Which Cleaner Works Best on Light Grease, Oils and Other Lubricants?

Until recently, there would have been only one recommendation and it would have stood out so far above all others you couldn’t even read the names of the second choice. The leader: the Uncured Epoxy Remover (#MCC-EPX). This cleaner is as good as than the old ozone-depleting 1,1,1-TCA, it dries reasonably quickly, is very acceptable environmentally, and it has very good toxicity ratings. The only drawback? It has a flashpoint, so it is not suitable for use in heated vapor degreasers or ultrasonic systems.

But now there is a new top dog in town: the Lead-Free Flux Remover – PowerClean™. This product was formulated first as a defluxer and then we discovered it is a great degreaser as well. It is nonflammable, dries quickly and has an excellent environmental record.

The Reflow Oven Cleaner is a water-based degreaser is with exceptional handling. It’s nonflammable and slow-drying, but it works best when warm. Since many degreasers have heating capabilities, it’s ideal in applications where parts can be soaked for an hour or two in a dipping tank.

For automated cleaning of large quantities of products, MicroCare recently launched another great choice: Tergo™ Metal Cleaning Fluid. As degreasers go, the material is unbeatable. If your degreasing problems are causing headaches, and using a vapor degreaser seems feasible, then check out the Tergo™ family of cleaning choices.

Of all of these choices, we would recommend PowerClean™ as a starting point: it’s ozone-safe, nonflammable, and almost odor-free. Most of these cleaners are not completely plastic-safe, so be careful where you use them. Always test on soft plastics before deploying these cleaners widely. Get some samples and try them.