PBW & the Chemistry of Clean

[Roger D]

I invested in this for purifying my water

100% food safe copper. It should be there tomorrow. I can't wait !

 

[t-dub]

You could make brandy with that Roger

 

[Roger D]

I may try to make some high proof alcohol from some high % drink. If you stay exactly at 68°c you get pure alcohol and no water.
I will be extremely careful (outdoor), and it's not for soon.

Too bad I don't like to drink strong alcohol beverages, its more for cleaning and extraction purposes

 

[Live-N-Learn]

Okay so just used PBW for the first time. I had a few particles inside still so I let it soak again. Here are the pics Im hella tired and did a half ass job, still a definitely noticeable difference. Thanks to all once again on a great suggestion.

BEFORE

AFTER

 

[John Lewus]

How big of a deal is the water film really? I don't really see a film if I rinse thoroughly. My city puts chlorine in water but does not fluoridate. I wonder which substance in the water is leaving the film?

 

[t-dub]

How big of a deal is the water film really? I don't really see a film if I rinse thoroughly. My city puts chlorine in water but does not fluoridate. I wonder which substance in the water is leaving the film?

No fluoride here either . . . I checked with the city water manager to be sure

 

[Roger D]

RINSE solution !

Now that I have some nice production gear, I use my own distillate water (the purity gives me a maniac brain buzz) to rinse my piece before putting the solution. I have never seen glass that clear.

Seriously, it feels so next level, I have not medicated at all today since I was so absorbed by setting everything up.
Now, time for a distillate filtered hit

 

[t-dub]

ok folks, here is what PBW will and won't do for your dishwasher. The problem: Even though my dishwasher "looks" amazingly clean the performance issue has NOT been resolved. I tried everything and nothing seemed to work. The soap wasn't being rinsed out of the dispenser, things weren't getting clean, the wife is getting more irritated . . . you get the idea. So, I finally cave and call an "expert"/repair man. Bottom line? PBW will clean just about anything that will dissolve in the first place!!! I submit exhibit A to the jury:

This is the shite that he pulled out of the sump area and spray wands, yes thats a wooden match stick However, in addition to this, there is yet another puzzle piece. There was also a large filter screen/basket thing in there, it actually looks like a huge ELB. Well the mesh screen was so plugged up that water would not even flow through it. When I asked the nice man what the nature of this filth was he explained it was paper fibers and adhesive/glue from glass bottle and jar labels

Now that all the "filth" has been removed, everything is back to normal. Moral of the story: If it doesn't dissolve, don't let it in your dishwasher

 

[John Lewus]

I still need to try out the PBW dish solution. I am worried I might put the wrong type of dish like teflon in and ruin the finish. It should be ok for glasses and stainless steel and plastic... I hope.

On a side note I realize that the longer this thread goes the more likely that someone who searches PBW and glass on Google will find this nice picturesque forum

 

[BigDaddyVapor]

Yeah, uhm... don't drink distilled water. Unless you want to piss, like... now.

When I was in the Navy, we got our water from Super-Heated Steam, pure water once it cools. If you drank it, it literally went straight thru your system. There isn't anything for your body to absorb. It was funny to think, they were actually adding crap to our "pure water", to make it drinkable.

 

[Roger D]

Hehe BDV. I'm experimenting adding a fraction of my distilled water in my drinking glass, blend with normal water. It is fun how it changes the taste. I'm at like 10% distilled water and the taste really fades away from average to fine. My drinking water has a ph >7.5, so I think I'm neutralizing it a bit, it is strongly charged in minerals, so it brings balance to the taste. I'm really having fun on this, with PH meter, scale, waiting for an EC meter.

Drinking distilled water straight can be dangerous as is it a strong solvent for minerals, you risk to demineralize yourself

You actually can brew your own water mixture to match your personal preferences. Water can have a lot of different tastes

The crap you talking about must be a special mineral blend, like the one they use in factories to make certain bottled brands, they neutralize (osmosis) their intake to obtain a neutral taste, then they add specific minerals optimized to match consumer's taste.

Distilled water seems to have infinite application, and exceeds all my expectations. Mixed with the cranberry solution, and warm, it seems like it is removing the whole harshness. Amazingly smooth. I breathe like a new born

 

[BigDaddyVapor]

Yeah, I rinse and use only distilled now also. It really does make a difference, in a lot of different ways. I most appreciate it for not leaving those nasty deposits.

 

[oldiebutgoodie]

. . . Acid magic is where I would go, but I know that is a step . . .

So hydrochloric acid will not etch the glass?

I've got a ~1/4" greyish ring at the water line in my Mobius. The piece was used for combustion, but this doesn't look like resin. Multiple PBW washes do nothing. Full-strength CLR does nothing. I can't determine whether I need to go alkali or acid, although I suspect the latter. There was a suggestion to use a brush or soft abrasive, but not possible to get a tool inside a Mobius bubbler. Also considering a solvent like Xylene. Suggestions?

 

[Tweak]

Obg, have you tried baking soda + vinegar?

Or maybe adding PBW so thick with a little hot water to make a paste.

Edit: Anyone tried oxalic acid? I believe its found in Bar Keepers Friend. Just watched this youtube video and it was the only product of the 4 they tried that actually worked.

Off to the Dollar store,

 

[John Lewus]

This PBW stuff is awesome. I finally took my friends old scientific bong that had baked on tar that and a film that seemed like it had morphed right into the glass and soaked it 3 times in PBW over 2 days. I really regret not taking before pics like everyone else because it will never get that years of smoking residue back on it again. That glass came out looking like crystal. I tried to do it completely without scrubbing but there was a bit of residue on the thick tube that just 10 seconds with a brush cleaner made it sparkle. I am still amazed at this stuff even when I saw it make my stuff sparkle. I want to post on craigslist to drop your dirty glass with me LOL

 

[oldiebutgoodie]

. . . soaked it 3 times in PBW over 2 days . . .

How long and how strong were your soaks?

I guess my broader question is, as long as it is rinsed thoroughly with hot water, it doesn't matter how long it soaks?

 

[StickyShisha2]

I've got a ~1/4" greyish ring at the water line in my Mobius.
There was a suggestion to use a brush or soft abrasive, but not possible to get a tool inside a Mobius bubbler.
Suggestions?

there are grades of sand blasting media that won't scratch the glass that can used. i used tiny glass beads in the alcohol i use to reclaim from my bubbler, then filter them out.

 

[John Lewus]

How long and how strong were your soaks?

I guess my broader question is, as long as it is rinsed thoroughly with hot water, it doesn't matter how long it soaks?

I used probably 1 tablespoon each time and let it soak 12 hours at a time. I don't know if refreshing the PBW was necessary but I did it anyways. Rinsing it out after each soak is where the clean really came through because the rinse and shake helped break up what was just soaking.

 

[t-dub]

So hydrochloric acid will not etch the glass

Acid Magic is not pure muriatic acid, they change it somehow, or else it would damage live skin as well as dead skin. The only problem I have had with it is that it will DESTROY any label it touches, period. I'll do a boro test on a flask that has some mineral buildup to check.

 

[John Lewus]

Someone awhile back had a bucket of water filled with PBW they soak their glass in everyday. How is that working out over time and how much are you using?

 

[stickstones]

that was the VXL team when they are at a show...such as right now!

 

[Stu]

IIRC VXL uses Simple Green, not PBW.

 

[John Lewus]

that was the VXL team when they are at a show...such as right now!

I am curious how it is with an individual user using the same bucket for a month. Has anyone tried this?

 

[stickstones]

IIRC VXL uses Simple Green, not PBW.

hmm...that sounds right.

 

[t-dub]

I would totally agree with that choice as well, SG really lends itself to that type of application.