Power Cord Cleaning
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Exactly. Without an SDS we don't know what chemicals we are using or what the hazards are.
If all you guys are so concerned about this product, then don't use it! If you want additional info on it, I would contact the manufacturer...I posted their link at the beginning of the thread. This thread has gotten out of hand........I was just sharing a product that I have used for several years, that I have used on my own Power cords and fenders. It makes short work of of cleaning them and believe it or not I'm still alive.
All understood, however, lots of us don't want to pay $15 or more for a $3 product. Unless this company invented some 'magic dust', it's a fair question to identify what the formulation is as the basic compounds aren't proprietary and can likely be bought cheaper or at more convenient locations.
They must be listed on a MSDS which you should have and we were hoping that you share it rather than get defensive. Doing that (sharing it) would be constructive...
Read the freakin label, wear gloves, wear goggles... which you shoud be doing anyway. The shape of the can and being metal was a tipoff to me to be cautious.
Frankly, that is a sloppy answer. Proper labeling is a matter of telling the truth.
First, you don't know what vapors are present. Will a respirator protect against them? Which cartridge? It states that it can displace air, which suggests a very high concentration and rapid evaporation.
What gloves? If it contains NMP it will go right through all of them (See EPA study). If methylene chloride, only some will work. Methylene chloride looks to being phased out by the EPA because it is neurotoxic and too difficult to protect against. It is also a carcinogen. The description fits (lazy flame, fast evaporation, effective on plasitisizer bloom).
But more to the point, a retailer should have this information, both for his employees and for commercial customers. No dodging what has been federal law for decades:
(OSHA Q and A)
1. "What are the requirements of a retailer in maintenance and employee training of these sheets?"
In the February 9, 1994, Hazard Communication Final Rule paragraph (g)(7), (enclosed) OSHA clarifies the different responsibilities of wholesale and retail distributors with respect to commercial customers and employers purchasing in retail quantities. According to paragraph (g)(7)(iii) of the HCS, retail distributors selling hazardous chemicals to employers having a commercial account shall provide a material safety data sheet to such employers upon request and shall post a sign or otherwise inform them that a material safety data sheet is available.
For employees who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals in the workplace, paragraph (h) specifies the information and training requirements. For example, employers are required to inform employees of the location and availability of MSDSs.
The requirement to provide material safety data sheets (MSDSs) to employers who buy their hazardous chemicals from a retail outlet and who request an MSDS for the purchased chemical is a requirement of the standard for these types of distributors if they are transmitting hazardous chemicals to downstream employers. As mentioned in the preamble to the 1987 final rule on Hazard Communication (FR Vol. 52, No. 163, page 31866): "retail distributors will have to assess their product lines, and whether or not they have commercial accounts, to determine whether they must comply with this provision."
The preamble to the HCS quoted a comment obtained during the notice and comment period. This comment, reiterated below, states OSHA's position that this provision is not burdensome.
It also bothers me that the manufacture does not post this information. That is substandard in this age.
Methylene chloride hazards are considerable. The average DIY does not own the gear required to adequately protect against it. This information should be on the label. I should not have had to dig for it.
EPA
There are health risks to workers and consumers who use methylene chloride-containing paint removal products, and to bystanders in workplaces and residences where methylene chloride is used. Effects of short-term (acute) exposures to workers and consumers, including bystanders, can result in harm to the central nervous system, or neurotoxicity. These effects include dizziness, incapacitation, and, in some cases, death. Effects of longer periods of exposure (chronic) for workers includes liver toxicity, liver cancer, and lung cancer.
The OSHA Action Limit is 12 ppm averaged over 8 hours.
The EPA has said it will rule on this shortly, but rule making actions have been suspended by the current administration. Otherwise, it was scheduled to have been finalized over a year ago. Considerable risk information has come to the forefront in just the last few years.
Lowes
Today, Lowe’s announced it will phase out paint removal products with the chemicals methylene chloride and NMP from its global product selection by the end of the year. This effort is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to bring safer, affordable options to customers. The company also plans to work with the EPA on a consistent regulatory standard across the industry.
EPA
There are health risks to workers and consumers who use methylene chloride-containing paint removal products, and to bystanders in workplaces and residences where methylene chloride is used. Effects of short-term (acute) exposures to workers and consumers, including bystanders, can result in harm to the central nervous system, or neurotoxicity. These effects include dizziness, incapacitation, and, in some cases, death. Effects of longer periods of exposure (chronic) for workers includes liver toxicity, liver cancer, and lung cancer.
The OSHA Action Limit is 12 ppm averaged over 8 hours.
The EPA has said it will rule on this shortly, but rule making actions have been suspended by the current administration. Otherwise, it was scheduled to have been finalized over a year ago. Considerable risk information has come to the forefront in just the last few years.
Lowes
Today, Lowe’s announced it will phase out paint removal products with the chemicals methylene chloride and NMP from its global product selection by the end of the year. This effort is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to bring safer, affordable options to customers. The company also plans to work with the EPA on a consistent regulatory standard across the industry.
Agree with Thinwater , MSDS has been around forever. Manufacturers are required. As well as retailers. It protects us all.
I ordered a can of Restoration Technology Marine Strip and received it today. Intended use is to clean the gooey material oozing off the tops of my older Taylor Made fenders , as the goo rubs off on the hull where the fender hangs. It cleans off the gel coat easily enough with a little acetone, but nothing so far has cleaned the fenders.
A call to the manufacturer's help line resolved a question on some of the label instructions and they also emailed me the MSDS (interestingly enough as an editable MS Word file). I attached a PDF of that file. I'm not an expert at reading MSDS but I'll certainly wear gloves, apply with a brush or rag and will be using outdoors to minimize inhalation of the vapors.
I'll report back on how the product works in a few weeks.
A call to the manufacturer's help line resolved a question on some of the label instructions and they also emailed me the MSDS (interestingly enough as an editable MS Word file). I attached a PDF of that file. I'm not an expert at reading MSDS but I'll certainly wear gloves, apply with a brush or rag and will be using outdoors to minimize inhalation of the vapors.
I'll report back on how the product works in a few weeks.
That's helpful. It is essentially a methanol, toluene and acetone mix in an unspecified ratio. No wonder it works in the short term, however, as none of these are good for prolonged use as they will quickly degrade the plasticizers.
The hazards of each are widely reported.
Wondering what a can costs? A pint of toluene or acetone is pretty cheap if you’re going that route. Either will work short term as Don says. Magic erasers work also but takes some scrubbing. Buy the cheap no name brands..
It's $7 here in the big box stores but lots of people have some sitting in their garage already. No shipping.
Methanol and toluene are even cheaper.
The MSDS says 1-100% dichloromethane (AKA methylene chloride). As a lazy flame is reported, I suspect it is a high percentage, since the other ingredients burn like lightening). So read the hazards for MC:
https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/risk-management-methylene-chloride
A little on the dock should not be too dangerous, but this stuff is no joke in the cabin. The EPA is talking about banning both use and production, and the paint industry has basically given up the fight, because the health studies are scary.
This is NOT like toluene and acetone.
This stuff may work great, but after reading the MSDS and seeing the ingredients of methanol, toluene and acetone, I think I will pass. I know that acetone is bad for fenders and I suspect it is not good for cords either. I will stick with mineral spirits and lots of elbow grease. Pity, I was hoping for a magic bullet!
Anyone ever try LA's Totally Awesome Cleaner Degreaser? It does a pretty good job on fenders, seems to be quite benign, and is cheap. Hokey name but it works.
Since this is a really tough crowd, I'll post the MSDS up front
http://sds.chemtel.net/webclients/s...nerandDegreasersandSpotRemover_01-10-2011.pdf
Since this is a really tough crowd, I'll post the MSDS up front
http://sds.chemtel.net/webclients/s...nerandDegreasersandSpotRemover_01-10-2011.pdf
Its effect on the black spots left behind by spiders on non-skid is pretty awesome (pardon the pun). Haven't tried it on power cords or other rubber products.Anyone ever try LA's Totally Awesome Cleaner Degreaser? It does a pretty good job on fenders, seems to be quite benign, and is cheap. Hokey name but it works.
Since this is a really tough crowd, I'll post the MSDS up front
http://sds.chemtel.net/webclients/s...nerandDegreasersandSpotRemover_01-10-2011.pdf
Followup...
I cleaned 3 fenders last weekend with the Marine Strip product. It did a good but not complete job of getting the sticky, gooey substance off the ends of the fenders. I put a few ounces of the stripper in a small dish and used rags to apply and wipe off, getting about 90% removal, but leaving the staining in the blue material of the fender, and a slightly sticky feel. Much better results than anything else I had tried (WM fender cleaner, LA Totally Awesome, acetone). After it dried I applied 303 vinyl protectant and hung two outside and put one in a locker, so we'll see what happens in 6 months.
I cleaned 3 fenders last weekend with the Marine Strip product. It did a good but not complete job of getting the sticky, gooey substance off the ends of the fenders. I put a few ounces of the stripper in a small dish and used rags to apply and wipe off, getting about 90% removal, but leaving the staining in the blue material of the fender, and a slightly sticky feel. Much better results than anything else I had tried (WM fender cleaner, LA Totally Awesome, acetone). After it dried I applied 303 vinyl protectant and hung two outside and put one in a locker, so we'll see what happens in 6 months.