Degreaser - Caustic Soda Beads

[Washaway 64]

For those of you out there, who make your own degreaser, what else do you add to caustic soda beads to make an awefully strong, effective product?

Edited February 2, 2010 by Washaway

[jayk2005 14]

I know some guys are using dawn soap as a foaming agent I am after the same formula if anyone can help that would be great

[Adrian 155]

jayk2005 please go to your profile and complete your signature line. House rules!!!!

Welcome to TGS.

[Adrian 155]

Mel,

I seem to remember that Fenner told me about adding sodium metasilicate??? to a stripper ( degreaser home brew) once along with a thick soap for grippage and cling.

However I had no access to that chem and just used caustic beads and soap. Worked fine.

Maybe he will chime in this thread.

[HighTide 14]

I mix Envirospec's PowerStroke with caustic soda beads. Works like a charm!

[JohnB 14]

I keep the beads dry and add a cup of Beads to a squirt of dawn and then fill the pump up sprayer with super hot water until the pump up sprayer dances in the sink... Been doing it this way for 20 years now. Just dont put your head over the pump up sprayer when adding hot water..

[Pat Norman 18]

I keep the beads dry and add a cup of Beads to a squirt of dawn and then fill the pump up sprayer with super hot water until the pump up sprayer dances in the sink... Been doing it this way for 20 years now. Just dont put your head over the pump up sprayer when adding hot water..

I actually saw him do it too!!

For concrete I mix Sodium Hypochlorite, Sodium Hydroxide, TSP and some Dawn too. I like lotsa suds ;) sometimes add purple power. Downstream and dwell time. You can see the dirt running as soon as the solution hits the concrete.

edit...just be careful with this stuff. It will leave a nasty burn!!!

Edited February 3, 2010 by Pat Norman

[JohnB 14]

Hey Pat .. Man whats been going on .. I was in New Albany about a month ago .. I will be back in about 3 months .. I will call ya.. This month I have to go to tupelo, Boonville, Baldwyn and then Marks and Charleston...Then for march its all down south work..

[Pat Norman 18]

Hey Pat .. Man whats been going on .. I was in New Albany about a month ago .. I will be back in about 3 months .. I will call ya.. This month I have to go to tupelo, Boonville, Baldwyn and then Marks and Charleston...Then for march its all down south work..

Holler at me when you are in the 'hood. I'll bring some PPE and come lend you another helping hand :)

[Christopher 102]

I mix Envirospec's PowerStroke with caustic soda beads. Works like a charm!

David, I have some of that stuff, how much beads do you add to a 5 gallon bucket or a 55'er?

Do you apply it with a pump up sprayer or downstream at that strength?

Thanks.

[HighTide 14]

Chris, the short answer is both. I add 12 oz. of beads to each gallon with a half pound to a pound of PowerStroke per gallon depending how dirty the surface is. For example, a typical bank drive thru only needs 2 gallons mixed up and then I downstream it. I usually have (and want to have) a half gallon left over in the bucket after coating all the lanes real good. I pour the remaining mix directly on the main oil stains and push it around the big stain with a brush and let it all dwell for 10-15 minutes. The surface oil is gone before I even hit it with hot water. I must be doing something right as one bank client just asked me to add 4 more of their branches in the next county to be cleaned 4 times a year. I LOVE BANKS!

[Russ Spence 76]

strong is great but remember what is left behind is not good! Rinse and rinse and neutralize!

[chris francis 15]

Russ how do you neutralize caustic soda I remember you said citric acid will neutralize bleach but what neutralize caustic soda

[jayk2005 14]

thank you adrian ... i am having trouble filling out this signature line i thought i had already looking for my controls button and don';t seem to be able to find it

can you help me thanks

jason

[Thad 135]

thank you adrian ... i am having trouble filling out this signature line i thought i had already looking for my controls button and don';t seem to be able to find it

can you help me thanks

jason

http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/171347-post8.html

If you need any more help just holler!

:)

[Pat Norman 18]

Russ how do you neutralize caustic soda I remember you said citric acid will neutralize bleach but what neutralize caustic soda

I neutralize concrete and wood with oxalic acid. It also really brightens up the concrete well.

[big mike 14]

Balazs, where you been?

I mix caustic beads, sodium metasilicate, trisodium phosphate, and propylene glycol for a downstream stripper (works awesome). For concrete I mix SH with PowerStroke as well but only use that mixture in a pump up on the main oil drip line (downstrem PowerStroke for the rest). The only time I use SH is for wood restoration or concrete. ALWAYS neutralize with a mild acid. I've started using a 50/50 mix of citric and oxalic for wood restoration (I think they call that citralic, LOL)

[Washaway 64]

Mike I've been around, just haven't had the time to stop in....a lot going on.

Thanks for the secret mixture :) I need to play with it some before I find my way.

Sick of spending money on useless degreasers!

Ps: thanks everyone for your replies.

Edited February 6, 2010 by Washaway
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[HotShot 34]

By the time you do all that mixing, you may as well just buy a product that already works. Just my humble opinion.. and this is coming from a guy that mixes a mixture I call "Alien Ant Mix".. hahah

[WashRite 14]

For standard degreaser, I mix 16 oz of caustic soda beads with 10 oz of trisodium phosphate, and 5 oz of dawn in a 5 gallon plastic bucket. If I'm cleaning dumpster pads with heavy animal fats I will only use 8 oz of caustic soda beads and 8 oz of Potassium Hydroxide.

I generally mix the caustic soda beads, trisodium phosphate, and borax in 1lb zip-loc bags and usually carry 10 or so bags with me. Just fill a 5 lb plastic bucket about a 1/3 of the way with water, then add the 1 lb bag as you continue adding water and stirring as you continue to fill the water. I add the dawn at the end and slowly agitate just to mix it in. Note: gloves and skin and eye protection are a must.