So, you are here searching for the best hand cleaner for mechanics? People won’t understand the hardships of the mechanics’ hands unless they do the job for a day. From the dawn to the dusk the mechanics have to work with greases and oily things. Gloves can be the rescuer sometimes. But not in most cases. I know many mechanics who prefer working in bare hands.
The burnt oils and used greases are not only harmful to the skin but also difficult to wash off. This is why you need some specialized hand cleaning soap. If you are a garage owner then I bet you have to buy them in a bulk amount. Hence, you have to be cautious before buying hand cleaning agents. So that you won’t have to waste your valuable time by rubbing your hands over and over. Besides, you can save some bucks by choosing the deal for you.
In a hurry! Then here is our top 5 hand cleaner for mechanics and grease for you.
1. Gojo Natural Orange Hand Cleaner
Our very first pick is the Natural Orange Industrial hand cleaning liquid by GOJO. GOJO Industries is one of the top players in the toiletries industry for a long time. This hand cleaner by their manufacturing unit works like a champ.
As the name suggests this hand cleaner used pumice in it. For those of you who don’t know, pumice is a kind of rock that is formed from lava.
Normally, people use pumice rock for removing dead skins from their feet. This is because of the abrasive characteristic found in the pumice rock.
Hence, this pumice rock in this hand cleaner works great for removing the oily substances. For this reason, you don’t always need to use an additional scrubber with this hand cleaner.
The lotion is white and has a sweet-sour smell just like oranges. This cleaner will bring a refreshing vibe into your hands. Even after a long and tiring repairing session.
Quick cleanup is the most important aspect of a good hand cleaner for workplaces. This type of hand cleaner doesn’t need excessive rubbing. Hence, you can clean up all the oils and greases in just a few seconds.
From my personal experience, I realized that a small amount of lotion can clean a large amount of grease. It makes it a budget-friendly solution. This thing proves that it can be the best hand cleaner for auto mechanics.
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2. Fast Orange 25419 Hand Cleaner
The Fast Orange hand cleaner is a popular competitor to a similar cleaner from Gojo. Fast Orange is from Permatex and it is their flagship cleaning agent. This is widely known as the best hand cleaner for mechanics.
Permatex has other products made for repair shops. This is why they know well what kind of cleaner is needed for a garage mechanic. This hand cleaner is great in cleaning oily skins, especially grease and lubricants.
Fast Orange Xtreme is yet another pumice based cleaning agent. Pumice rock solids provide a good amount of abrasiveness into the cleaning liquid. Hence, you don’t need to scrub with your fingernails.
The best part of this cleaner is that it is compatible with many materials. For example, inks, paints, adhesives are nicely cleaned by this cleaning lotion. You just have to take a small amount of lotion and rub it with your hands. Water cleaning is not mandatory with this hand cleaner.
The auto mechanics and other laborers don’t always get the time for thinking about their skins. Hence, their hands become rough and they become prone to skin diseases. This hand cleaner is equipped with vitamins and other natural ingredients. It can keep your hands smooth and remove the dead skins.
Finally, the Fast Orange Xtreme is a complete package of skincare and grease cleaning. The package is very cheap for use in commercial places like repairing shops.
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3. Permatex 23218 Hand Cleaner
This is yet another hand cleaning product from Permatex. But, it is a bit different from the Fast Orange Xtreme that I mentioned above. The main difference is that it is a smooth gel. It doesn’t contain abrasive ingredients like pumice.
But that doesn’t mean that it will leave your hand oily even after cleaning. From my personal experience, I can say that it cleans greases pretty well. There is a good balance between smoothness and abrasiveness that takes care of your skin.
The manufacturer brags about the environmental friendliness of this hand cleaner. I am quite surprised by how they managed to reduce the harsh chemicals. This thing made it biodegradable without any sacrifice in the cleaning ability.
The shelf life is this hand cleaner is quite long. Even though it is very unlikely that you will keep this on your shelf without using it. The citrus flavor in this hand cleaner is enough to make you forget about the bad odor of grease and burnt oil.
Hence, it doesn’t need any water contact to clean up, you will find this lotion quite viscous. For this reason, I will suggest you take a small amount of lotion and rub it well until your hands look clean.
Although, the cleaning power of the Fast Orange Xtreme seemed a bit more to me. You can not go wrong with choosing this as the hand cleaner. It’s because the price is a bit lower and it does the cleaning job with a pass mark.
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4. Grip Clean Pumice Hand Cleaner
Grip Clean is a niche manufacturer of cleaning products. This pumice hand cleaner from Grip Clean is very popular among the auto mechanics. The regular pack is small in size. Hence it is perfect for personal use.
Although, you can always go for the family pack for your repairing shop if you want. Unlike most other grease cleaners, this thing needs water to clean your hands. This is good in the sense that many people do not prefer dry wipes.
Yes, it has a decent amount of abrasiveness because of the mineral rock solids. But the manufacturer didn’t forget to add a few skincare ingredients with this. The natural oils added in this cleaner leave a soft touch into your palms.
The thing I noticed while testing this product is that it is very concentrated. I mean the viscosity is well enough and does not run off from the hands.
And, this soap didn’t use any ingredients derived from animals and their by-products. So, if you are a vegan then this thing should be your pick.
But the thing that bothered me is the size of the tube it comes with. Maybe they tried to make it look larger than the actual contents in it. This is why I had difficulties squeezing it.
Although, the value it provides is undoubtedly good. Many of the competitors do not come with a small tube. So, it gets a plus one from those who need to buy soap for personal use.
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5. Grip Clean Hand Cleaner for Auto Mechanics
This is yet another great product from the Grip Clean. No, it doesn’t bring much improvement than the previously mentioned cleaner. But, you can consider this if you want to get a budget-friendly solution for your business.
Grip Clean got a huge fan base within a short period. This is because of their great customer support. They design their products based on the users’ feedback.
I didn’t see any other company that has a detailed guide on how you should use their products effectively. I had to mention this thing with great emphasis. It’s because none of us think about the proper way of using any hand cleaner. Rather we complain about that particular soap.
They are marketing this hand cleaner as All Natural. After using it for a while I found that they provided several natural ingredients in this soap. Besides, mineral rock is present here for providing abrasiveness.
Not only it shines in removing grease. This cleaner works equally in the case of paints, muds, metallic dirt, and odors. People with sensitive skin will get extra benefits while using this soap. It is because of the organic oils such as olive, coconut, etc.
Finally, this hand cleaner impressed me in all the aspects. But if the cleaner supported dry wiping it could be better for the people with a shortage of water supply. I think this is an ideal product to become the best hand cleaner for grease.
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6. Grip Clean Heavy Duty Hand Wipes
For those who are kind of hydrophobic or don’t always get an adequate supply of water can check this thing out. Yes, this is another Grip Clean product. But their ecosystem and the products are so well designed that you can not get out of this.
Unlike other hand wipes, this is a dedicated product for auto mechanics. Some of you might doubt dry wipes for cleaning greases. Believe me, I was a bit skeptical about this. But after using it for a while I must say that this thing works pretty well.
Since it works without water you can use this on the go. I think every person should keep this into their car’s glove box. The citrus flavor of this hand wipe will keep your hands fresh even after a flat tire change.
The thing I liked most about this thing is the abrasiveness. They used papers that have scrubbing functions on both sides. Thus the cleanable surface area is twice and a single wipe is adequate for most of the sessions.
Although it removes the dirt just like a razor blade. You will also feel the smoothness in your hands while using it. I forgot to mention about the paint removing capability. I think it will be very useful for those who have to deal a lot with paints.
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7. Permatex 25122 Hand Cleaner
Well, the cleaners from Permatex never disappoints. At least my experience says this. This Fast Orange Pumice hand cleaning lotion will not disappoint you either. Some people might even consider this as the best hand cleaner for mechanics.
This is one of the most selling grease cleaners on online retailers. But that doesn’t mean it is perfect all the way. There are some minor drawbacks with this cleaner and hence I have put this in this position of the list.
If we look at the side of hand cleaning, it works like a champ. No complaints here. But I felt that this lotion is excessive smooth. For this reason, although the cleaning power is high, you have to rub your hands for a long period.
This is a positive sign if we think about our skins. There are several organic and herbal ingredients added to the lotion. The glycerin, lanolin and other ingredients make your hands smoother.
At first, the smoothness of the lotion made me feel like it will not clean the oily dirt. But found that they added fine-grained pumice rock in this lotion to clean up greases easily.
Just like all other Fast Orange cleaners, you don’t need to add water into this cleaner. It doesn’t even need any petroleum solvents to work properly.
Since different Permatex cleaners have different characteristics. You will have to choose wisely based on your requirements. If your skin is rough then I will suggest you go for this fine pumice lotion. Though you will find some better cleaners in this budget if you don’t care about skins.
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8. Tub O Scrub Heavy Duty Hand Cleaner
This is not that popular hand cleaner for cleaning greases. However, I experienced some surprising results. Honestly speaking, before testing out I was a bit skeptical about this product.
You might have familiar with Gasoila Chemicals. Now, they are operating as FedPro. Just like their popular Gasoila thread sealant, this hand cleaner is quite amazing.
The key feature of this Tub O Scrub hand cleaner is the absence of pumice. Although I like pumice-based hand cleaners. But they did manage to make it a perfect cleaner without using pumice rock.
Hence, they didn’t use any petroleum solvents with this you can use it without any risk of flame or fire. Besides, petroleum solvents are not good for hands.
Just like the most other hand cleaners for auto mechanics, it works without any water. This is why you can use this hand cleaner as an alternative to the dry wipes. Hand cleaners are normally more budget-friendly for bulk use than the dry wipes.
Another interesting fact about this cleaner is that it is biodegradable. This is because of the absence of pumice and petroleum contents. This is not the best thing in terms of cleaning power. But who will not sacrifice a bit for the betterment of the environment!
Overall, the hand cleaner is a good choice for those who prefer an intense fragrance. The skin moisturizing ingredients are present here to keep your hands soft. This is a great contender for the position of best hand cleaner for grease.
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9. The Original Tough Nut Hand Cleaner
Tough Nut hand cleaners are dedicated to the people who deal with a lot of greases and paints. Their formula is biodegradable and petroleum-free just like other good cleaners.
Although, many people don’t even know the name. It is a deserving product. The name Tough Nut comes from the walnut shells. They used walnut shells as scrubbers in this cleaner.
For this reason, this hand cleaner provides abrasiveness even in absence of pumice. This is ideal for the girls dealing with paints for art purposes. Besides most auto mechanics want such kind of cleaners that doesn’t do any harm to their hands.
You can use this solution with water. You have to rub it thoroughly and rinse with water. I didn’t feel any stickiness and grease leftovers even after working with a lot of burnt oil and grease.
We all know that orange cleaners like Fast Orange and Gojo are good at cleaning. But they leave cracks to the dry skins. But in this Tough Nut cleaner, you are getting cosmetic grade ingredients. These ingredients will take care of your palms.
Also, this product is made from vegan ingredients and you don’t need to worry about it. The thing that bothered me is that it is not a quick-cleaner. It takes some time to degrease your hands as well as to remove paints.
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10. Tub O Scrub TS18 Hand Cleaner
This is yet another Tub O Scrub hand cleaner that is free from any kind of volcanic rock. Although volcanic rocks can quickly clean up dirt, it has some demerits. This is why companies are trying to create some new formulas like this without using pumice.
The absence of pumice is appreciable. But let’s see how it compares against pumice-based cleaning lotions. From my experience, I learned that this cleaner works average. But you are getting some advantages in the skincare section.
Tub O Scrub used walnut shells as the scrubbers to increase the abrasiveness of the lotion. Although walnut shells are good dirt remover without hampering your skins. Many people seem to be skeptical about this thing over traditional pumice soaps.
Besides, this cleaner uses a biodegradable formula that is the main selling point. It doesn’t get clogged into the central dispensing system.
The petroleum-based solvent used in these soaps is highly flammable and harmful. For this reason, they opted out of petroleum and went for organic ingredients.
The manufacturer added vitamin E, glycerin, and other important ingredients. These will keep your hands smooth and soft. At least I didn’t have to scratch my hands to get the grease removed. This is the thing that I liked most about this cleaner.
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Best Hand Cleaner for Mechanics and Grease - Buying Guide
Soap is soap, right? So why looking for a buying guide before shopping for hand cleaning soaps? It’s because by putting some extra efforts you can make the best choice to clean your hands properly. Saving some bucks can be an extra benefit here.
Although hand cleaning soaps are relatively cheaper products. But since you are looking for a special kind of hand cleaner, that is good at removing greases and oils from hands. You have to look for certain characteristics in that cleaner so that you don’t have to regret it.
Hand cleaners and soaps use almost similar chemical formulas. But the hand cleaners we reviewed here are of a special kind. They are intended to use by the mechanics and laborers who have to deal with greases.
Since the greases are difficult to remove, the normal hand cleaners can not remove them. Many of us do not think of buying grease cleaners and end up using generic hand cleaners. Sometimes they can clean the hands, but you have to put a lot of effort and time into that.
Due to this reason, you should invest in some kind of hand cleaners that are dedicated to grease cleaning. If you are a repairing shop owner or factory manager then you will want your employees to be productive. These specialized grease cleaning hands wash lotions can satisfy them by smooth cleaning.
Here are the factors you should keep in mind while shopping for the best hand cleaner for mechanics:
Type of Solvent
Solvent is one of the main components of grease cleaning soap. No matter what kind of cleaner it is there should be a solvent for removing the oily substances.
These materials can dissolve the bonds in the grease and thus removes them from your hands. Traditionally most of the manufacturers use petroleum-based solvents in the hand cleaners.
Although this is very effective. But the petroleum-based solvents have got some crucial demerits. They are highly flammable. Thus it is a bit risky for using in a factory or repairing shop where you have to deal with flames and sparks.
The biggest concern of the petroleum solvent is the toxicity of the chemicals. This can lead to skin cancer and some other problems. This is why the companies are moving towards alternative solutions like aqueous solvents.
You will see this labeled in the container or package what kind of solvents the used. Consider this before making your decision.
Scrubber
While not using solvents you have to add something that can remove grease. This is why they use scrubbers into the hand cleaner.
The most popular scrubber used in the hand cleaner is pumice. As I said earlier, pumice is a kind of volcanic rock. It creates abrasiveness into the hand cleaner. This thing works like a natural scrubber and lessens the struggle of rubbing and etching.
Pumice has some disadvantages too. The pumice can clog your drains and pipelines of the sink. The most crucial factor is that it makes the skin rough. Some people who have soft palms can not tolerate the abrasiveness of pumice stones.
There are some alternatives to the pumice stone. Recently the manufacturers are using walnut shells as the scrubbing material. They are tough but cosmetic grade. Thus they are not that harmful to skins and can remove grease quite well.
Skin Care
Most of us don’t think about it. Since the mechanics have to work for bare hands in most of the cases, they are prone to skin hamper. The manufacturers are putting the best efforts to make it suitable for skins.
For this reason, they add up some ingredients that are not mandatory for cleaning hands. But they are good at taking care of your skins. They also add moisturizing elements that keep your skin soft even after heavy works.
Vitamin E, aloe, glycerin, lanolin are these kinds of ingredients. Some manufacturers go for completely herbal ingredients. So that vegan customers can consume their products. So, you should look for these ingredients to know whether this product is good for your skin or not.
Fragrance
Who doesn’t like refreshing smells from soaps? Also, after a tiresome greasing session you might want some refreshing vibes. Most of the hand cleaners found in the market come with amazing fragrances.
Different product has different flavors. Orange is probably the most common of them. The citrus scent of orange creates a refreshing mood. You will also find some other flavors of fruits and flowers.
As it varies from person to person based on their personality, I am not judging any flavor. But this is a crucial factor while deciding for the best hand cleaner for greases.
Thickness
Thickness of the liquid is another factor that you should consider. The viscosity of the liquid depends on many factors.
If the liquid is too viscous it can clog inside the bottle or the dispensing system. In that case, sometimes it becomes very difficult to squeeze out the lotion in one hand.
Again, the low viscosity causes running off from hands. Most of the people don’t like too watery lotion for cleaning their hands.
Water Support
Nowadays the market is full of waterless hand cleaners. The word waterless has different meanings based on the circumstances. Here, I am meaning with waterless cleaners is that you don’t need to use water to clean up grease.
Rather, these kinds of hand cleaners do not work properly if you mix it with water. I prefer these cleaners because I can use them where there is no water. They are very good as the on-the-go solution and you can keep them in your car.
Yet some cleaners need rinsing with water to clean up properly. This is why you have to pay attention to the instructions in the package before using it. Choose waterless or water supported cleaner based on your choice.
Dispensing Mechanism
Different cleaners come with different packaging. Some come with big bottles with an in-built dispensing pump. On the other hand, some come with small tubes with squeezing functionality.
Most people have a centralized dispensing system in their shop or garage. In that case, you have to select a package that has the support for that. While shopping you will find different options for the same product. Choose wisely based on your needs.
Sometimes the pump doesn’t work properly. You can even break them before finishing the product. In that case, you can recycle your old pump or buy it online.
Dry Wipes
Dry wipes are very convenient. Some of the companies have dry wipes with the same cleaning formula. These can clean greases very well.
If you are comfortable with dry wipes then you can’t go wrong with buying them. But you have to consider some things. The dimensions, thickness, and number of layers are the common factors here.
Environmental Effect
Keeping the environment safe and sound is one of the major concerns of the 21st century. Not all the chemicals used in a hand cleaner are environment friendly.
Some are not easily degradable and can cause a hamper to the environment. But there is a good sign. The manufacturers compete to use biodegradable ingredients. in their hand cleaners.
As a consumer, you should be cautious about the environmental effect of the product you are using. We should use environmentally friendly materials even by sacrificing cleaning power.
These are the major things that you should follow while buying a hand cleaner for auto mechanics. Of course, you will not find all the positive aspects of a single product.
Rather you have to decide which feature is mostly needed by you. If you are a bit skeptical about odors then you need to choose a cleaner with an intense smell. Again, if you take a lot of care of your hands then you should check out the presence of moisturizers.
You can choose the product wisely by putting some effort before buying it. On top of that, you can save some bucks while getting the best hand cleaner for grease at Walgreens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do mechanics remove grease from hands?
Removal of grease can be possible just by using a normal hand cleaner. But that requires a lot of scrubbing and etching in the hands. Sometimes it may leave some residue of oily materials.
But if you want the complete removal of grease then you should use a dedicated hand cleaner for the grease. You will find these in the market. Most of the mechanics use these hand cleaners for removing grease from hands.
Q. How do you get rid of grease under your nails?
Removing the grease from the hands is tiresome work. Yet, getting rid of the grease under your nails is the most difficult task. But it is not impossible. By following some tips you can easily get rid of them.
First, you have to massage your fingers and nails with the cuticle oi. Then take a cuticle stick and carefully remove the dirt and greases underneath your nail. Finally, you can use a grease cleaning hand wash.
Q. What solvent will dissolve grease?
Any petroleum-based solvent will dissolve grease. But since they are harmful to your hands, you can use some alternative solvents. Alcohol is a great solvent for removing mild grease or ball joint grease. What the solvents do is break the molecules into pieces and wash them away.
Q. How to make homemade grease cleaner?
Making a homemade degreaser is quite easy. Take a cup of vinegar. Mix it with a little bit of Castile soap. Then you have to add a tablespoon of baking soda with it. Finally mix it with some warm water and your degreaser is ready. Don’t forget to add some essential oil before applying it onto sensitive skins.
Q. Is Vinegar a degreaser?
White vinegar is a very good degreaser. distilled vinegar is known as white vinegar. But if you apply on the skins then I will recommend you to add some essential oil with it to get the best results.
Q. What is a pumice hand cleaner?
Pumice is a mineral rock formed from lava. It has abrasive characteristics. For this reason, the manufacturers use this as an additive in the hand cleaners. It can scrub the grease and clean your hands very well.
Q. Is pumice toxic?
No, pumice is not toxic and hence it is safe to use pumice hand cleaners. Rather this is a great scrubber. But pumice can clog the hand cleaners. Even sometimes the abrasiveness can harm your sensitive skin.
Q. What is a biodegradable hand cleaner?
The hand cleaner that uses biodegradable ingredients is called a biodegradable hand cleaner. Biodegradable means degradable or decomposable by the microorganisms found in nature. I think it must be a biodegradable product to be the best hand cleaner for car mechanics.
Q. What is a moisturizer used for?
Moisturizers can help you to nourish your skin. It can remove unwanted wrinkles and make your skin glow. Moisturizers are like food for the skin. The hand cleaners that have moisturizers can soften your palms.
Final Thoughts
I saw many mechanics that are struggling to find the best hand cleaner for oil and grease. All of the hand cleaners reviewed here are good for cleaning greases. However, the cleaning power may vary from product to product.
Some hand cleaners are safer than the other for applying on skins. Again, some may need more rubbing to clean up totally. So, I hope that this review and buying guide has helped you to pick up your next hand cleaner.