Citric cleaner?

Wouldn't it depend on exactly which track system Lionel is referring too? Personally, I have always used either Lacquer Thinner or Denatured Alcohol, but then I have all Atlas O solid nickel silver track.

I don't see a problem with the 91% alchohol, thats been the recommended cleaner on metal video and audio tape heads, as well as CD's and DVD's forever.

 

I "think" the concern is the lower percentage alcohols i.e 70% as they have a greater water content in them. Even still, unless you have your track sitting in a pool of alcohol I can't see the water in it corroding/degrading it.

 

Not unlike the "best smoke fluid" threads, I think track cleaner tends to get "overthunk" quite a bit. Just use something safe and proven and stick with it.

 

I have always used 91% isopropyl and will continue to do so. I thought, most "citric" based cleaners still have some type of soapy, slippery residue leftover after use.  I certainly could be wrong, you could always try it on a section of track and see if you like it.

 

 

Keep in mind, Mike Reagan has the job of thinking of every conceivable way we as hobbyists can "destroy" our trains. Then he comes up with recommendations for "do's and don'ts" in order to minimize the risk of something being misused or abused creating the problem.

 

 

I have always used 91% isopropyl and will continue to do so. The residue issue concerns me.

I've used alcohol since that's what my LHS suggested. That said, citric cleaners do make sense and probably would be better for removing residue since they're acidic and alcohol is not. I've used citrus based cleaners on racing bicycles for years and they do a fantastic job of removing residue while also being easy to clean up and not being too acidic (you don't want anythign that might start to eat away at the protective finish on composites). They're also non-toxic and don't stink - both pluses if you're indoors. 

I wonder if this is represents Mike Reagan's "alcohol is an acid" view that surfaced here last year.

I believe that Goo Gone is a citric cleaner (it has a citrus smell to it).  I've used it for years and it works great on track.

Actually he claimed it had hydroxyl ions or some such which he claimed made alcohol a base. I wouldn't recommend cleaning any track with either a base or acidic solution, just asking for trouble there.

 

Jerry

Don't get it near anything with paint! Unless you want to remove it. There are some very strong formulas out there. Paving companies use it to remove tar from their equipment.

Don

Don't confuse GOOF-OFF with GOO GONE.  GOOF-OFF is as strong as acetone.

Got to be the funniest thing I've read on OGR this year, "alcohol is an acid",

I suppose if you're on acid, it might seem it is . . . 

No, just a PhD research chemist,

Martin, what do you use to clean track?

 

I use a piece of one of those "plastic" looking scouring pads used on pots and pans, no liquid unless I have a spot that will not get clean, then I use just a bit of Goo-Gone.

 

When I was working in electronics at NNSY, we used grain alcohol (doled out to us in small quantities as some folks seemed to like it in their drinks at lunch ).

 

Sperry Univac reps told us isopropyl alcohol does leave a film on things like tape reader heads which then have to be cleaned with a soft dry cloth.  I think we finally started using distilled water applied with a sponge-tipped applicator, then wiped with another clean applicator to make sure the water was removed.  Of course the residue on tape heads isn't quite the same as the residue on our track.

Some may find this interesting: 

The "little white cleaning pads" are made from melamine and upon close view, are tiny

blades in row after row. This product is manufactured in only one country..Germany.

 

Yes, they are excellent cleaners and when coupled with goo gone, clean the bejesus 

out of everything. Moderation is the key word here though.

Generally pure 100% ethanol and/or isopropanol.  Rail cleaning car with pads to wipe it down, mild abrasive like the coarse side of masonite, magnetic pad (you'll be surprised how much magnetic rubbish you pick up..), another pass with the pads with solvent.  Maybe a bright boy on trouble spots if things have been idle for a long time.  Generally I don't have too many problems on conductivity on my track - it's nickel-silver and it's rather a dry basement.

Pausing here to giggle some more over alcohol being acidic,

 

Not sure why a film would be left behind from isopropanol unless it's not 100% pure.  I'm leery of using stuff that I don't know what the other % really is in the bottle.  Used to use 100% ethanol or isopropanol for cleaning tape heads myself back when I had reel-to-reels. 

 

MWB, over the years I've become very leery of reps of any sort telling me things, most times they are just repeating something they've been told for whatever reason and if it's true or not becomes canon. I've never seen any film from 100% alcohol regardless of the type, ethanol, isopropyl or methanol and we use all 3 here at work to clean equipment and lenses.

 

Jerry

Totally agree.  100% pure should not leave any film from the alcohol itself.  Maybe folks are seeing residual dirt/crud as a film?

 

And, I don't know what that other 9% really is in 91% isopropanol that others use.  Supposedly it's water, but.......