Know your solvents

[Ron Ketcham]

Take some time to learn about hydrocarbon solvents before giving advice.
Example, often I see the statement "use lacquer thinner", as they have no idea the main active solvent in it is MEK. Spend a few minutes to understand what MEK is capable of. Can be very damaging.

[Lonnie]

Ron:
This admonishment of automotive chemical or ANY detailing or cleaning product safety knowledge also comes down to this:
READ THE ENTIRE PRODUCT LABEL, INCLUDING ITS USAGE AND WARNINGS
There is a reason WHY federal government legislation mandates these safety warnings to be printed on product labels for consumers to prevent "accidents" from misuse or handling of such products.
The proverb of "ignorance is bliss" does not apply to safety, but the truism of "What you don`t know can kill you" does.
There is also legislation from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) that enforces the publishing of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on ANY man-made manufactured or produced product used in manufacturing and production industries, including detailing chemical products. The gathering and publishing of MSDS information is costly to the manufacturer of such products, but it is again for the information of safety for the end user. It also protects the product producer from legal litigation that the end-user did not know (IE claiming ignorance) of the hazards and safety concerns, including the use of personal protective equipment/gear (PPE) required when using this product. Most product manufacturer`s websites have a link to this MSDS information to protect themselves from such litigation.
It`s not a complicated system and its colored diamonds and numbers are meant to simplify the recognition of the safety dangers involved in using that chemical product. Unfortunately, it is not read (or understood) by the end-user.

Ron Ketcham: Thanks for this timely chemical product safety admonishment. As the saying (and pun) goes, "Safety is NO accident"

AND, while I dislike hi-jacking threads, (except by you Captain Obvious), I will make this Public Service Announcement (PSA) that the two most-common household cleaning products, ammonia and bleach, when erroneously mixed together for the purpose of producing a "stronger dual-purpose cleaner", cause a chemical re-action that produces a toxic gas called Chloramine, which damages lungs when inhaled and is THE number one cause of chemical "accidents" that require Emergency Room visits in the United States. Now you know!

[Lonnie]

AND if you are that lazy to look up the effects of Methyl Ethyl Ketone (2-Butanone) or MEK, here`s the Environmental Protection Agency (Overseen by the Department of the Interior; OSHA is overseen by the Department of Labor; go figure in a Federal bureaucracy) information on it:https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/fi...hyl-ketone.pdf
Here is Kleen-Strip`s MSDS on its MEK, since it probably is the most-common manufacturer in an auto supply store:
https://www2.pcad.edu/Facilities/hea...ne%20(MEK).pdf (Yes, its from the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design link)

AND "damage" is not limited to the end-user. Its powerful solvent properties can damage plastic parts, warp window seals, or corrode certain materials.

[wannafbody]

What about mineral spirits?

[Ron Ketcham]

Google is your friend--not being mean, just that you can obtain real and honest information. I will mention that it is the solvent in most compounds, polishes and waxes. It is also the main active in marketed tar removers, etc. In other nations it is also called stoddard solvent or white spirits.