Alternatives to isopropyl alcohol?
- Thread starter wkkie
- Start date
Beej1
Senior Member
^ this. For cleaning brakes I find the stuff which cleans the things that stop 1500kgs of metal work fine on the things that stop 110-odd kgs of me+bike.
Only I buy the even cheaper stuff at $5 for a large can. Couldn't beleive my eyes when I saw bicycle shops selling the same stuff for $20 (one LBS guy tried to tell me it was different and more suited to MTB disc brakes because blah blah blah ... I tuned out).
I haven't ever tried cleaning anything else with the stuff, but when I have my first go at servicing my suspension in a few months time, I'm planning to use it then when it calls for ISO Alcohol.
But otherwise for brakes I either spray it onto a rag and really wipe the shit out of the rotors, then spray it all over again and let them dry. Or just do the latter when they don't need a wipe over.
Zero problems in 5+ years.
Warp
Likes Dirt
Brought to you by Brazzers...
Puddleduck
Likes Dirt
Disc brake cleaner from something like SuperCheapAuto as some of the previous posts have recommended. Works a treat. I have also used methylated spirits in the past without any issue.
depends how big an area you want to cover and if you want to drown it in the stuff.
When looking for some a while back, I asked at the chemist about it, and they pointed me to the sterilization swabs they use before giving needles. It's a small cloth impregnated with 70% Isopropyl that leaves a good amount behind when you wipe it over the surface (which of course evaporates completely), and does a double job of making sure you use a fresh cloth before they get too dirty (as they dry out in about 30 seconds to a minute after opening the satchel they come in).
Only down side is they're small (about 20x60mm or something), but as I got a pack of 200, each in it's own sealed packet for $8 total, I'm not that concerned having to use a couple here and there.
When looking for some a while back, I asked at the chemist about it, and they pointed me to the sterilization swabs they use before giving needles. It's a small cloth impregnated with 70% Isopropyl that leaves a good amount behind when you wipe it over the surface (which of course evaporates completely), and does a double job of making sure you use a fresh cloth before they get too dirty (as they dry out in about 30 seconds to a minute after opening the satchel they come in).
Only down side is they're small (about 20x60mm or something), but as I got a pack of 200, each in it's own sealed packet for $8 total, I'm not that concerned having to use a couple here and there.
Nerf Herder
Wheel size expert
KFC hand wipes ... always leaves my face and hands smelling lemony after I've motor-boated in the bucket ... you can hear the noise now innit ... now you can picture it ... now your shaking your head with me and making the noise ... now you want some hmmmmm KFC
BOT ... where to get bulk quantities for Meth production (learning something every day) ?? or cleaning up after shizzle
I want like a 25L ??? I normally use ISOCOL (sp) on suspension and to clean up Dot fluid spills ... but not on rotors (purely due to good luck). Love the smell, but too expensive for every day use in the workshop. thx in advance
BOT ... where to get bulk quantities for Meth production (learning something every day) ?? or cleaning up after shizzle
I want like a 25L ??? I normally use ISOCOL (sp) on suspension and to clean up Dot fluid spills ... but not on rotors (purely due to good luck). Love the smell, but too expensive for every day use in the workshop. thx in advance
MARKL
Eats Squid
FFS don't use it on anything with rubber! Or paint! Or plastic! Or glue! It's a great product for dissolving shit but...isopropyl is safer
Jason M Sharland
Cannon Fodder
Wurth brake clean if you can find it works a treat
redbruce
Eats Squid
Completely wrong (except for the PVC pipe prep bit) wrt commercial brake cleaner formulation!!!
None of them use acetone for the reason Chops gave.
They are mixtures with any or all of: alcohol, benzene, low boiling point alkanes (typically hexane), tetrachloroethylene (also used in dry cleaning).
eg. http://www.crcindustries.com/faxdocs/msds/5089.pdf
As has been noted, these solvent mixtures are more effective overall for brake cleaning than just a single component solvent like alcohol. Especially for mineral oil and grease.
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The reason I went with acetone was because when my can of spray on brake cleaner ran out I looked at the active ingredient. Acetone. Some products still use it. Behold: http://www.bluechemgb.com/products/powermaxx/brake-cleaner-spray-with-acetone-600ml.html
It's nasty as an aerosol and wouldn't recommend spraying any brake cleaner directly onto a bike. I always wet a rag with it and wipe the rotors down. I'm cleaning rotors , not soaking my bike in the stuff so no issues with it killing paint or rubber seals . I found it worked a lot better than metho for me. But It's nice to know of the alternatives. This thread has been educational.
Lucky disc rotors aren't made of rubber, plastic, covered in paint or glued on. You left out not drinking the stuff. That'd be bad to.
Live2DieTrying
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Altronics. 891 Princes Hwy, Springvale
sells 2L bottles of 99%
http://www.altronics.com.au/p/t3038-isopropyl-alcohol-2-litres/
sells 2L bottles of 99%
http://www.altronics.com.au/p/t3038-isopropyl-alcohol-2-litres/
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SummitFever
Eats Squid
I'd add to that the CRC brakeclean is the best product for brake cleaning in an aerosol can available. Some of the other cheaper/no-name products have additives that make them less effective. Brakeclean will dissolve any oils that you don't want on your brakes and wash them off. Its important to spray enough that there is lots running off. If you just spray a little, it will dissolve the oils but when it evaporates, it will leave them behind. Liberal application is what is required.
MARKL
Eats Squid
You missed the point, people spray isopropyl on brake rotors and use it for cleaning other bike parts...and those bits have paint, rubber, plastic, glue...Lucky disc rotors aren't made of rubber, plastic, covered in paint or glued on. You left out not drinking the stuff. That'd be bad to.
redbruce
Eats Squid
However, the rubber seals on the calipers/wheel bearing would be at risk using it in the manner brake cleaners typically are used.Lucky disc rotors aren't made of rubber, plastic, covered in paint or glued on. You left out not drinking the stuff. That'd be bad to.
Having been involved in product formulation as an industrial chemist in the past, that product is a cheap old world type of formulation. The use of Propane/butane as propellant would ring alarm bells for me.
I'd also concur with Summitfever, the CRC product is the most effective Ive used (also ran an automotive service centre for a number of years in another stage of my career).
Having said that, one should always used the least hazardous product that does the job and isopropyl alcohol generally fits the bill for MTB brakes.
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