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I'm experienced (read that as old).

You all probably are well aware of cleaning with solvents in well ventilated room and to wash your hands after using solvents.

However, many of you probably don't realize that each exposure to solvents has the potential to make you allergic to that solvent, to actually affect your imune system.

This is especially true for skin contact.

When I was young, back in the good old days of surplus rifles for $ 20 and before laytex paint, we'd clean cosmoline off guns with gasoline and oil base paint off our hands with turpentine or worse benzine.

Over the years I've developed a sensitivity to all solvents incluing gun cleaning solvents. Even minor exposure to solvents on my skin drys out my hands and leads to skin peeling that can last for several days.

What do I do? I wear those disposable gloves you can pick up in a hundred pack at Home Depot and Lowes. Strip down the gun bare handed, put the gloves on for cleaning and drying, go back to bare hands for lube and reassembly. Cheap insurance that I highly recommend.

Good advice. I just finished thoroughly cleaning one of my weapons after some time at the range this morning. I did not use gloves and can still smell the solvent on my hands after several washes.
I'll make sure I have some of those disposable gloves handy next time. Thanks.

This is great advise, I use these gloves for cleaning and I also buy the cheap shop towels for general use. The wife for some reason does not like me using the good towels to clean the toys off. Go figure.

I would only suggest trying a glove made of Nitrile. Many solvents will soak through latex and lock it in against your skin to marinate

Jason

i've been thinking about using gloves... I think you just made my mind up for me.

I use this. No worries about toxicity, smells or skin irritation and it works well.

http://www.mil-comm.com/index.php?page= ... &Itemid=65

MC25® Firearm Cleaner Degreaser is Mil-Comm Products’ environmentally safe, water based, pH balanced, non-toxic formula that emulsifies organic substances on contact including gun lubricants, powder residue and other debris. This non-toxic cleaner properly prepares all kinds of firearms for application of one of Mil-Comm Products’ extreme performance lubricants. MC25® is proudly MADE IN THE U.S.A.

Follow up with TW25B grease on slide rails and a light coat of Mc2500 oil for barrel and external surfaces-wipe off excess.

Forgot to add link to Mil-Comm FAQs. http://www.mil-comm.com/index.php?optio ... &Itemid=43

Roshi wrote:Even minor exposure to solvents on my skin drys out my hands and leads to skin peeling that can last for several days.

Same here, although I didn't suspect it was because of gun cleaning solvents. You have solved a mystery for me! It's latex gloves for me from now on - thank you!

Mediguard Nitrile Exam Gloves, 1000 count, for $58.74 from Sam's Club. That's about 12 cents per pair.

http://tinyurl.com/5teooa

Here's another "Gun Cleaning Health Safety Tip":

don't try and clean a loaded gun with your finger on the trigger. apparently this causes a whole lot of "gun cleaning" accidents.

Also, make sure you wash your hands with COLD water.

If you use warm water, the pores in your skin open up and let more of the poison in.

It's also a good idea to wash up with COLD water after shooting to get all the residue off without rubing that stuff into your pores and then into your bloodstream.

Good idea on the gloves though. I usually only use gloves when I'm spraying brake cleaner, excuseme me, Gun Scrubber. Perhaps I'll use gloves for all.

In my experience, nitrile tends to break/tear easily after extended exposure to Hoppe's #9. Also, I suspect nitrile does not really protect well from direct contact with Gun Scrubber; I can feel something leaching through the nitrile. Spraying a patch with Gun Scrubber and applying it to the surface via the patch avoids this effect.

+1 on ventilation when cleaning guns; some of these solvents can be overwhelming without it.

yerasimos wrote:
+1 on ventilation when cleaning guns; some of these solvents can be overwhelming without it.

The fumes are the only reason I clean my guns. It clears my head of that flowery potpouri flower pedals and pine cone stuff in the bowls around the house.

Stuff gives me a headache.

Does anyone make a Hoppe's #9 scented beeswax candle?

jaf wrote:The wife for some reason does not like me using the good towels to clean the toys off.

Especially those ones with the monogram initials hanging in the "powder" room. Soap that is not for washing. Towels that are not for drying.

Well. I have guns that are not for shooting. At least not very often. And not for anyone else to shoot. Just me.

Anygunanywhere

A couple safety tips.

Gun cleaners and solvents have Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) available from the manufacturer. Here's one for Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber. Section 8 shows that fluoroelastomer (e.g. Viton®) or polyvinylalcohol gloves are best for exposure control.
http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/sport/msd ... 5-GSA9.pdf

This website lists glove material compatibility for various chemicals.
http://www.ehs.ufl.edu/Lab/CHP/gloves.htm

MSDS sheets are available for all industrial chemicals as well as household cleaning products.

Don't forget to wear safety glasses while cleaning your guns. You wouldn't want to get any of these solvents, a spring or a guide rod in your eyeball!