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What non-toxic solvents are you guys using I've used Ed's Red for years. If there's a non-toxic solvent that doesn't stink up the house, I can clean guns in my reloading room instead of the garage.

Chas.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:What non-toxic solvents are you guys using I've used Ed's Red for years. If there's a non-toxic solvent that doesn't stink up the house, I can clean guns in my reloading room instead of the garage.

Chas.

Charles, I use Froglube: http://froglube.com/ non-toxic, bio based solvent. It doesn't stink up the house and has performed well for me.

I have been using M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner. It's non-toxic, environmentally safe, does a really good job at removing carbon and it does not stink.

http://www.mpro7.com/m-pro7-gun-cleaner.html

Edited to add that the M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner has no odor. Here is an explanation as to why http://www.mpro7.com/if-it-doesnt-smell ... -work.html

No

Why yes. Yes I do.

I do. I like the vinyl gloves from Harbor Freight. Similar to the gloves you see worn in food services. After a while, the finger tips get stiff from the Hoppes but unless I snag them on something sharp, they don't cut or break like the med type gloves, in my experience.

rtschl wrote:

Charles L. Cotton wrote:What non-toxic solvents are you guys using I've used Ed's Red for years. If there's a non-toxic solvent that doesn't stink up the house, I can clean guns in my reloading room instead of the garage.

Chas.

Charles, I use Froglube: http://froglube.com/ non-toxic, bio based solvent. It doesn't stink up the house and has performed well for me.

Same here

Charles L. Cotton wrote:What non-toxic solvents are you guys using I've used Ed's Red for years. If there's a non-toxic solvent that doesn't stink up the house, I can clean guns in my reloading room instead of the garage.

+1 for the M-Pro 7. Got a sample pack of their line to try out, the cleaner, cleaner/lube, and copper remover. No stink, no cancer agents. Did a good job and I might switch to it depending on price point.

Lucas Oil's Extreme Duty gun cleaning line is wife and hand friendly. Sig Sauer likes them (and/or has a deal with them). Been using their products for the last year plus.

Good ol' Ballistol is non-toxic, but has an obvious odor.

Those are the only ones I have direct experience with....well other than Frog Lube - meh.

Caveat: I rarely wear gloves but have on occasion, usually for the clean finger nail reason others have mentioned.
Caveat: I also ask this as I realize it is probably silly not to wear gloves and I am considering stopping at Harbor Freight on the way home.

While non-toxic cleaners are a good thing, if a person were doing that to not have to wear gloves, wouldn't the toxins being cleaned off of the firearm be reason to wear gloves?

Harbor freight seems to be the best price for the nitrile gloves at $7.99 for 100. Think I paid $9.99 at Wal Mart.

I use Hoppe's Elite gun cleaner, CLP, and oil when cleaning my pistols. After cleaning my pistols 2 weeks ago, my excema on the sides of my hands near the small finger joints flared up, leaving itchy cracks on my hands. For those of you who live with this issue, you know sometimes it takes days for it to get better. I use a prescription ointment to treat my itchy spots when my hands dry out. I definitely think gun solvents caused that flare-up, so I will wear some of my blue Nitrile gloves I bought at Sam's for dirty jobs every time I clean my pistols. Great idea! Thanks, guys, for bringing this issue to my attention.

I use nitrile gloves when working with epoxy for building hobby rockets. Over exposure to epoxy can cause an allergy type reaction.

I use those same gloves when cleaning my pistol, primarily to make washing my hands easier.

I cannot count the number of weapons I cleaned during 34 years in uniform: M16, M60, M2, M203, M109, Pershing missile, etc. We cleaned the ends of Pershing missile cables with carbon tetrachloride, without gloves. Only warning was for adequate ventilation. We also checked regularly for tritium leaks. I don't need a night light. No thoughts of exposure issues. I've grown more cautious with age.

Reading all of this, I'm starting to wonder what I'm doing wrong. I use a boresnakes for the bore and a micro fiber cloth for the rest. I use Hoppes #9 to clean. maybe a smear of TW25 Gun Grease for slide rails that I got free at the NRA Convention and any light oil for the rest of the lube (Hoppes or 3 in 1). Oil is oil. I did some work as a mechanic in my younger days and never had a little bit of auto fluids hurt anything that soap and water didn't fix at the end of the day.

The thing is I just dampen a corner the microfiber cloth or the front end of the bore snake with #9 and everything comes out spiffy clean. I am not getting me or my hands soaked. I clean my guns normally outside on my back porch and the odor of the fumes is barely noticeable but pleasant. Maybe it's the cigar I normally smoke when cleaning has something to do with it? At any rate, I don't see anything particularly toxic about Hoppes, and Ed's Red typically has lanolin so it's gentle on the hands.

BTW: does anyone know If ED's Red can be purchased in a reasonable quantity?
Are these CLP products as good as the individual Cleaners Oils and Greases and Protective Silicone cloths?
Does it replace all three products?

I still use Hoppe's #9 solvent for cleaning the barrel and sometimes to wipe down other parts of the gun. I will have to look at it and see if gloves are warranted. I never thought about it. I need to check out the frog lube cleaner too.

I use mostly Slip 2000 EWL as my oil these days. The 30 weight stuff works well. I am not a fan of grease outside of the M1 Garand and M14.

DanD wrote:I have been using M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner. It's non-toxic, environmentally safe, does a really good job at removing carbon and it does not stink.

http://www.mpro7.com/m-pro7-gun-cleaner.html

Edited to add that the M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner has no odor. Here is an explanation as to why http://www.mpro7.com/if-it-doesnt-smell ... -work.html

I've tested numerous solvents and M Pro 7 is one of the best for cleaning out of the dozen or so I tested. Granted it was no scientific test but just my own experiment. I did not care for Froglube or Ballistil. I still mainly use 50/50 Hopes and Kroil. No I don't use gloves, I have spent the majority of my life in chemical plants so cleaning solvents won't do any more harm than my daily work routine. I use the solvent as cologne anyway so I don't mind the smell.