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What are good ways to clean up black stuff & staining from powder coated mild steel items & bolts/ screws, after DIY mods at a Lathe heavy metal workshop?

Anything anyone touches without washing their hands has black stains all over.

enter image description here

This is the only industrial workshop I have access to via a connection. I got some drilling & threading done. The workers hands are all black due to tons of lathe work being done there; mix of lubes, etc whatever applies to the lathing, drilling, threading, and other metal work of this sort. They never clean the parts as they are meant to go into industrial spaces. At most they do something called blackening before shipping it off.

No one gave me any inputs on how to clean these, so I do not know what chemical or solvent or liquid to use to wash these off the formerly clean surfaces. Surely I can't use soap & water? One fellow there said Collin spray (blue colored home use type of glass & multi purpose spray).

I will need to go there again for a few more and will come back with stained metal parts & bolts again.

I am in Asia, but US / UK Suggestions are welcome as long as I can source the product or translate that and its active chemical ingredient and find a local clone.

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    A shot in the dark; the threaded rods look like they are adjusted to some position to support a load. So they are turned while supporting a load. In that case an extreme pressure lube may be used, commonly graphite or moly sulfide . Both are black materials that seem to get everywhere. The center rod in the bottom photo looks very much like it has a lube coating. If so, difficult to remove, wear gloves. What is MS ?.
    – blacksmith37
    Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 20:31
  • I guess mild steel.
    – Weather Vane
    Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 21:39
  • @blacksmith37 - MS / SS isnt it common for you folks? I basically got some drilling & threading done at this place as i know the folks who run it. Workers hands are all black due to tons of lathe work being done there; mix of lubes, etc whatever applies to the lathing, drilling, threading.. metal work of this sort. I do not know what chemical or solvent or liquid to use to wash these off the formerly clean surfaces. Surely I cant use soap & water, nor will it work well.
    – Alex S
    Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 9:26
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    Sometimed machined parts are left deliberately greasy to protect them from corrosion - mild steel is not rustproof. You could wear protective gloves to load the parts into a box or plastic bag so you don't have to touch them. If I wanted to degrease a part, I would use an old brush and dish soap, rinse and and allow to dry thoroughly. For a quick partial clean-up, just wipe with a cotton rag.
    – Weather Vane
    Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 17:09
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    "Machined parts" - parts made by a machine. This is just shopping, not a hack, for example degreaser.
    – Weather Vane
    Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 17:46

4 Answers 4

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The usual way to remove industrial lubricant is to:

  • Remove as much excess from the surface as possible with absorbent 'wipes.' You may wish to wear protective coverings for your hands and face.
  • Dissolve the remainder in a suitable detergent solution using a brush or with deionized water in an ultrasonic cleaner.
  • Rinse the cleaned objects.
  • Thoroughly dry them.

Good luck.

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Vinegar. Leave submerged for 24 hours or, depending on grime, spray it on a cloth or towel to wipe the dirty surfaces off.
Then, rinse lightly, scrub with a light abrasive like baking soda then rinse again and make sure you lightly grease. Preferably with some kind of oil, not WD-40.

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The Lifehack's way to remove industrial lubricant is to:

  • Remove as much excess from the surface as possible with absorbent 'wipes.'
    You may wish to wear protective coverings for your hands and face.
  • Soak the parts in WD-40®.
  • Wipe "dry".

Good luck.

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Soaking in a container with coca cola for 24 hours is an excellent option.

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