PBW & the Chemistry of Clean

BoomerGrow

BoomerGrow

Member
I just wanted to thank all of you suggesting Alconox for pipe cleaning. I bought some off of amazon to clean my hydratube, and with one soak and hot rinse it is looking like new. I also put some of the solution in a solo cup with my evo's gunky elb and shook it for a few seconds and now it's like new. Great stuff!
 
Smelly Dog

Smelly Dog

Well-Known Member
BoomerGrow said:
I just wanted to thank all of you suggesting Alconox for pipe cleaning. I bought some off of amazon to clean my hydratube, and with one soak and hot rinse it is looking like new. I also put some of the solution in a solo cup with my evo's gunky elb and shook it for a few seconds and now it's like new. Great stuff!
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I bought it recently from Amazon, the stuff works and is as easy as using dish soap but with wayyyy better results. I still give a first ISO alcohol swish first before using the hot water and Alconox. Im happy with my purchase.
 
TommydCat

TommydCat

Well-Known Member
1DMF said:
@TommydCat I hear ya, been using PBW for a while with good results, what does Alconox bring to the party at so much more dollars?
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I'm in the same boat, looking for clues :) From what I've gathered so far, Alconox cleans a bit better with less shake and doesn't destroy fuming and logos.
 
TommydCat,
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Smelly Dog

Smelly Dog

Well-Known Member
TommydCat said:
I'm in the same boat, looking for clues :) From what I've gathered so far, Alconox cleans a bit better with less shake and doesn't destroy fuming and logos.
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Liquinox is just liquid Alconox, I bought the liquinox from Amazon. I can't compare PBW sicne I have never used it.
 
djchexxx

djchexxx

Well-Known Member
Will PBW/alconox be efficient for crazy hard water stains? My bongs at home look pretty stained eventhough I clean them weekly w/ iso/salt. I soaked for a full day in 50/50 white vinegar and water and it didnt really do anything to the stains. Also tried soaking in denture cleaner for a few hours and didn't do anything either. Any help would be great.
 
OF

OF

Well-Known Member
djchexxx said:
Will PBW/alconox be efficient for crazy hard water stains? My bongs at home look pretty stained eventhough I clean them weekly w/ iso/salt. I soaked for a full day in 50/50 white vinegar and water and it didnt really do anything to the stains. Also tried soaking in denture cleaner for a few hours and didn't do anything either. Any help would be great.
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I don't know about Alconox but PBW is engineered to deal with the hardest water possible....and then some. In extreme cases this might take several applications (only so much of the chemicals in PBW.....), but lighter build ups (like on the dishwasher walls) definitely get cleaned away.

For real extreme cases I'd try 'CLR', as the name implies it's all about Calcium and Lime deposits and Rust (which hopefully isn't an issue here....). Great stuff, very aggressive, we used to use it to flush out big microscope cooling lines. Be sure to rinse it out, of course, like PBW isn't not good to drink.

OF
 
djchexxx

djchexxx

Well-Known Member
OF said:
I don't know about Alconox but PBW is engineered to deal with the hardest water possible....and then some. In extreme cases this might take several applications (only so much of the chemicals in PBW.....), but lighter build ups (like on the dishwasher walls) definitely get cleaned away.

For real extreme cases I'd try 'CLR', as the name implies it's all about Calcium and Lime deposits and Rust (which hopefully isn't an issue here....). Great stuff, very aggressive, we used to use it to flush out big microscope cooling lines. Be sure to rinse it out, of course, like PBW isn't not good to drink.

OF
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Thanks for the reply! i'll definitely try it out!

MinnBobber said:
One suggestion: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I only use distilled water in any bubbler or hydratube to totally prevent hard water stains. Cheap cure, once you get these stains off
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Yup, I was actually surprised my pieces stained so quickly in just 2 months. Once I get those babies clean ill be stocking up on distilled water. :rofl:
 
StickyBricks

StickyBricks

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
I've tried both alconox and pbw and find alconox cleans faster and does not leave a residue like pbw (that is easily rinsed off). I think the main difference is leaving pbw for too long in a piece will result in a white film or line being left on the glass at the water line, while aloconox leaves no markings no matter how long it's applied. I tend to clean my glass fairly regularly and only require quick cleanings not long soaks, so pbw, for the cost difference suits me just fine.
 
OF

OF

Well-Known Member
t-dub said:
PBW is also friendly to the environment when it goes down the drain. It actually puts oxygen back into the water which is a good thing.

From Alconox's website: http://www.alconox.com/Resources/StandardDocuments/SDS/sds_alconox_english_ghs.pdf

6.2 Environmental precautions :
Should not be released into the environment.
Prevent from reaching drains, sewer or waterway.
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That cinches it for me. Where else did you plan of disposing of it?

We have a safe, responsible alternative available, IMO that means we avoid Alconox........

OF
 
djchexxx

djchexxx

Well-Known Member
t-dub said:
Use warm water to mix, keep your dwell times short, repeat until clean. Like @OF said, if its a really tough hard water stain and you don't get satisfactory results try CLR.
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Thanks for the help. How long do you usually let your PBW dwell? 5-10mins?
 
t-dub

t-dub

Vapor Sloth
djchexxx said:
Thanks for the help. How long do you usually let your PBW dwell? 5-10mins?
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I keep mine around 5 minutes but 10 should be ok. Just don't use overly large amounts of PBW then let it sit for long periods of time. Some folks got a white stain on the waterline from doing this. Some also reported that CLR got rid of it.
 
OF

OF

Well-Known Member
t-dub said:
I keep mine around 5 minutes but 10 should be ok. Just don't use overly large amounts of PBW then let it sit for long periods of time.
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I agree, keep the soaks short and HOT. I find that after 3 to maybe 5 minutes the action slows as the water treatment and other chemicals are consumed and the water cools. I find it much better to soak 3 or so minutes, shake a bit, and dump it out when it cools and replace with fresh PBW and the hottest water the tap will deliver for a second (short) wash.

djchexxx said:
Yeah, after reading that, it steered me away from alconox. Just ordered 1lb of PBW to try it out. Hoping to jeebus is wipes out those stains :D
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I think you'll do just fine. A one pound jar lasts a very long time, even giving some to friends. Took me years (literally) to empty the first one. Keep the solution fresh and water hot. CLR can be a fall back, but PBW will, I think, rapidly become a favorite. It's easier to have squeaky clean glass than to ignore it, darn near.

And you sure enjoy the session more when you're not grossed out by junk in the WT.

OF
 
djchexxx

djchexxx

Well-Known Member
I just wanted to come back in here and thank everyone for the help! Especially @t-dub for creating this thread and letting everyone know about the awesomeness called PBW!

Got my pieces warmed up with hot water from the tap. After that I boiled up some water in a digital tea kettle to around 150-170deg and mixed up ~1/2tsp PBW and hot water in a mug to make sure everything was fully dissolved. Poured that into my piece and let the tap run until the piece overflowed for a second or two. Let it sit for 5-10mins and repeated 3 times then rinsed thoroughly. My glass looks crystal clear now! No more hard water spots and i think PBW saves a lot more money vs the alcohol/salt method.

Thanks again everyone! I hope more people stumble upon this thread and convert to our savior PBW!
:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:
 
OF

OF

Well-Known Member
ataxian said:
Do what you want?
ALCONOX is used in labs?
GLASS BLOWERS use it?
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Both true, but it's not safe to put down the drain, as the man pointed out. We have an alternative that's not that does and excellent job. Lots of stuff that's used other places is used other places, that doesn't change things here.

Any of a number of acids will also clean the glass, and are very commonly used in laboratories and the custom glass industry, they're still toxic and to be avoided if we can? And expensive.

Use whatever you wish (within reason) but IMO FC is supposed to be about informed decisions. I'm not going to go nuts on 'being Green' for sure, but here is seems like the best call.

OF
 
t-dub

t-dub

Vapor Sloth
Alconox is expensive.

Alconox will damage the environment, according to their own literature, so pouring it down the drain is environmentally irresponsible, PERIOD.

When looking at the safety info it appears to be more toxic for skin and eye exposure so its more difficult to handle.

I will remind people of the requirements I had in mind when looking for a better glass cleaning solution than ISO and salt, Simple Green and others. They appear on page 1 in my OP.
  • Inexpensive compared to liquid chemicals and solvents
  • A concentrated powder that mixes easily in your glass
  • Easy to transport and store, low profile, common
  • Good for the environment, biodegradable & relatively non-toxic
  • Fantastic results with energy from hot water, no shaking, and modest dwell times
  • Able to clean a fritted disc properly
  • Easily available at local non "stoner" locations or Internet
  • Works in hard water and gets rid of hard water stains
  • Free rinsing leaving absolutely nothing but purity & clean behind, period
  • Safe on stainless steel, polycarbonate, and other surfaces
ataxian said:
Do what you want?
ALCONOX is used in labs?
GLASS BLOWERS use it?
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I think we have exhausted this discussion for this thread. If someone wants to further the discussion please make an Alconox thread. This derail has gone on long enough and ample evidence has been provided as to how PBW meets this threads requirements better.
 
ataxian

ataxian

PALE BLUE DOT
t-dub said:
Alconox is expensive.

Alconox will damage the environment, according to their own literature, so pouring it down the drain is environmentally irresponsible, PERIOD.

When looking at the safety info it appears to be more toxic for skin and eye exposure so its more difficult to handle.

I will remind people of the requirements I had in mind when looking for a better glass cleaning solution than ISO and salt, Simple Green and others. They appear on page 1 in my OP.
  • Inexpensive compared to liquid chemicals and solvents
  • A concentrated powder that mixes easily in your glass
  • Easy to transport and store, low profile, common
  • Good for the environment, biodegradable & relatively non-toxic
  • Fantastic results with energy from hot water, no shaking, and modest dwell times
  • Able to clean a fritted disc properly
  • Easily available at local non "stoner" locations or Internet
  • Works in hard water and gets rid of hard water stains
  • Free rinsing leaving absolutely nothing but purity & clean behind, period
  • Safe on stainless steel, polycarbonate, and other surfaces


I think we have exhausted this discussion for this thread. If someone wants to further the discussion please make an Alconox thread. This derail has gone on long enough and ample evidence has been provided as to how PBW meets this threads requirements better.
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I use PBW as well.
I use ALCONEX too.

Sorry to be on your tread!
Time to shut up!

I'm a progressive and I'm unequally yoked with a regressive.
I'll stay away!

See ya!
 
t-dub

t-dub

Vapor Sloth
ataxian said:
I'll stay away!

See ya!
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You have every right to post in this thread and you are welcome here, however, Alconox has been discussed here long enough and its time for someone to start its own thread for further discussion as we have taken it as far as it can go here. Its approaching off topic/derail status since its been demonstrated to be inferior to PBW for this threads requirements. I actually let it go on too long and should have wound this up a long time ago.
 
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