Track cleaning method that I never heard of before

Not me.  I'm not sure what the Peroxide adds to the chore.

.....

Dennis

although alcohol cleans track well, the mixture of electricity and a flammable liquid scares me. as Marty F suggested a non flammable tuner cleaner works the best, with no danger of fire.

I don't know why its necessary to keep "reinventing the wheel" on this track cleaning subject.

There are WELL KNOWN "PROVEN" methods that have worked for decades, that will get track as clean as new.

Jerry

RickO,

Could you give more detail on the 'proven' methods?  I've tried various methods suggested here on the forum and it seems that some work and some do not.  If you have a fool proof method, I'm sure everyone here would want to hear it.

Its been covered if you search: Track Cleaning

I'm  not asking for any advice - I have my own preferred method.

For the cynical repliers, all that I am asking is "have you ever heard of cleaning track this way?".  I'm NOT trying to re-invent anything so why say that?

- walt

OK,,,,,to answer your question directly,,,,,,,NO!

Not even when I was modeling HO, from the mid 1950s up through 1990 and not since I've been into 3-Rail SCALE.

Hi Walt,

I have never heard of this, but would caution anyone from mixing amoniated products or other solvents with peroxide.  I don't know about alcohol, but it would not be good to experiment with others.  A noxious gas could result in serious respitory problems, but I let the Doc's or Chemical/Bio Weapons and a HAZMAT subject matter experts on the forum explain it far better than I can.

Rich

isn't that what's in Simple Green?

All kidding a side. There is no reason do to this. The Hydrogen Peroxide will oxidize your track while it cleans off bacterial items... great for medical use... train use?

Isopropyl Alcohol is great for gently removing metals oxidation layer that will promote electric current.

Mixing the two together is fine for external uses... just don't drink it please.

No, Walt, I can't say that I ever heard of this, but in our house we use a 50-50 mix of club soda and hydrogen peroxide for general cleaning.  Works great on pet accidents on carpet.

I've never heard of using any peroxide mixture to clean any metal.

I would rather use alcohol and a soft rag for track cleaning.

For carpet cleaning I use alcohol and a paper towel for spots like hairballs from my cat.

Lee Fritz

If I have a stubborn area, which is usually the hidden tunnel track with a switch in it and out of reach to all known humans... I will use silver polish. You can buy it in a paste, apply it to a cloth and your "Good to Go".

Keeps the track clean for a long time.

Please don't tell the Mrs. I took hers.

Since this is in my area of expertize.(CBRN/HAZMAT subject matter expert).  I guess only docs and back room lawyers can only provide expertise.  

FYI 

Isopropyl Alcohol and hydrogen peroxide not a good mix.  See attached Material Data Safety Sheets.

Isopropyl Alcohol

Special Remarks on Explosion Hazards:

Secondary alcohols are readily autooxidized in contact with oxygen or air, forming ketones and hydrogen peroxide. It can become potentially explosive. It reacts with oxygen to form dangerously unstable peroxides which can concentrate and explode during distillation or evaporation. The presence of 2-butanone increases the reaction rate for peroxide formation.

Explosive in the form of vapor when exposed to heat or flame. May form explosive mixtures with air. Isopropyl alcohol + phosgene forms isopropyl chloroformate and hydrogen chloride. In the presence of iron salts, thermal decompositon can occur, whicn in some cases can become explosive. A homogeneous mixture of concentrated peroxides + isopropyl alcohol are capable of detonation by shock or heat. Barium perchlorate + isopropyl alcohol gives the highly explosive alkyl perchlorates.

Hydrogen Peroxide 3 % Liquid, Antiseptic

Fire / Explosion Hazards:

Fine particles (such as dust and mists) may fuel fires/explosions.

Sounds like a rocket fuel mixture to me, alcohol to burn and hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizer to allow the alcohol to burn in space!!!

I don't think I want to try it. Cleaning O gauge track should not be rocket science! LOL 

Denatured alcohol.

Hey fellas, don't forget, we are all getting old.

Alzimers may be setting in.

haven't you been around someone that repeats themselves??

haven't you been around someone that repeats themselves??

haven't you been around someone that repeats themselves??

haven't you been around someone that repeats themselves??

haven't you been around someone that repeats themselves??

Thanks for the WAY more reasonable and helpful replies!  I only see this guy occasionally at the gym and am looking forward to talking about this with him again.

He has a permanent layout and says his track is not rusted.  But he's no chemist so he is certainly unawares of any dangers.  BUT.... since he's been doing it for so long I don't think he has any concerns anymore.

When I see him I will re-ask what he does with the 2 products.

maybe others will chime in.  who knows, maybe someone has used this technique.

thanks - walt

I'm not sure we need our track to be sterile, but maybe so.   Back in the 50s, girls used to use peroxide to bleach their hair blond.  I use it to clean my ears.  Makes 'em squeaky clean.

.....

Dennis

I am still using WD-40 sprayed on a paper towel to clean my Fastrack.

Same rule applies if he is using Denatured alcohol They don't play togather well and is highly flammable Bottom line as long as he is not mixing with the hydrogen Peroxide there is not a risk of things going boom.. I guess if it works for him, Ok.  Personally, I use electrical contact cleaner.

Denatured alcohol. Composition/Information on Ingredients

Hazardous Components (Chemical Name) CAS #    Concentration

1 Ethyl alcohol {Ethanol}               64-17-5    40.0 -50.0 %2.

2.Methanol {Methyl alcohol; Carbinol;    67-56-1    50.0- 55%

Wood alcohol} 

3.Methyl isobutyl ketone {Hexone; Isopropylacetone; MIBK;

   4-Methyl-2-pentanone}          108-10-1    1.0 -4.0 %

4. Acetic acid, ethyl ester {Ethyl acetate} 141-78-6 0.5 -1.5 %

5. Heptane          142-82-5 0.5 -1.5 %

Same here...works very well.

I use only denatured alcohol on the track, although I keep a little of the good-natured stuff in the train-room refrigerator to help me keep my insides clean.

I'll drink to that idea ......

     Hoppy

Well for what it is worth, I use those rectangular green scrubbies the wife uses to clean her fry pan. I use the coarse type and it really cleans the track nicely.  After I use the scrubby, I then take my track cleaning car, (the one in the OGR Magazine), and use Track cleaning fluid on the front pad and the rear pad is dry.  Once done my track is clean as a whistle.  Please excuse the pun.  

All these postings have proven...over the years...that the best track cleaning method is the one "you" think works and makes you the most satisfied with the result.

Just like every other thread on this forum...there are many opinions and each of us thinks he or she is correct.

I saw a video the other day that a guy used atf a.k.a. auto trans fluid. He said he used it about ever 3 months and had been doing so for many years and it worked great.

I think many of you guys make this problem way too hard.  First, there are two types of things you want to remove from your track.  One is oil and grease.  The other is corrosion.  Alcohol will not remove corrosion, but it will remove oil and grease.  I use about 3 folded paper towels attached to a car like a gondola and towed behind a loco like a 2353 to remove grease.  It takes a little while, but I am running the train to do this.  

To remove corrosion, I put the train on the track and run it.  After a few joyful hours of running the train, the track has a bright, shiny, very narrow stripe on the very top of the rails.  Why would I want to clean all the corrosion off of the rails?  The real trains have corroded rails which have a shiny stripe on top.  This cleaning process has worked well for me for the last several years.  No longer am I trying to clean rusty track with a wire wheel.  A lot of my track is old and somewhat corroded.  I have 125 pieces of 072 that is about 80 years old, and surprise, surprise, it is not shiny.  It is corroded, but still works well.

Good advice, I whole heartedly agree. We often run current (not voltage) carrying capabilities of all kinds of track, from like new to Korean era, tarnished, stained etc. We are often surprised by how well some rather nasty looking track actually preforms.

I question the wisdom of using peroxide.  Peroxide is an oxidizer and I am sure it will tend to corrode the track.  Also, I don't know what it would remove.

One thing that is missing from this discussion is how to clean out the open ends of the rails, and how to make a low resistance connection between the rails and the pins.  I restored 105 sections of 072 track recently, and I got the pin to rail resistance down to 0.007 ohms.  This means I can make a large layout with only one feed from the transformer.  I am going to post how I did this soon.

I've worked with HAZMAT enough that this stuff has a place in my home, NO PLACE. I'm not wanting to sound rude in anyway to those who use it. I assume it works for you. But why use something so hazardous in your home? The OP's alcohol H2O2 is bad enough.

Way to go Walt. You stirred the pot, creating enough of a vortex that some folks had to think a little. Gotta Love It!!!

 Happy Pappy,  you would be surprised at what you would find in peoples basements garages and storage lockers.  There are proper uses for it. The only thing I many moons ago when model railroading was new. I am sure track became dirty fast and due most cleaners in the early 20th century were corrosive. Like any urban legend some one used rubbing alcohol to clean their track and its something that has grown over the years.. There are a lot of things that have been produced and not used for their intended uses to include the use of Denatured alcohol. Both hydrogen Peroxide and Denatured Alcohol are used as a cleaner/sanitizer for wounds and for killing germs. Both are  effective for decontamination of biological agents along with HTH(Which is commonly used to sanitize cooking utensils, dishes and silverware in restaurants) Personally I use CRC Electrical component cleaner which dose contain ethanol in its mixture, but is a lot safer use and store then Denatured Alcohol. Below are the top 10 uses for Denatured Alcohol  

Denatured Alcohol is one of the most widely used solvents and is particularly good at cleaning hard surfaces such as worktops, floors, kitchen appliances, CD’s, tiles and mirrors. Denatured Alcohol is a specifically manufactured substance which consists of Ethanol (the alcohol part of alcoholic drinks) modified by the addition of other substances to make it poisonous and undrinkable. The most common additive is 10% Methanol which gives rise to another of its names, Methylated Spirits . In some countries it is dyed blue or purple as a warning. Other synonyms are Rubbing Alcohol or Grain Alcohol. DENATURED ALCOHOL IS NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.

Listed below are the Top 10 Uses of Denatured Alcohol:-

1. Window Cleaning

 A solution of Denatured Alcohol is particularly effective at cleaning windows. Firstly prepare a mixture of 50% warm Distilled Water and 50% Denatured Alcohol in a spray bottle and gently shake to mix. Then spray the solution directly onto a dirty window and wipe off the excess grime with a piece of crumpled newspaper. Finally use a clean, dry cloth to polish the glass. Voila! A sparkling clean window with no smears or smudges. This old-fashioned remedy can be more effective than many proprietary window-cleaning products.

2. Jam Making( testing)

It can be used to test pectin levels in jam and jelly making. Pectin must be present in order for a jam or jelly to set. One teaspoon of cooked, cooled fruit juice should be added to three teaspoons of Denatured Alcohol. The mixture should be place in a container and gently shaken to mix. If the fruit juice contains sufficient pectin it will form a thick substance which can be lifted with a fork. This is the ideal consistency for a jam or jelly. If there is insufficient pectin it will form small particles of jelly within the liquid. More pectin will need to be added to the fruit juice mixture and the substance retested.

3. Model Steam Locomotives

Antique and classic model steam trains use Denatured Alcohol as a fuel. This is one of the oldest methods of producing steam in small locomotive mechanisms and can be found in models of all guages. This method of producing live steam is most popular in the United Kingdom and former Commonwealth countries where the tradition goes back as far as the late 1800’s.

4. Camping and Primus Stoves

 It is used by campers, boat enthusiasts, caravanners and back-packers as a fuel in camping and Primus stoves. It is light, easy to transport and can be extinguished with water.

5. Shellac Nail Polish

It is used in the manufacture of the new super nail-polish Shellac, a long-lasting material which resist chipping, smudging and accidental damage. Shellac produces a mirror-like finish which can last for weeks. Layers of base coat, colour and top coat are ‘set’ onto the nail by means of UV heat treatment.

6. Ink Stain Removal

It can be used to treat ink stains on a wide range of textiles such as curtains, clothes and upholstery. Always test a smalll area first. Put a little Denatured Alcohol on a cotton wool pad and gently rub over the area of the stain. The ink should start to lift after a few minutes. Then take a clean, damp cloth and blot over the area to remove any residual traces.

7. Medical and Pharmaceutical Uses

It is used in the medical profession to cleanse and disinfect skin prior to surgery. This is why it is sometimes referred to as Rubbing Alcohol. It can also used to treat coldsores. It is used in the manufacture of numerous pharmaceutical preparations, for both oral and topical application.

8. Pest Control

 Denatured Alcohol is used in a range of pest control measures. For example, in horticulture, it is used as a means of eradicating mealybug. When a plant is infected with this parasite, it appears as though it has little flecks of cotton wool on the leaves. Mealybug is particularly fond of succulent plants as they attach themselves to each leaf and drink its juice. If possible, first take the infected plant outside and spray with water. Then take a swab of Denatured Alcohol and rub over the infected area of the plant. Allow to dry naturally. Red spider mite is another parasite which may be eradicated by the use of a Denatured Alcohol solution. You can tell if a plant has red spider mite fixation if the leaves start to turn red, wither and drop or if you notice small spider webs on the underside of the leaves. Make a spray-bottle solution of 5 parts water to one part Denatured Alcohol, then spray over the infected leaves only. Do not spray the entire plant as over-exposure to Denatured Alcohol may cause the plant to die. Again, allow to dry naturally. These old-fashioned pest control remedies for plants are extremely effective and inexpensive.

9. Woodwork

It is used in joinery, cabinet making and woodworking practices being more effective than water at controlling excess dust.

10. Paint Removal

It can be used to remove paint from pallette knives and brushes.

If you wish to buy Denatured Alcohol you should check first the credentials of any proposed Denatured Alcohol supplier. Look for ones with quality and environmental accreditations such as ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System and ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System.

The substance is highly flammable and should be stored away from naked flames, sparks or sources of ignition. Vapors' are harmful and accidental inhalation may cause dizziness, headache, loss of vision and convulsions. Always use in a well-ventilated area. Avoid contact with skin or eyes. Always wear eye protection, protective clothing and gloves. Denatured Alcohol is a de-fatting substance and will strip skin of moisture. It should never be ingested as this could result in blindness or even death.

There is always someone with a "new" way to clean track.  Anyone who wants to try something new and exciting can use Simple Green.  Based on experience, I can assure you that within eight to ten weeks of using it on a regular basis your track will be as good as new  . . . because it will be new since you will have had to replace it all because simple green's residue will have corroded you track until nothing is left.   

Lots of cleaners and methods, including simple Green, clean well.  The advantage of sticking to cleaning fluid from a known source (e.g., Lionel) or using iso-alcohol is that years - no, decades - of experience have shown that they do a good-enough cleaning job and have no side effects.  Many cleaners other than those two clean wel,l and in fact some clean better (nothing I've seen matches Simple Green in that department.  It is awesome) but they have, or might have, side effects that kick in in only 6 weeks (simple green) or who knows how long.  

Me?  Once bitten, twice shy.

That is an interesting report, Thanks. Strangely enough we have been looking for an aggressive chemical to remove some of the tough residue. In our case, located in Arizona, we have the ability to wash the tracks after a treatment like that, and with super low humidity, and leaving them in the sun, the tracks will dry before they can rust. What do you think?

Walt your friends use of Hydrogen peroxide scares me as it is an oxidizer which left on the track could corrode it over time. Alcohol use following use of the above may remove any harmful deposit, but I would want to play it safe and avoid the stuff if it were me.

My system has been to use alcohol and for stubborn stains I use a track cleaning eraser.

Rubbing/ isopropyl alchohol has been recommended for used in cleaning( metal) Audio cassette and VHS tape heads since they were invented.

It is also still recommended for DVD's CD's and video game discs. This is why I prefer it.

I avoid denatured alchohol because of the noxious fumes, isopropyl gets the track just as clean and the train room doesn't smell like an automotive body shop.

I have an entire quart of denatured alcohol for free for anyone who wants to pick it up.

Worst case scenario I go over the track with an abrasive block like the eraser in Lionels maintenance kit, or a "bright boy". Then I wipe it down with 91% isopropyl on a paper towel so theres no lint.

I actually prefer iso alcohol for cleaning.  I have a quart of denatured which is good for cutting the glaze on new plastic a bit - a very mild weathering, and for removing weathering powders and such.   

Iso cleans the track well, though, and is pretty cheap and stores well.