline can be ignited from a nearby ignition source at most any temperature likely to be in your shop while the kerosene would have to be heated to over 110 degrees for the same nearby ignition source to ignite it.

I worked for a year delivering fuel oil, and had my share of baths with it. I get sick just smelling the stuff now, 22 years latter.

Mineral Spirits (paint thinner) is a good parts cleaner if you must use something not water based.

chem. resistent gloves are cheap.