I was just wondering, aren't most soaps alkali? So doesn't mixing acid and base neutralize somewhat?
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I was just wondering, aren't most soaps alkali? So doesn't mixing acid and base neutralize somewhat?
I've used citric acid for a LONG time whenever I acquire especially dirty brass. Works great! I bought a small bottle of the powder at a "health food" store.
Just a point of interest; be sure to wash with soapy water and rinse your cases well after you "acid bath" them. Please don't ask me how I know.
It appears to me that if one used an "acetic acid" bath to clean ( Vinegar bath) it is best to follow up with an alkali Sodium Bicarbonate bath ( Baking Soda) then a clean water rinse. But For some reason the alkali bath is not needed after a "citric acid" cleaning bath.... Just rinse a few times in clean water
Hi Chaps
We use Tartaric acid which is used for baking and can be bought from most shopping stores
same procedure as sagacious sugestead
Regards
Charlie
Hello everyone, I am new to the site and have posted a few times already, used the citric acid with some dawn soap to clean the oils off works great! and such a money saver, is safe to use and cheap to make. thanks for all your knowledge.
Has anyone heard from "sagacious"?
I am very new to this forum because I'm trying to learn about making my own. Since the great guys here are giving their information helping others I wanted to hope that I could do the same. I'm not trying to hijack or promote the company that I work for but I will say that I have a very impressive case cleaner that is a bit on the acidic side. We sell it for the use in our cleaners but even on its own it will clean brass quite well. If anyone is interested I will give up the name of it but once again I do not want to promote my company, I'm just looking at trying to help guys that have helped me so far.
There is nothing wrong with promoting the company that you work for, after all that is how you make your money. When I worked for a gaming/sports card distributor I had no problems handing out cards and asking for their business. It didn't always work but the few times it did brought in some good customers.
I buy a bottle of Apple cider vinegar, works great and can be reused a couple times.
Lemmi
Shine
Dishwaher Detergent additive is sold at the super market. Made with citric acid. Made with real fruit acids and natural citrus oils.
Put it on Wifey's shopping list
I've used Lemmi Shine as well. This works really well!
Thank you very much. Finished reading this whole thread in two days. I have been using real lemon with a little dawn in a 7lb plastic coffee container. I probably need to heat mine/change it out since I have used it multiple times. Until this I never cleaned my brass. Now it isn't as dingy. :) I belong to a food buying club. I bet they have some citric acid in bulk.
luvtn
Just a heads up on something I have noticed:
For years when I was using Vinegar / water / Dawn mix I would heat almost to the boil in my microwave in a hard plastic MW safe container with no problems ...however I have found if I do this mix but with citric acid ( instead of Vinegar) for some reason my microwave oven shorts out & trips the circuit breaker! Air it out & it is fine again.
Substitute the Citric acid with Vinegar all is well again !!! Very strange ! BUT...I prefer the citric acid mix better ( no more red brass)
BTW just heating the liquid not with brass in it!
Wow, I just started reloading and have tried all sorts of cleaners, internet remedies, etc. to clean brass cases. Wish I would have found this thread first. The Citric Acid is cheep, fast, non toxic, does not harm the brass and surpasses anything in cleaning. I'll look no further.
Thanks!
It works pretty good, but don't leave your brass in there very long. I left a Mosin case [steel] in there for way too long and 50% of it was gone.
It doesn't harm brass. Steel on the other hand......