Washing your hands

[RLS7201]

I've been swinging a wrench professionally since high school. IE: auto mechanic, Operating Engineer, job shop machinist, Director of Maintenance of an ink production facility, etc. I just finished up rebuilding a differential in an off road pick-up, for a client.
Always looking for a better way of cleaning my hands and nails.
There is some pretty good stuff out there to clean up with, but it takes up space on our RVs.
Out of necessity, I had to use DAWN Direct Foam to wash my hands and nails, while on the road. WA-LAH! It works as well if not better than some of the products designed for mechanics.
So that leaves one less bottle or jug of stuff to carry in the MH.
The wife will have to share her dish washing soap with me. Give it a try.

Richard

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Boraxo mixed into Dawn removed that ink-like stain that comes from pitch black diesel lube oil. Straight Dawn did not work for me.

[myredracer]

Nitrile gloves work but they tend to tear and you get pretty sweaty inside after a while. I prefer bare skin over gloves for better tactile feel despite grease and dirt but still use them for short periods when I don't want to get messy hands or with some paints.

The wrenchers on garagejournal.com have lots of suggestions for cleaning hands like HERE and HERE for example. I can't Gojo to work for me. I find ordinary bar soap and a nail brush does the job well enough and if I'm really messy, I clean grease and oil off with solvent first.

Dawn in bar soap form would be nice if they made it.

[SaltiDawg]

Anyone else use Simple Green? Non-toxic, OK to get in eyes, cuts grime and grease nicely.

CHEAP.

[DutchmenSport]

I've been using Dawn for washing hands, anything with grease or oil (motor or cooking), road grime, pretty much everything since about 1981.

It all started when I worked at the McDonalds in Morganotn, NC and they ran out of the McDonalds specialized floor soap. The manager told one of the guys to run across the parking lot and get a couple bottles of Dawn. The used the Dawn to mop the greasy build of grime behind the grills and it actually worked better than the stuff the McDonald's Coorporation forced them to use.

Ever since then, I was 100% sold on Dawn for removing any kind of oil or grease (cooking or motor). It's great for cleaning up fire place soot too. If Dawn will not clean it, the next step is gasoline to cut through. Things like varnish, oil based paints, and construction glues can only be removed with something like gasoline.

We keep a bottle of the Dawn foamy at each sink and bathtub and shower in the house and camper. I even keep a bottle at the outside sink in the camper. It goes without saying, we go through bottles and bottles of the Dawn foam refills!

AND, there was discussion on black tank cleaning about a month ago and Dawn was in the hot seat! Personally, I have found Dawn works marvelously in the black tank. Drain the black tank, flush it out, add about 4 or 5 gallons of water, about 1/3rd cup of Dawn down the toilet and go for a drive! Yea, it will bubble, but this amount will not over bubble, as one poor poster on these forums experienced, when they added too much and it bubbled back through the toilet and into the trailer. The right amount will clean out your black tank marvelously, keeps smells away, and not over bubble. Safe for the environment, and very reasonably priced!

I'm a believer in two products for my Camper and, really everywhere: Dawn and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Between these two products, you can clean almost everything.

[downtheroad]

Good stuff....

[MrWizard]

humm learn something new

i use the orange stuff, and the outside shower, no mess inside

now i will have to try dawn to see how it works out

[time2roll]

Lately I find prevention by wearing latex gloves to be the way to go on a messy job.

[j-d]

Agree on DAWN. Not familiar with the Direct Foam, but ordinary Dawn Dish Detergent is my go-to. If I have time, I work something "greasy" under my nails, then wash with Dawn after awhile.

Dishwashing With Dawn works wonders on mechanic hands. Good family relations, too...

[Old-Biscuit]

I used 'oil' to clean gunk/grime off hands, wipe excess off with shop rag and then regular hot water and soap when I was a working soul.

DAWN has been used for decades for 'oil spills/wildlife cleanups'

Now..DAWN gets used for just about every cleaning job

[sgip2000]

Yes, I've been turning wrenches for a long time too. Used to use the orange stuff, but switched to Dawn years ago and haven't looked back.

[ScottG]

Dawn is a great degreser and with a small brush, gets my hands as clean as the big jug of Goop hand cleaner in my garage.