Using CLR instead of white vinegar for reg cleaning

[Eric Sedletzky]

I haven't done this yet, but has anybody tried using CLR (Calcium Lime Rust) for cleaning reg parts for rebuild?
I thought about it and can't see a reason why it wouldn't work. Instead of using a 50/50 mix of vinegar & water, I was thinking of trying a 10:1 mix of CLR and see if that works. I don't see why not.
I've used it on other metals and it doesn't seem to have any adverse affects and doesn't seem to be too strong to cause any damage. I removes scale, salts, rust & corrosion etc., and rinses completely clean.

I know this will lead to people telling me to just get an ultrasound cleaner but I'm trying to keep it simple and save money.

Any thoughts?

 

[Tom Winters]

That might work ok. There's just one thing about CLR. I'd eat a salad dressed with oil and vinegar, and I'd eat coleslaw made with vinegar... but CLR...I'd gotta pass on that one. Yes, the CLR would probably be totally gone... but sh!t always happens somehow. I'd keep CLR away from any possible source of ingestion.

The other thing is what's the rush? The vinegar solution works ok, but it takes a little time. On reg parts, I soak them for a while in that Salt-Away blue stuff and then finish up with a nice vinegar soak. Everything is nice and sparkly. The CLR might work too well.

Hey - I want a damn Freedom plate. Tell me how.

 

[KeithG]

I know this will lead to people telling me to just get an ultrasound cleaner but I'm trying to keep it simple and save money.

Any thoughts?

have you checked the price on clr?
have you licked something you cleaned with it?

I would be worried about residual chemicals. CLR is designed to get rid of calcium and lime, not sodium.

Do not use CLR on wood, clothing, wallpaper, carpeting, marble, terrazzo, natural stone, colored grout, painted or metallic glazed surfaces, plastic laminates, Formica or aluminum

so that seems like a definite NO!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Residual chemicals would seem like the least of my worries. After all, a life immersed in the auto body trade followed by the marine business with MEK, Acetone, fiberglass resin, epoxie amines, phosphoric acid for cleaning aluminum and steel, etc, etc, and all the other nasty crap I dealt with for years.

I had an instructor chew my ass once for cleaning out an Aluminum tank with Alumiprep 33 once (phosphoric acid white rust disolver). He said I was going to die breathing the fumes from it. He didn't do his homework very well, because using AL prep 33 is the absolute best way to get rid of any corrosion inside an AL tank. It disolves all the white rust and leaves the good aluminum completely alone and won't affect it. It rinses 100% clean leaving no residue whatsoever. There is no other way to get an AL tank cleaner, not even simple green. Simple green actually will leave more of a film, although not harmful, but it still leaves a microscopic film.
I wouldn't hesitate for a second to oxygen clean an AL tank using AL prep 33.
The key is to make sure they are rinsed very well like all tanks should be after treatment.
Not to hijack my own thread but there is a point,

So now to get to the point. This lead me to wonder about CLR for regs; if it would be similar.
I'm wondering if CLR might be a more thorough cleaning agent thus disolving all corrosion including micro corrosion preventing a seed for future corrosion.

The cost would be degligable since such a small amount would be used.
I'm interested to see where this thread goes.

---------- Post added April 9th, 2014 at 05:23 PM ----------

Hey - I want a damn Freedom plate. Tell me how.

You should have jumped on it while I still had them, I'm out.
I only talked about them and let people know for the last 8 months, where were you?

 

[NotSure]

I like the CLR idea, but 50/50 vinegar and water always works great for me. You still need an ultasonic cleaner because no matter how long I soak or scrub a regulator or how clean it looks there is almost always some solids in the bottom of my ultasonic cleaner after use.

 

[Tom Winters]

You should have jumped on it while I still had them, I'm out.
I only talked about them and let people know for the last 8 months, where were you?

Ah shoot... I got so tied defending America from all enemies both foreign and domestic that I forgot to get a plate. My bad.

 

[Namreg 58]

Residual chemicals would seem like the least of my worries. After all, a life immersed in the auto body trade followed by the marine business with MEK, Acetone, fiberglass resin, epoxie amines, phosphoric acid for cleaning aluminum and steel, etc, etc, and all the other nasty crap I dealt with for years.

The key is to make sure they are rinsed very well like all tanks should be after treatment.

I don't know how to break it to you, but the major component of CLR is phosphoric acid. It is also widely used as rust converter in the auto body industry.

Personally, I would stick to diluted vinegar in an ultrasonic cleaner for the regs.

When it comes to oxy cleaning, a dishwashing detergent will do the trick of removing grease and oil (which is the objective of oxy cleaning) and as you have already stated, the trick is to give the component a good flush afterwards with clean water to remove any residue.

 

[Peter_C]

You might find an ultrasonic cleaner to be extremely handy. The HF one is actually very popular.
Ultrasonic Cleaner - 2.5 Liter
Here is a permanent HF coupon for 20%, bookmark it!
Digital Savings and Coupons from Harbor Freight
So for $70 out the door you could own a decent ultrasonic cleaner.

Then again vinegar works okay and is very cost effective.

 

[Zung]

Vinegar is ALWAYS available in the cupboard just above the kitchen sink.
I use it straight and keep the soaking under 5 min. The verdigris always goes away, but some of the crust will stay, so a little ultrasonic wouldn't hurt.

 

[Couv]

I think the new CLR does not contain phosphoric acid. However, thanks to Rsingler, (see this post http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/repairing-your-own-gear/459041-cleaning-solution.html#post6834636) I've been using a homebrew version of Lawrence Factor Wash instead of vinegar and water. It does a better job at cleaning metal and plastic parts, and removing corrosion. I'm much happier with the results with a simple bath or when using the US cleaner.

I use ~ 4% by volume phosphoric acid, just a teaspoon each of propylene glycol and Dawn dish detergent to a quart of water.

Couv