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Tried using old motor oil to clean my trowel and it turned into a disaster
Last month I was out of proper trowel cleaner halfway through a job in Des Moines. Figured I'd save a trip to the supply house and used some used motor oil I had in my truck to wipe down my trowel between batches. Big mistake. That oil mixed with the mortar and created this sticky, greasy mess that took forever to scrub off. Plus my bricks kept slipping because the residue was slick. Had to stop work early and spend an extra 45 minutes at the end of the day scrubbing everything with degreaser. What do you guys use when you run out of cleaner on site?
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jenny4716d ago
Oh wow, you really went through it with that motor oil. I've been there too, thinking I could get away with using whatever was lying around. My go-to when I'm stuck on site without proper cleaner is just plain dish soap and water. It cuts through the mortar grease without leaving that slick film motor oil creates. Also, a stiff nylon brush works way better than a rag for scrubbing it off before it dries.
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the_lee16d ago
Yeah, @jenny47, you're totally right about that slick film. I tried motor oil once when I was out of everything (big mistake). What worked for me was actually WD-40. Spray it on the dirty tools or hands, let it sit for a minute, then wipe with an old rag. It breaks down the sticky grease way better than soap and doesn't leave that oily residue that motor oil does. I found a stiff brush helps too, but I usually hit it with the WD-40 first to loosen everything up.
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