GRM parts washer cleaning solutions?

Ok. So I finally got around to hooking up the discarded dishwashing machine in my shop to use as a parts washe

I must say it works pretty decent.

The question now is, what is going to be the best cleaning solution/detergent to use?

I put a cast aluminum tortilla press into mine with one of those cascade power puck thingies (in the tub with the green lid) and it turned the tortilla press black.

So be mindful of what you put in there for aluminum parts. I bet those power pucks would do wonders on most everything else though.

I'd think ordinary dishwasher detergent would work best here. Not sure if one brand is better than another.

akamcfly wrote: I put a cast aluminum tortilla press into mine with one of those cascade power puck thingies (in the tub with the green lid) and it turned the tortilla press black. So be mindful of what you put in there for aluminum parts. I bet those power pucks would do wonders on most everything else though.

I tend to get tarnishing on the high heat stuff with some metals.

Did you use heated dry?

I need to watch this...

In reply to Apexcarver:

I haven't used heated dry.,... So far just sticking with Dishwasher detergent... May try some laundry soap next go around...

MadScientistMatt wrote: I'd think ordinary dishwasher detergent would work best here. Not sure if one brand is better than another.

I use powdered laundry soap for hand washing of parts. Use it in the machine?

Yep, that's what I was thinking.

Carburetor cleaner ;)

I need this in my shop! what about using purple power? its cheap, and very effective.

I've been cleaning 40 year old bicycle chains in 50/50 mix of Simple Green and water. It works surprisingly well and it's biodegradable. You might want to give that a try.

Knurled wrote: I use powdered laundry soap for hand washing of parts. Use it in the machine?

I might know a guy that when he was a kid turned his parent's kitchen into a foam pit because I, I mean he, was told to load the dishwasher/wash dishes, only to discover they were out of dish soap, so said kid improvised with laundry detergent in the dishwasher.

You've been warned, but if you do use laundry soap in your dishwasher have a video camera handy.

• Lee

bigdaddylee82 wrote:

Knurled wrote: I use powdered laundry soap for hand washing of parts. Use it in the machine?

I might know a guy that when he was a kid turned his parent's kitchen into a foam pit because I, I mean he, was told to load the dishwasher/wash dishes, only to discover they were out of dish soap, so said kid improvised with laundry detergent in the dishwasher. You've been warned, but if you do use laundry soap in your dishwasher have a video camera handy. - Lee

one of my dumb college roommates did this as well. Out of dishwasher detergent, so she just put a bunch of Dawn in there. By the time I got home, the bubbles were only about a foot tall over the whole floor, and all of the linoleum was peeling up. SMH.....