Can't get clothes clean

[Horst]

Typical scenario; cleaning up aluminum bar on lathe using sandpaper and kerosine leaves spatters on shirt. Cannot get the shirt clean again. Does anyone else have this problem? I am thinking of buying some lye but I don't really know how to use it. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appriciated. Thanks

[sasquatch]

Are those "Spot Removers" any good for that?

The first thing that comes to mind as a prevention measure is to just wear some thing old?

Once seen a guy in a similar situation, he just cut a hole in the end of a large garbage bag, pulled it over his head, worked ok.

[Stepside]

Use "waterless handcleaner" BEFORE puttting the shirt in the wash. My preference is GO-JO or LanLin as they don't have the grit, but even the grit type will work.

A shop coat is another way to deal with the issue or just work naked and take a shower afterwards.

[justanengineer]

I always used a good sprinkling of Ajax combined with the usual cup of detergent and with the washing machine set on the least gentle cycle to clean coveralls.

[winchman]

I've found Shout gets most shop stains out of the old clothes I wear, but I've never used kerosene.

[J Tiers]

Your issue is finely divided aluminum.....yes, it likely DOES stay in cloth, tiny particles get stuck to the roughness of the fibers.

The answer is to wear "shop clothes"..... or use a shop apron.

Lye might work, but may not be so good for the cloth, depending on what material it is, and how strong the lye is...... Lye will surely attack aluminum and make it disappear...... might deal with the aluminum dust.

IIRC, Lye attacks animal fibers but not cotton or plant fiber so much, while acid is the reverse. For "plastics", (nylon, polyester, etc) it depends, and I don't know for sure.

[firbikrhd1]

A friend of mine swears by pressure cleaning his filthy clothes before they go in the wash. I've seen the results and they are quite amazing.

I usually spray my dirtiest clothes with a degreaser like Purple K, or something available locally called Formula 88 then put them in the washer with my other nasty clothes. I'm sure to clean the washer afterwards so any residue left on the tub is removed before my good clothes go in.

[Ian B]

The best way, without doubt, is to simply wear old, messed up clothing.

If you don't happen to have any, cleaning up aluminum bar on lathe using sandpaper and kerosine is a very efective way of getting some

Ian

[rdfeil]

A shop coat is another way to deal with the issue or just work naked and take a shower afterwords.

Will keep the clothes clean, but remember to put them back on before turning...........

Hot Chips... HOt CHips.... HOT CHIPS

[aboard_epsilon]

I don't know what type of washing machine you use there
You need plus 90 degrees c wash with extra detergent in the drum.

So fill the drawer up with powder..chuck two more cups of powder in the machine drum itself...set your machine to the hottest wash ......

Use biological powder .

I don't have any problems .

This will get off your clothing... molly grease ./copper grease..old engine oil
almost everything ..except the smell of EP90 gear oil ......that takes three washes in succession.

all the best..markj