al_x

Can anyone recommend an effective biodegradable or environmentally friendly degreaser that's available in bulk, say 4L (or 1gal for you less metrically inclined)? I've been using MEC's BioCycle cleaner for years however it's recently become No Longer Available and can be hit and miss.

FYI: located in Canada so may not be able to access all products available stateside.

Thanks in advance for any insights.

marcw

I just bought wd40 degreaser, it remove the paint off the item i was cleaning

https://www.amazon.com/WD-40-Special...%2C148&sr=8-15

al_x

was paint removal a good thing? or unintended consequence?

i'm just looking to degrease.

Miele Man

I use liquid laundray detergent and a stiff brush. A toothbrush works well on small items/spaces.

MEC sure has change and in my opinion not for the better.

Cheers

Crankycrank

Odorless Mineral Spirits. Yes, it's a petroleum product but not so un-environmental if used properly. For degreasing chains drop it in a jar and swish around, remove chain and save the used spirits which will look barely used once the gunk settles to the bottom of the jar. Can be re-used many times. For everything else put some on a rag and wipe. Will not harm paint or most plastics. When done let the rag dry out and throw away. Nothing goes in the sink or the garden. Not too many other cleaners do a better job of de-greasing than this stuff.

Andrew R Stewart 

Not mentioned is whether the stuff a bio degreaser dissolves is also bio degrade able. I'm no chemist but I seriously doubt this and have wondered about this "elephant" in the bio room for years. But this possible issue won't sell more product... Andy

HerrKaLeun

I assume people care more about the people protection part of water based degreaser. Even if we care about the cenvironment, I think water based degreaser with dirt is still better than petroleum degreaser with dirt. It also is not a VOC, so you don't pollute the air you breathe.

I use simple green HD. You dilute it with water to the desired strength. I use it to clean my stove, or the greasy kitchen drain. Kind of don't like it for cleaning hubs etc. since the water takes a long time to evaporate. For that I use mineral spirit or alcohol. Moving more to alcohol since it dries well.

Andrew R Stewart 

My point goes to where do we put our bad stuff. Doing so into the waste water system of our communities is not my first choice. From what I've read the managers of the waste water treatment plants really don't want this.

I do agree that the amount, compared to other activities that generate bad stuff, is fairly minimal. Still I would to contain this stuff better in land fill or better yet run it through a recycler who does the best job at handling nasty stuff. By using OMS one can let the dirty container settle and drain off the vast majority of then clean OMS for use again and store the small amount of dirty sludge until enough warrants a trip to your local recycler center (or the corner auto shop's used oil barrel).

I still find it somewhat ironic they we claim our activity is so earth friendly yet the industry encourages less then good practices. Not the only irony in the world though... Andy

HerrKaLeun

For hazardous material our county has a "clean sweep" collection. The bad thing is, it cost $10 and is out of the way for normal people. So people aren't really encouraged to actually use it. I collect my stuff in my garage and bring it there annually. Not everyone has that option or willingness.
I have to admit, the shop towels that will have the grease and oil on them, I just put into the trash. Seems impractical to collect a huge bag of used shop towels. I'm also not sure if the county actually accepts bulk garbage like that, they seem more focused on liquids etc.

Over time I just produce less hazardous material. Hub service produces the most hazardous material. I don't do the chain-washing thing (just wiping off after riding). I'm also more moving towards just wiping stuff clean with alcohol/mineral spirit than to soak it in a large jar.
I used to soak my chain, clean the cassette, and so on. Now I just ride, and my mineral spirit consumption is comically low.

I think overall the environmental impact is still minor compared to a car. Just the rubber dust that a car wears off (made from petroleum) and the fluids that "disappear" in a car. And that is before I account for the rednecks that do their own oil change and we know where that fluid ends up.....

sch

I use Simple Green or a variant water soluble degreaser when cleaning chains etc. A decade or so back a gallon jug
in the garage started leaking and the stuff ran down several levels of the shelving and stripped the paint off the end
of a metal tool box, but to do this it was left for days or weeks before I noticed. Never had a problem in bike use as
it gets rinsed off.

OTOH I get back from a ride today and my legs are covered with a greasy layer of sunscreen, at least as much as
much and probably more than is on my bike chain and it gets washed off in the shower after every ride (4 days/wk
in the sun season). But chains are only cleaned every 3-4 months, so there is a conundrum.....