# What do you use to clean your table saw blades?



## SC_Galoot

I desparately need to clean my ts blade. I'm looking for some old time "home remedies" which use ingredients that I might have lying around the house and didn't know about. I know I can go out and buy Rockler's Pitch and Resis Remover and have heard many positive recommendations for it. But, barring that or any of the other commercial products, what else could I use? Perhaps mineral spirits or maybe turpentine? What about rubbing alcohol? Would these hurt the blade or the carbide tips?

Thanks for your ideas.


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## TomFran

If you are close to a Woodcraft Supply, they sell a very good product for cleaning blades. I bought a gallon of it several years ago and still have some. Of course you could order it online if there isn't one nearby.


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## SC_Galoot

The closest Woodcraft to me is in Charleston - about 2 hours away. There is a WoodZone and Rockler outlet in town that I can easily buy cleaner at. However, I'm trying to avoid spending any money unless absolutely neccessary. I'm interested in ways of cleaning the blade using everyday household items. Any ideas would be welcome.


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## Fingersleft

Hi Galoot -

If you're looking for household cleaners, I've used Goop and a clean rag. Seems to take most of the tar and stuff off the blade, and I don't think there's anything in there that can hurt the blade or the tips.


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## Dekker

Mineral spirits or turpentine, depending on what is gooping your blade… I've had great results with both. It also works for router bits.


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## cassy

I have feard of people using oven cleaner,be sure your outside spray it on wait a couple of minutes,then with a scrubbing brush when all is clean just rinse it off with water and dry the blade. Hope this helps.


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## USCJeff

Just a heads up Dan, don't use a degreaser. Most all degreasers (oven cleaner for example) contain a chemical that can break down the bonding of the carbide teeth. Something about carbide teeth flying through my shop gives me the willies. I believe it was Marc Spag that suggested using "little green" cleaning solution. We have it on hand for our little spot carpet cleaner. Soak the blade, and then brush off the resin. It can be reused many times. I also have a couple store bought preventative products I purchased locally. Mann Tool has a 3-pack of Boeshield products for about $30. It contains a preventative spray, a rust removal spray, and a blade and bit cleaner. Since you're shops aobut 100' from mine, feel free to borrow some little green if you want to test it before buying. Go to the WoodWhisperer site and watch the most recent podcast. Can't remember the title. It's the one in which Marc is doing maintanence after a project. He goes through the cleaning process. Video is worth many words!


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## Dadoo

I did a forum on this about a month ago. Go read it. I used Acetone and a soft brass wire brush…Was very pleased with the results.

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/941


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## Karson

I thought I remember someone using citric acid to clean rust and I thought they also said it cleaned the blade.


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## WayneC

I used citric acid to clean plane blades and bodies. Not tried it on saw blades.


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## RickL

SC, I see you have a lot of choices but of all of the things I have tried, good old 409, a cheap rimmed baking sheet, and a brass brush work every time. I soak the TS blade in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, bush, dry, and it is ready to go.


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## dennis

Been using oven cleaner for years. Still have all my teeth. Only clean um once a year or so anyway.


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## scottb

I've used Simple Green, or any similar cleaners from the "organic" section of the supermarket. Works great with the scrubby side of a sponge.


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## alindobra

Simple Green, as Scott mentioned, works very well. I read this on the web about 2 years back (lots of people experimented with it). It is known not to cause any problems with the welding of the carbide teeth to the blade. I used it to clean both table saw blades and router bits and it works really well. I usually scrub with an used toothbrush. I usually do not bother to take the blade down (my father managed to drop a blade on the floor and bend a teeth; since then I clean them in place).

I would personally not bother with a specialized product since Simple Green is so good and is so much more cost effective (and you can use it to clan other things in the house).

Alin


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## Radish

I've used oven cleaner, but it does peel the red coating off Freud blades… won't do that again.


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## mtcarver

I SPRAY MINE WITH WD40


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## CutNRun

I've used the "orange or citrus version" of Pinesol. It was on sale at Safeway so I figured why not give it a try - the price was right. I found a shallow round pan, poured in some Pinesol and then put the saw blade in for a soak. With a light brushing it came out looking like new. I rinsed off the Pinesol, dried the blade and then used WD40 to remove any moisture. Rather than dump out the used Pinesol, I just used a funnel and put it back in the bottle.


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## douglbe

I too use Simple Green with a brass bristle brush, cheap and works very well.


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## saddlesore

Orange Oil, fulll strength. Soak for 10 minutes and brush. Wear eye protection, this stuff is potent!


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## Pathpounder

I used Simple Green on two of my blades last night. Set them in a pizza pan, sprayed on a little green, let it set a few minutes then brushed off with a brass brush. They look great but I have not cut with one yet.


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## rikkor

WD-40 works pretty good.


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## jcash3

Home depot sells some stuff called krud kutter, it's in the paint section. i clean both my router bits and saw blades with. It's cheap and works great.


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## GaryK

I keep a 5 gallon paint bucket on hand for cleaning my 10" blades. They fit perfect in the bottom.

For a cleaning solution, like others I use simple green and a brass brush after soaking overnight.
Just 1/4 to 1/2" in the bottom is all it takes. Then I empty it into a jar to use again.

Looks as good as new and is very cheap.

Gary


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## steliart

This post is very old but since I'm here… 
mix baking soda with lemon and vinegar


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## woodman88

Without a doubt I use Simple Green


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## BillWhite

Arm & Hammer WASHING SODA. Not baking soda. Cheap, bio friendly, won't hurt the blades, drains, birds, squirrels, or your hands.
Bill


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## jgreiner

I use rockler's pitch and resin remover.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18197&site=ROCKLER

If I recall you mix it with 1 part water, and 1 part resin remover, I don't recall anymore I have a 1 gallon gas container that I have filled with the already mixed resin remover. I've had it for a year or so and it still works.

When I want to clean my blade I poor enough into an oil drip pan that has a spout on it, instead of the blue container they sell. Then I let it soak for about 10 minutes and I use a tooth brush on the blade teeth for any extra "scrubbing".

After the blade is clean I use a funnel and a paint filter to poor the solution back into the gas container and it's good to go.

I also keep a small container of this stuff near my drill press, after using a drill bit I drop it in the container for 10 minutes or so and then use a tooth brush on it, keeps my bits clean and use the same on my router bits.

-jeremy


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## a1Jim

Like Bill White I use washing soda and I've also had good luck with goof off.


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## LockesWS

I know this post is a bit outdated but if I were to use WD-40 wouldn't I need to use something else to clean that off the blade as well so it doesn't transfer onto my work piece? If that's the case what would be best to wipe off the WD-40? 409?


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## knotscott

You'll want to wipe off whatever cleaner you use…..409 is an excellent choice (better than WD40 IMHO). Spray, brush the teeth, rinse, wipe.


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## nwbusa

Another vote for Simple Green.


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## MrRon

There are many different products on the market. Their effectiveness varies. Some are touted as "green" and usually cost the most. The least expensive is oven cleaner, TSP and household lye. The last one is very effective, but also the most dangerous to use. It can cause severe burns if you don't take suitable precautions, like rubber gloves and eye protection. Some cleaners take a long time to work. Lye works in a few minutes. You have to rinse the blade very well in water. If you use it in the kitchen sink, be careful not to let the solution go into your garbage disposal. It will eat through some models. Use lye in a plastic bucket large enough to hold the blate flat. You don't need much lye; maybe a teaspoon in hot water, enough to cover the blade. Use a SS brush to clean the blade. TSP is also good, but works slower than lye. Oven cleaner works well; it's active ingredient is lye (sodium hydroxide). I'm not a greenie; a little lye won't bring the world to an end.


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## cutworm

There's a pretty good video on The Wood Whisperer that demonstrates how to clean blades and bits.


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## Alexandre

Anyone used fresolv from freud?


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## Earlextech

Oven cleaner


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## b2rtch

Pure ammonia, is cheap and works perfect.


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## bondogaposis

Dish washing liquid and water.


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## bobasaurus

I bought some of this at home depot:

http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/2826

Worked like a charm, though it's kind of messy if you do the full soak.


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## Tennessee

I use either oven cleaner, or lacquer thinner where I immerse the blade and put it in a covered, sealed container.
If I use oven cleaner, I have to wash the blade off and rinse away the oven cleaner, sometimes a nasty task. My lacquer thinner I simply get a funnel and put it back in its original can, to be used again. Any debris from the blade floats to the bottom of the can and I never see it.


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## ducky911

i bought the kit from rocklers and like the tub that snaps shut.


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## mr_rick

I clean mine with Worchestershire sauce. It removes rust. I put a little on and rub around with my finger and then let it set. Some people let it soak in a tray. I then scrub a little with a brass bristle brush and wipe off. I repeat application as required for more stubborn burns, stains, resin residue, etc. You can also soak hardware, screws, etc. in Worchestershire sauce and remove rust.


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## PaulDoug

I use Lestoil. It is available in the cleaning section at most stores. I was recommended to me by other woodworkers and works the best for me of anything else I have used.


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## Dutchy

Hello SC Galoot,

Cheap and effective.

Tungsten Carbide sawbladesharping stations use Sodium hydroxide (Caustic Soda) 
Solve in a tub or somthing else (a little) Caustic Soda in water. Put your entire sawblade a night over in this tub. *The next day your blade is clean.* Rinse your sawblade thoroughly with water, dry it with a cloth, and after this put WD 40 or something similar against rust on your blade.

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NaOH


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## RPhillips

Just be very careful with Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) aka Caustic, it will burn you pretty badly in high concentrations.

FYI: the active ingredient in most Oven Sprays is NaOH, that's why it will eat away at aluminum.

Seriously, read the MSDS if you plan to ever use this stuff.

Simple Green and a brass brush. Simple and safe.


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## distrbd

washing soda mixed with water ,one tablespoon in a large cup,use a soft brush ,you'll be amazed how it cleans.

http://armandhammerlaundry.ca/products/super-washing-soda-detergent-booster


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## Loco

Generally this.It's an older model.1978 I think.


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## Dutchy

*You are right RPhillips to be carefull with caustic soda.* but this is the stuff professionals use, That the reason i mentioned it. (And most sawblades don,t made of aluminium.)


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## Danpaddles

I used oven cleaner until I heard about the braze weakening. Had some Simple Green around, tried that, wow, faster than Easy Off.

I do it way more than once a year, almost every time the blade comes off, I hit it. Glass smooth cuts, I think I have about 5 years of fairly heavy seasonal use on this Freud now.

Acetone? at 12 bucks a quart, and it flashes off very fast. I don't think so. Almost anything would be better.

Worchestershire sauce>? Hmmm. might have to try that. But again, cost would be an issue, I think. Has anyone tried cheap vinegar? it is a mild acid.


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## ADHDan

I cleaned my TS blades and my router bits last night with Simple Green. It worked flawlessly.


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## b2rtch

Ammonia is still cheaper than all other products and it works great
The smell of ammonia does not bother me but I cannot stand simple green which gives me headaches


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## Sirgreggins

Simple green! Cheap, simple to use, and widely available


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## Nortnarg

> Simple green! Cheap, simple to use, and widely available
> 
> - Sirgreggins


Are you guys diluting the Simple Green or using full strength?


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## Quikenuff

Scoop (couple of table spoons) of Oxyclean and hot tap water, soak for about 15-20 min, longer if it's really gunked. Scrub with a nylon bristle brush. It shouldn't take much effort. Amazing stuff.

Quik


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## wormil

An old thread comes to life …



> Are you guys diluting the Simple Green or using full strength?
> 
> - Nortnarg


Full strength. But citrus degreaser is faster, Zep or HDX (home depot brand). Don't soak the blade for more than a minute or two then scrub with a toothbrush and rinse with water. You're not actually supposed to use regular Simple Green on carbide blades or aluminum but as long as you don't soak, it's probably fine. Worst case scenario is a carbide tooth flies off at 300' per second and goes through your eyeball and into your brain.


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## Quikenuff

Just for fun I cleaned 2 blades just a few minutes ago. The pudding.

Before: Granted not very dirty but it's what my blades look like right now.









The set up:









The soak:









about 25 min later: no scrub









30 sec scrub per blade both sides:









Your results may very but, if it seems like you have to scrub more than a min, repeat as needed in the same bin of oxy and water.

Rinse with clean water, pat dry, apply your favorite rust inhibitor and back on the saw they go.

Quik


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## JeffP

> An old thread comes to life …
> 
> Are you guys diluting the Simple Green or using full strength?
> 
> - Nortnarg
> 
> Full strength. But citrus degreaser is faster, Zep or HDX (home depot brand). Don t soak the blade for more than a minute or two then scrub with a toothbrush and rinse with water. You re not actually supposed to use regular Simple Green on carbide blades or aluminum but as long as you don t soak, it s probably fine. Worst case scenario is a carbide tooth flies off at 300 per second and goes through your eyeball and into your brain.
> 
> - Rick M.


I'll have to admit to being un-educated on this subject, but my gut is telling me to call bullshirt on this.

Carbide teeth are welded on, right? Never heard of carbide teeth being "glued on". I'm not convinced that any cleaner you can buy at a big box store can eat through a weld.


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## Nortnarg

> An old thread comes to life …
> 
> Are you guys diluting the Simple Green or using full strength?
> 
> - Nortnarg
> 
> Full strength. But citrus degreaser is faster, Zep or HDX (home depot brand). Don t soak the blade for more than a minute or two then scrub with a toothbrush and rinse with water. You re not actually supposed to use regular Simple Green on carbide blades or aluminum but as long as you don t soak, it s probably fine. Worst case scenario is a carbide tooth flies off at 300 per second and goes through your eyeball and into your brain.
> 
> - Rick M.
> 
> I ll have to admit to being un-educated on this subject, but my gut is telling me to call bullshirt on this.
> 
> Carbide teeth are welded on, right? Never heard of carbide teeth being "glued on". I m not convinced that any cleaner you can buy at a big box store can eat through a weld.
> 
> - JeffP


Well I'm even more uneducated on this I've used oven cleaner and other strong stuff, and never lost any teeth (or eyeballs). I'll try and do some research on this.


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## knotscott

> ... Carbide teeth are welded on, right?
> - JeffP


Carbide teeth are brazed


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## Nortnarg

There is a lot of info on this site: http://www.carbideprocessors.com/pages/brazing-carbide/braze-failure.html
They are talking on failures due to manufacturing rather than consumer actions, but there many reasons a carbide braze can fail. I'm not sure how you could determine whether a failure was caused by a manufacturing defect rather than a possible deterioration due to a cleaning solution.


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## dhazelton

Anyone say Pine Sol? Sorry -I'm not reading all 58 previous comments.


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## HorizontalMike

I know this is an old thread, however, I find that using just Dawn Dish washing detergent and letting the blades soak a few minutes does wonders. Bushing with a toothbrush completes the cleaning. And NO harsh chemicals and nothing special to buy.

I still have my original caustic "blade cleaner" spray can, that I bought several years ago. It was as caustic to breathe as it was/is to use.

On KEEPING the blades clean: 
I use Bostik's "BladeCote". Regular use keeps my blades cleaner for longer, and means better cuts as well, IMO.
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/124626/bostik-bladecote-aerosol-1034-oz.aspx


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## pontic

I've been using oven cleaner for years now. The brazing medium they have been using since the 90's is not as affected by it as it used to be. I,ve had no teeth fly off in the past 20years.


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## Unknowncraftsman

I use simple green.For table saw blades ,bandsaw blades and router bits.

Aj


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## b2rtch

Just try ammonia, it works wonders


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## Albert

Ricki (above) has the ticket. Most any detergent + water will get the job done.


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## anoldwoodchuck

I have used Simple Green Pro HD Heavy-Duty Cleaner & De-greaser - the purple stuff - for 8 years. It works great.


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## pontic

Do you have to scrub a lot with simple green?


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## Quanter50

Another vote here for oven cleaner and a brass bristle brush. I also agree with Br2tch…..Simple Green smells aweful, gives me a nasty head ache and makes me wanna barf!


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## Luke2220

This is my method to cleaning the blade and table saw at the same time.

Sweep all the dust off your table saw and then lay the blade on it. Spray simple green on your saw blade and table saw top. Flip the blade over and spray it again. Use a wire tooth brush and brush each tooth on both sides, use a scotch bright pad to clean your table saw top.

Wipe the blade dry and your table saw top and then liberally cover the top and blade with wd 40 and let it sit on both for a few minutes and then wipe them both dry.

Put the blade back in your saw and let it spin for a couple of minutes to dry it off. Take some paste wax and covwr the surface of your table saw and then buff it off when it hazes over. Go back to work, shouldn't take more than about 5 minutes.


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## pontic

Read nortnarg's link they are talking about the brazing process only. Assuming you have a r
properly brazed sawblade then oven cleaners should be fine to use. Some of the cleaners mentioned contained caustic soda or NaOH. Same main ingredient as oven cleaner. I like oven cleaner because I have to scrub less and it smells better.


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## Nortnarg

Thanks for being patient with me reviving this very old thread!
With some more digging on the Carbide Processors INC. Website, I found this page of info which much better explains their position on cleaning used saw blades and bits. 
I'll let you read and form your own position on this. 
http://www.carbideprocessors.com/pages/saw-blades/can-cleaners-harm-saw-blades.html

Also check this link out!
http://www.carbideprocessors.com/pages/saw-blades/saw-tips-in-oven-cleaner.html


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## pontic

Caustic Soda has been the brazer's friend for ..well sence ever. Cleaning brazed surfaces with it has been going on sence foeever too. I don't think anyone but the liability lawyers don't want us to use oven cleaner on our blades. I also find oven cleaner to be the best medium to remove the dried formica glue off my router bits. On the bearings you will need to rince very very well if you are cleaning them with it as well. Then lube them very well after words. Buna rubber and silicone seals are not harmed by it. If you have old time leather seals then caustic soda should not be used.


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## Cooler

If all else fails, buy a box of Poli-Dent denture cleaning tablets and place the blade in a tray of hot water and drop in 6 or 8 tablets of the denture cleaner. Leave the blade in for 3 or 4 hours, rinse and coat with WD-40 to prevent rust.

The denture cleaner does a remarkable job on a variety of surfaces. My mom used it to clean tea cups (one tablet per cup), and I use it to clean my stainless steel coffee mug. (Don't use Clorox on stainless steel as it will destroy the chromium oxide protective coating, but the tablets will do a good job and is perfectly safe.)

I saw an episode of "Bones" where they dropped in about 1,000 tablets to clean the remains of a skeleton. So its uses are far-reaching.

I keep a box around to clean (mostly) kitchen pots, pans and stainless steel. The stuff works great and is perfectly safe.


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## DrDirt

you can always go to the Auto section of the local walmart - and use 'Bug and tar remover' which is great if you have a lot of pitch buildup.


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## DirtyMike

I cleaned my blades last week with Mean green and a nylon brush and worked pretty well for removing pitch.


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