Cleaning guns with Simple Green?

Status
Not open for further replies.
stchman

stchman

Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
2,617
Location
Saint Louis, MO
I was reading in other forums and YouTube channels that there are some folks that clean their guns with Simple Green.

IMO Hoppe's #9 isn't that expensive (I recently bought a quart on ebay for $15 shipped) and does a really good job.

I don't subscribe to all the designer cleaners like Militec, M-Pro 7, Ballistol, etc., as IMO they aren't the miracle cleaners that they're made out to be.

Hoppe's #9, Remoil, and engine oil(Mobil 1) have done fine for me over the years.
 
I personally don't clean my guns with anything containing water. I know there are some arguments for this but, like you, I use the oldies but goldies. I have tried a lot of miracle cleaners only to come back to hoppes or even Ed's Red.
 
simple green requires water, none of my guns require water.
 
Some care should be exercised when using Simple Green on aluminum parts.

http://simplegreen.com/faqs/

When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green Industrial Cleaner & Degreaser, and Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.
Simple Green has also developed break-through water based cleaners that are safe for use on metals, plastics, rubber and high tech alloys. Extreme Simple Green Aircraft & Precision Cleaner, Pro Series Simple Green Automotive Cleaner, and Simple Green Pro HD are available on both the industrial and retail markets, respectively. These products were initially developed for the aircraft industry and extensive testing shows that they are safe and effective on a variety of metals and other sensitive surfaces even in the most extreme circumstances.

Simple Green Stainless Steel One Step Cleaner & Polish is another option for cleaning polished aluminum. This product is designed for light duty metal cleaning and polishing.​
 
JohnKSa said:
Some care should be exercised when using Simple Green on aluminum parts.

http://simplegreen.com/faqs/

When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green Industrial Cleaner & Degreaser, and Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.
Simple Green has also developed break-through water based cleaners that are safe for use on metals, plastics, rubber and high tech alloys. Extreme Simple Green Aircraft & Precision Cleaner, Pro Series Simple Green Automotive Cleaner, and Simple Green Pro HD are available on both the industrial and retail markets, respectively. These products were initially developed for the aircraft industry and extensive testing shows that they are safe and effective on a variety of metals and other sensitive surfaces even in the most extreme circumstances.

Simple Green Stainless Steel One Step Cleaner & Polish is another option for cleaning polished aluminum. This product is designed for light duty metal cleaning and polishing.​
Click to expand...
With all that being said, does Simple Green do a better job of cleaning guns than Hoppe's #9?

If no then there is no compelling reason to use it over Hoppe's #9 as it is cheap enough.
 
Try Hoppes Elite Cleaner or MPro7 Cleaner. From what I can determine they use a cleaner that is similar (perhaps even identical) to Simple Green. They are formulated especially for use on guns and therefore avoid the issues of using the Simple Green & water formulation. In my experience, both of them do a very good job and have the added benefits of having a very mild and inoffensive odor and of being non-toxic.
 
There is a video on youtube where a guy demonstrates what is the best gun cleaner to remove lead fouling and you can watch as hoppes#9 is easily the winner, some of the newer cleaners do nothing. Im sticking with hoppes#9
 
I have used it on more than one occasion to remove carbon fouling and oil from pretty much all of my guns. Normally I just use either brake cleaner or 99% isopropyl alcohol on the outside and hoppes on the bore but simple green works just as well on everything but the bore.
 
I pre-clean my AR15 bolt carrier group with Simple Green, as well as the AK47 gas piston. Just to help loosen carbon deposits up a bit that normally need scraped off.

(Technically they take a "bath" in the solution for a period of time, then compressed air to blow off, then normal cleaning)

Do the same on the forcing cone of the MG42 belt fed. Saves some elbow work. :)

I also clean 5.7x28mm brass with it (although you have to closely watch the dilution and time spent in the solution! it doesn't take long!)

I use #9 on most everything else... without that smell, it's just not a gun cleaning day!
 
I use a weak Simple Green solution to clean my black powder rifles, does a fine job. I had not heard of its use on smokeless powder arms, I generally use Hoppes No.9 or Shooter's Choice for those jobs.
 
IMO, the only reason to use Simple Green is to save money. From everything I have read/seen, Simple Green does not do a better job than gun specific cleaners except cost less.

As I said before I don't subscribe to the designer cleaners, but don't think one should not need to spend a fortune on cleaners and lube as well.
 
I wouldn't pay 15 bucks for a quart of Hoppes when a gallon of Ed's Red can be made for not much more money.
 
I have an ultra sonic cleaner, but use the Simple Green instead. On a revolver that I do not want to immerse, I use Hoppe's. The Simple Green is a pain, because I spray it down in a cake pan, scrub it with a toothbrush, then rinse it off, then dry it with a hot air gun, and then spray it down. I would not do all of this if it didn't work better than anything else I have tried.
 
When I was deployed with the USAF in the UAE in 2003, we were using Simple Green concentrate in our pressure washer to clean off our equipment. We had to do a LOT of cleaning in the desert. We had a 55 gal drum of the stuff. By the end of my deployment, the order had come down to stop using it because of corrosion issues. I don't know the details, I just followed orders like everybody else.

At home, I use Simple Green as a degreaser, which it excels at. I use it to clean cosmoline off of C&Rs when I get them, but never again after.

I like the fact that it is non-toxic, but I keep it away from my guns except to get grease off.
 
No water-based mystery cleaners on my guns. Especially Simple green, which has been known to damage aluminum.

I can make Ed's Red myself, and I know exactly what goes into it. Diesel fuel, auto tranny fluid, acetone, mineral spirits. Two lubricants, two solvents.

All ingredients are petroleum-based; none strip away lubricant, none will promote corrosion, none will damage the finish (or anything else).

Works well, dissolves carbon, loosens lead/copper (mechanically, not chemically).

Leave a coating on the firearm, works as a lubricant/protectant.

Special circumstances (e.g., black powder) call for special measures.

For smokeless powder and modern firearms? No. Plenty of petroleum based CLPs available that work too well.

Save the Simple Green for cleaning your barbecue, or for trying to clean the crankcases of the 40 year old motorcycle you are trying to restore. Yes, BTDT...

Or pour it down the sewer where it belongs.
 
Water isn't a big deal as long as you don't leave it on there. I usually wait until I have a few dirty guns and then I put them in the dish washer. It sounds silly but it gets them spotless. It also gets the inside parts that rarely ever get washed. Dish detergent is actually pretty harsh and does a darn good job on most buildup.

A few rules though: No wood stocks or optics and don't leave them in there after the wash. As soon as it's done take them out, dry them with an air compressor or hair dryer and then spray them down with oil. Make sure you get all the water off and spray oil on everything.
 
Hoppe's No. 9 is a bore cleaner, intended to dissolve copper, lead, nickel, and power fouling. Never, ever use it on a gun that is nickeled or has nickel plated parts! It will loosen or dissolve carbon residue if given enough time, but less expensive solvents will do as well or better. Last but not least it's not intended to be a long term preservative or lubricant.

For what it's designed to do it does well - especially if you let it soak overnight. Otherwise not so much.
 
ColtPythonElite said:
I wouldn't pay 15 bucks for a quart of Hoppes when a gallon of Ed's Red can be made for not much more money.
Click to expand...
I looked into making some homemade Ed's Red, but the materials ended up being almost as expensive when your time is factored in.

Transmission fluid - $4 a quart at Walmart
Kerosene - $18 a quart at Walmart
Mineral sprits - $8 a quart at Walmart
Acetone - $5 a quart at Walmart

The total is $35 for a gallon of homemade Ed's Red, that's $8.75 a quart.

There might be cheaper avenues to getting the chemicals. I probably have a quart of Dexron III in the garage. Where does one get the chemicals cheap?
 
eh the hi tec stuff kinda dissapoints.

Hoppes elit cleaner, soapy watery crap. ok on lead though. not much use on anything else.

Hoppes #9, well thats my friend. Its been keeping the guns of my family clean since ww1. enough said. true, may take more scrubbing action and more time, but i have NO PROBLEM with extra time cleaning a gun. just feels good.

hoppes elite copper colvent. use that. give it 20 minutes to soak in per application. it works.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

I
  • Locked
The best products to clean guns?
Replies
14
Views
1K
HoosierQ
HoosierQ
D
  • Locked
Hot water and soap OK for gun cleaning?
2
Replies
35
Views
14K
LT.Diver
L
G
  • Locked
Clean gun oil off optic
Replies
11
Views
885
Gun4Fun90
G
P
  • Locked
Simple Green for Gun Cleaning
2
Replies
33
Views
5K
ElrodCod
E
K
  • Locked
Ultrasonic gun cleaning
Replies
7
Views
943
rdtompki
R
Back
Top