Using homemade products

Calendyr

Calendyr

New member
Joined
Jun 9, 2013
Messages
3,996
Reaction score
0
I am wondering, do any of you guys use homemade products for work in cars?

For exemple, for home cleaning I use a lot of products I mix myself that include mostly:
Dishsoap
Vinegar
Sodium Bicarbonate
Hydrogen Peroxide
Essential oils
Distilled Water or regular water

So for cars do any of you use things like :

Vinegar to get rid of strong odors on carpets or fabric seats?
Hydrogen Peroxide/Dishsoap mix to remove stains?
Sodium Bicarbonate before vacuuming to remove mild odors?
Other combinations or uses?
 
Chances are that if it works in/around the house it will work just as well for autos. Just always do a test spot.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using AG Online
 
Just be careful. On your own vehicle, try away but never do it on anyone elses. When it comes to blending, you are taking your life into your hands. Mixing chemicals is the number one thing you should not do if you don't understand the chemistry. The DIY world is littered with people who have got it wrong and ended up with a facefull of toxic gas.

FYI, I have a lab with many hundreds of solvents, acids, bases, surfactants and specialities. In spite of this, I don't use misc. brews for routine jobs. Assuming you actually select the right formulated product for the job, DIY solutions are rarely anywhere near as effective. If they are, then the formulated product you are using is probably not as good as it should be.
 
PiPUK said:
Just be careful. On your own vehicle, try away but never do it on anyone elses. When it comes to blending, you are taking your life into your hands. Mixing chemicals is the number one thing you should not do if you don't understand the chemistry. The DIY world is littered with people who have got it wrong and ended up with a facefull of toxic gas.

FYI, I have a lab with many hundreds of solvents, acids, bases, surfactants and specialities. In spite of this, I don't use misc. brews for routine jobs. Assuming you actually select the right formulated product for the job, DIY solutions are rarely anywhere near as effective. If they are, then the formulated product you are using is probably not as good as it should be.
Click to expand...

The basic ingredients for the homemade cleaning products I make are harmless when mixed. The worst you can get is mixing vinegar and sodium bicarbonate and getting a lot of bubbles ;)

I don't touch dangerous chemicals like benzine or amonia or any of that stuff. It's all vinegar, mild soaps, essential oils, alchohol. None of these mixed together will create dangerous fumes or liquids.

As for effectiveness, you might be right. I do not know since I never used them in a car. But if I compare them to home use products, they are not only as effective but sometimes much more effective than the chemicals you can buy. I can remember several instances where Fantastic or other harsh chemicals could not clean something, but a homemade product made quick work of it. Plus they are not bad for your health like chemicals.

But thanks for the warning. I already know about some combinations of products that are Deadly. I don't use any of those ingrediants so there is no risk.
 
There are quite a few books that show 'homemade products.' Take a look at your local library and see what's there.

Just be damn careful, it is really, and mean REALLY easy to combine something that is very benign and end up with something that is not.

I'm not trying bust your chops, just trying let ya know, maybe what you're looking at has already been done. Plus, don't want to see you getting 'hurt.'

Bill
 
I use 4 or 5 combinations that work for everything. They are safe. I am sure you could find a way to combine things that are harmful but I don't experiment.
 
I use hair conditioner that contains Lanolin when drying my car.
Here is what I've been doing for a few years , after I do my final rinse after washing I spray the hair conditioner, 4 oz of product with a full spray bottle of water onto my paint then start drying , it really helps as a lube to help avoid swirls.
Sometimes if my car is just dusty I spray the paint very well, one panel at a time then gently wipe it with a soft MF towel, I go through about six towels and a bucket full of water to rinse my towels.
After I wipe it down I come behind with my waffle weeve drying towel.
Works for me and no swirls.
My Griot's Soeed Shine works best though:)

The Lanolin is what makes it shine and repel water.

I can make a couple of gallons for about $4.00
My wife caught on to what I was doing being everytime she reached for her HC it was GONE:)
 
Hum... why not use spray wax? Is it a matter of price or are there other factors you prefer with the conditionner?
 
No, doesn't have anything to do with price, I have a few bottles of DS, spray wax which I love but I love the way it works I guess.
I can really soak it down before drying for penny's.
It will never replace my detail sprays or wax, it's just something that's sort of cool to me as to how well it works:)



Calendyr said:
Hum... why not use spray wax? Is it a matter of price or are there other factors you prefer with the conditionner?
Click to expand...
 
Just trying to understand the advantages. I don't consider wax to be a chemical. Maybe I am wrong but wax is a natural product. The advantage of homemade products is that it limits exposure to dangerous chemicals like that found in APCs for exemple.

I will have to give this thing a try and see if I like it. When you say 4 onces per full spray bottle, are you using 16, 22 or 32 onces bottles?
 
Carnauba wax for auto is not 100% wax. Pure carnauba is a solid in room temperature. It is mixed in with other chemicals to make it applicable.
Sealants are made man in a laboratory.
 
Calendyr said:
I don't consider wax to be a chemical. Maybe I am wrong but wax is a natural product.
Click to expand...
In order for a natural-wax to become a usable-auto-wax...
I thought that Chemists/Formulators used chemicals. :dunno:

But being that I'm somewhat inclined to be a tree-hugger...I hope I'm wrong.


BTW (just one example from some "house-hold/homemade"-products you've listed):
-I wouldn't mix vinegar and hydrogen peroxide solutions.
It creates an industrial-grade disinfectant that is quite unstable, and must be handled very cautiously.
You do NOT want to mess around with it on a casual basis!

-I remember as kids we used to mix these two "house-hold" products in discarded blue-print-fluid tubes (or similar cartridges);
put their caps back on; shake-'em-up energetically; and then throw 'em up in the air...
Abra-Cadabra...Prest-O-Change-O: Instant "Chemical"-Fireworks-Fun.

Of course, as kids will do: We realized that throwing them at each other was a lot more fun. :D


Whoops, never mind...I had a Senior-Moment.
That was vinegar and baking soda...not vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.
Sorry about that.


:)

Bob
 
-I have a dog that's afflicted with a severe case of coprophagia that
has him devouring all the cat poop in the neighborhood.

Ever hear that leather needs to be: "Fed/Nourished"?
Well...My pooch's copious amount of dog-poop is now, according to the Vet, chock-full of proteins.
Perhaps these proteins will perform these feeding/nourishing duties/doodies(?) beyond your wildest dreams.

Accordingly...Hey Cat!! This may be right up your alley.
Send me your mailing address (via PM) if interested...and I'll send you all you can 'handle'.


Just do me a favor...
Keep your crappy hands and products away from my vehicles!!

:D

Bob
 
Use a 16oz bottle.
Let me know:)


Calendyr said:
Just trying to understand the advantages. I don't consider wax to be a chemical. Maybe I am wrong but wax is a natural product. The advantage of homemade products is that it limits exposure to dangerous chemicals like that found in APCs for exemple.

I will have to give this thing a try and see if I like it. When you say 4 onces per full spray bottle, are you using 16, 22 or 32 onces bottles?
Click to expand...
 
I have the same opinion regarding it,I feel that these products are way better then what we take from the market we are never sure about the way they are made and the stuff which is been used in it so yeah its better to take something else like homemade.
 
Chirem said:
I have the same opinion regarding it,I feel that these products are way better then what we take from the market we are never sure about the way they are made and the stuff which is been used in it so yeah its better to take something else like homemade.
Click to expand...

Wonderful, if you are a chemist. Agreed, there are now a lot of people selling chemicals who know little more than the general public but the solution does not lie on the path of adding your own lack of knowledge to the pool.
 
Chirem said:
I have the same opinion regarding it,I feel that these products are way better then what we take from the market we are never sure about the way they are made and the stuff which is been used in it so yeah its better to take something else like homemade.
Click to expand...

Exactly buddy.
 
HateSwirls said:
Use a 16oz bottle.
Let me know:)
Click to expand...


My wife makes her own fabric softener. It's some cheap-o hair conditioner that she gets from Target. I thought she liked the smell/cost, but it may have to do with the chemical in it. IDK. She mixes that, Vinegar, and essential oils to cover the vinegar smell.

Since some use Vinegar in the extra rinse on washing their MF towels, I wonder if this would harm/help the MF's. I don't use it at all, Just thinking out loud
 
cshamilton said:
Since some use Vinegar in the extra rinse on washing their MF towels, I wonder if this would harm/help the MF's. I don't use it at all, Just thinking out loud
Click to expand...

No. This is why homebrewing isn't a good idea. You might think the vinegar is good but the conditioner will almost certainly be quat based. Without knowing the chemistry, it should be clear to all that it will be designed to be substantive to hair. Likewise it will be substantive to fabrics - in other words it is designed to leave something behind. It is that same sort of something which causes cloths to generally become water resistant and otherwise ineffective for water absorption.

In the UK we have people who homebrew and add things like APC to their snowfoam (or similar). Best case, they end up with a product they could have bought elsewhere for less money, worst case they end up with something which had (unseen to them) reacted and ended up with half the ingredients inactivated.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top