Cleaning your gear

[Hostility]

I dont think i have seen any of these threads before. sooo, what tips/tricks do you guys use/do for cleaning your gear? I have never cleaned my plasma screen and its way over due. So im looking for some insight on that. Also been thinking of picking up a swiffer duster to dust in my rack.

 

[agarwalro]

A microfiber blanket leftover piece from my wife's winter gifting . I slightly damp one corner of the fabric and work my way across the screen, wax on wax off style. Works like a charm.

 

[slipperybidness]

I like the swiffer duster for my rack / stack / general electronics. I don't scrub with it, be gentle. Otherwise, a good microfiber cloth.

For my LCD screen, I get the pre-moistened wipes made just for such a purpose. Something like this, but I usually use the Best Buy brand (If I remember correctly)
Amazon.com: Endust for Electronics LCD and Plasma Pop Up Wipes 70 CT - 11506: Electronics

Whatever you do, DON'T USE WINDEX. I guess the ammonia-free Windex would be OK, but don't use the old-school windex that has ammonia!

 

[jostenmeat]

IMO the worst advice I was ever given here by a currently active member, was to clean my PJ lens with a presaturated wipe for glass. It could be worse for sure, but I love my PJ and it would have better to not use anything at all. Anyway, it's like a lot of things: use the minimum needed on things that are highly exposed and scrutinized, such as plasma glass. If it was me, I would use only Korean microfiber assembled in Korean (there is Korean made in China, Chinese made in China, the cheapest are hot-wire cut which makes the ends of the fibers as hard as plastic). That is #1 priority for me; density is a distant second, but I still go for density as long as other criteria are met. Then, damp/mist the TOWEL AND NOT THE GLASS with distilled water, you can find it as cheaply as $1 a gallon at somewhere like Target. If you must use some sort of soap due to some built up grime that is still left over, I would tend towards soaps with the least amount of surfactants and then perfumes. I know that Palmolive has way more surfactants than Dawn, but as I'm currently reading a book about homebrewing, the author seems to like Ivory for its relative lack of these things.

Essentially: HUGE difference between "cleaning your gear" and cleaning optical grade display glass.

Now if you're talking just cleaning dust off racks and stuff, it's way less serious. Cheap azz wire-cut fully Chinese MFs are perfectly fine.

My tip for product choice for cleaning a million different things is from automotive industry, a no rinse wash. Use distilled water, and I personally think the nicer double action spray bottles are so well worth the money, not only for double action trigger, but for durability/reliability, fine tuning of the mist vs spray, very versatile as to the types of chemicals the plastic will support, etc. I swear by this stuff for dusting, even blinds, window tracks, all sorts of stuff, I've seen the MSDS, it's super safe though I won't drink the stuff. Even window cleaner is 100x more offensive. Here you go. It encapsulates dirt, and remember it's no rinse, so very convenient in that regard.

I believe my method is superior to "dusting" because the latter doesn't take any dust away, you're just spreading it all over the place where it will just settle again. Maybe inside your electronics too. So far the best value I've found for higher density Korean MF made in Korea are these right here.

Happy cleaning.

 

[slipperybidness]

IMO the worst advice I was ever given here by a currently active member, was to clean my PJ lens with a presaturated wipe for glass. It could be worse for sure, but I love my PJ and it would have better to not use anything at all. Anyway, it's like a lot of things: use the minimum needed on things that are highly exposed and scrutinized, such as plasma glass. If it was me, I would use only Korean microfiber assembled in Korean (there is Korean made in China, Chinese made in China, the cheapest are hot-wire cut which makes the ends of the fibers as hard as plastic). That is #1 priority for me; density is a distant second, but I still go for density as long as other criteria are met. Then, damp/mist the TOWEL AND NOT THE GLASS with distilled water, you can find it as cheaply as $1 a gallon at somewhere like Target. If you must use some sort of soap due to some built up grime that is still left over, I would tend towards soaps with the least amount of surfactants and then perfumes. I know that Palmolive has way more surfactants than Dawn, but as I'm currently reading a book about homebrewing, the author seems to like Ivory for its relative lack of these things.

Essentially: HUGE difference between "cleaning your gear" and cleaning optical grade display glass.

Now if you're talking just cleaning dust off racks and stuff, it's way less serious. Cheap azz wire-cut fully Chinese MFs are perfectly fine.

My tip for product choice for cleaning a million different things is from automotive industry, a no rinse wash. Use distilled water, and I personally think the nicer double action spray bottles are so well worth the money, not only for double action trigger, but for durability/reliability, fine tuning of the mist vs spray, very versatile as to the types of chemicals the plastic will support, etc. I swear by this stuff for dusting, even blinds, window tracks, all sorts of stuff, I've seen the MSDS, it's super safe though I won't drink the stuff. Even window cleaner is 100x more offensive. Here you go. It encapsulates dirt, and remember it's no rinse, so very convenient in that regard.

I believe my method is superior to "dusting" because the latter doesn't take any dust away, you're just spreading it all over the place where it will just settle again. Maybe inside your electronics too. So far the best value I've found for higher density Korean MF made in Korea are these right here.

Happy cleaning.

That sucks on your PJ. That advice wasn't from me. I have used the pre-moistened that I mentioned in previous post on my Samsung LCD and it worked great for me, but those do claim to be made for that task.

But, in general, I think you gave very, very good advice. Here's some more details:

1) Use the minimum necessary to get the job done. Good advice, min chems, pressure, wiping, etc. First, be sure you do no harm!
2) Good point to use only DI water! Tap water can / will leave residual ions, and it could be visible depending on the quality of your tap water. And if you use water, don't spray the electronics, like you said.
3) Yes, the best part about ivory is that it is a mild detergent and if I remember correctly perfume free too?
4) One place I disagree is on the dusting. The swiffer duster picks it up pretty well and removes it, not just spreading it around more. That being said, the no-rinse wash that you linked looks promising. I may grab some to try on your rec.
5) Those do look like very nice MF cloths, I may pick some up on your rec

Which brewing book are you reading. The classic rec is "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Third Edition: Charles Papazian: 9780060531058: Amazon.com: Books

However, I have found one that is incredible. I have read maybe 10 books on homebrewing and this is by far the best that I have seen:
How to Brew
How to Brew - By John Palmer
How to Brew: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time: John J. Palmer: 9780937381885: Amazon.com: Books
I think this is a newer version than mine, as the cover is different. Anyway, after I read this one, I sold all my others except Joy. He is an engineer, and is passionate and thorough on the topic.

I am a chemist by profession and have been brewing beer for 10+ years. I used to brew every couple of weeks and have about 50 gallons on hand at all times. Now, I only brew a couple times a year. I mostly prefer the mini-mash method for the time savings. If you ever want to PM me on brews, I would offer any help that I could, but I'm not an expert in the all-grain arena, though I have done it a few times.

 

[jostenmeat]

That sucks on your PJ. That advice wasn't from me. I have used the pre-moistened that I mentioned in previous post on my Samsung LCD and it worked great for me, but those do claim to be made for that task.

But, in general, I think you gave very, very good advice. Here's some more details:

1) Use the minimum necessary to get the job done. Good advice, min chems, pressure, wiping, etc. First, be sure you do no harm!
2) Good point to use only DI water! Tap water can / will leave residual ions, and it could be visible depending on the quality of your tap water. And if you use water, don't spray the electronics, like you said.
3) Yes, the best part about ivory is that it is a mild detergent and if I remember correctly perfume free too?
4) One place I disagree is on the dusting. The swiffer duster picks it up pretty well and removes it, not just spreading it around more. That being said, the no-rinse wash that you linked looks promising. I may grab some to try on your rec.
5) Those do look like very nice MF cloths, I may pick some up on your rec

Which brewing book are you reading. The classic rec is "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Third Edition: Charles Papazian: 9780060531058: Amazon.com: Books

However, I have found one that is incredible. I have read maybe 10 books on homebrewing and this is by far the best that I have seen:
How to Brew
How to Brew - By John Palmer
How to Brew: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time: John J. Palmer: 9780937381885: Amazon.com: Books
I think this is a newer version than mine, as the cover is different. Anyway, after I read this one, I sold all my others except Joy. He is an engineer, and is passionate and thorough on the topic.

I am a chemist by profession and have been brewing beer for 10+ years. I used to brew every couple of weeks and have about 50 gallons on hand at all times. Now, I only brew a couple times a year. I mostly prefer the mini-mash method for the time savings. If you ever want to PM me on brews, I would offer any help that I could, but I'm not an expert in the all-grain arena, though I have done it a few times.

No, it was certainly not you who gave me the poor advice. You weren't even a member then anyway, now that I look at your join date. I believe you about the swiffer duster, but I still prefer my method for a number of reasons. I've used other types of MF handheld dusting devices, but so far what I do is now is the best technique I've yet found. I used to remove window screens every once in a while to wash them, increase airflow during summer, reduce electric bill, yada yada. Now I just mist-saturate them with the product I spoke of, shooting outward, and just wipe down with a mist-soaked MF. Even if it's only 95% as good as a full wash, it's a fraction of the work.

I forgot to mention to wash MFs separately, no fabric softener, and I personally prefer no dryer at all. You get value back on Korean MFs for those who are penny pinchers because they retain their suppleness for much longer.

But still, if it was my plasma, I'd honestly do what I offered over the Endust. I trust Dawn soap for the job btw, but I'd still recommend the purest soap you can find, and use only a drop in a very small mist bottle you can find super cheap at Target or a drug store. Might be listed as an "apothecary" product. Wash the MF before using it. But I think he's going with your rec, as he thanked your post and not mine.

The book I am reading on brewing is the one in your second link. It's what my brief online research led me to for a good first book. I'm starting chapter 6 now on yeast. I threw up a pic or two of my first visit ever to a homebrew session, pretty serious guys, in the What Are You Drinking thread. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from them now, because I don't feel nearly as forced to buy equipment to start learning on the fly so to speak- well, I'll share what my biggest apprehension is, it's which products to buy, for example the stainless steel boilermakers from Blichmann or however the heck you spell it start at something like $350ish and that's at the better priced Northern Brewer. I talked to an acquaintance of a friend, someone I've never known about or met before, over the phone for a bit, and he believes they're totally overpriced, and uses an igloo. I reflected that info back to my newfound teachers, and they say the igloo just gave them nightmares. Temp is so much easier to gauge as well as control, as well as volume. They remove exact amounts for sparging too. Anyway, say I was convinced to splurge, I still don't know what size I would really want to get. If only one, I should use it for the all grain mash tun.

When I get a better grasp of what's going on, after another few visits or so, and after I finish the book, I may or may not start a thread here, because there are other brewers here too. It might take a little while because I'm reading other books on a different subject that is technically more difficult. Nevertheless, so far it's fun learning about isomerizations, hops, Nomographs, and so forth. Oh yeah, it was Palmer all right who likes the Ivory.

You use Star San or what was it called, the "brewer powder stuff"? A more curious question in fact is your choices of water, I know they should differ depending on the recipe. My teachers use Arrowhead, and I've bought a lot of that as that's what Costco sells, but I've stopped a while ago, because frankly even Britta tastes better. But gettin 5 gall of Britta at a time is nuisance for sure. The best tasting water ever to me is Evian, but it's expensive, so I never buy it. I'll probably just use Arrowhead for the money; they were saying the minerals were of a good profile for all the beers they brew. Anyway, I'm getting way ahead of myself.

 

[jostenmeat]

Now that I just replied to the redundant thread about plasma glass cleaning, I'll say that I have in possession camera lens papers as well as lint free polypropylene glass towels, as well as as presoaked glass wipes, and I still would personally go with the advice I gave in my first reply here.

 

[slipperybidness]

If you're reading Palmer, that really is the best one that I have ever seen. Not just a good place to start, a great resource at any point in your brewing education.

For what it is, the Blichmann is indeed over-priced, but it is also a really nice piece of equipment. I know plenty of people that use the Igloos with excellent results, but like most other hobbies, if you don't have the most top-notch equipment then it is more important to have better techniques. In general, better equipment can be more forgiving of sloppier technique.

The best approach is to get a full-size keg, buy the hardware, and take it to a metal shop to turn it into a boilermaker of your own. My bro-in-law has the 3 burner rig with the kegs converted to kettles and impeller pumps. Quite an investment, but man it is nice.

But, the beauty of brewing is that you can start with whatever equipment you can afford and upgrade when you can. For me it's a matter of upgrading to save time with the better equipment. Also, like I mentioned, don't rule out the mini-mash or all extract recipes. Those can have excellent results. Now, a very experienced brew taster can usually taste the difference between extract and all grain, but that doesn't mean that the extract is an inferior brew (but some brew snobs may try to convince you otherwise). The difference is very subtle, if noticeable at all.

Personally, I have always used the "brew powder stuff" called One Step Sanitizer. You mix it up with water, I use a spray bottle and spray my surfaces, it reacts with air to produce low concentrations of peroxide. The beauty is that peroxide reacts with air to break down to water, so you really don't even have to rinse it off (though I always do anyway). I have never once had a contaminated batch out of 100s of batches. Just note, it isn't a cleaner, you need a separate product to clean, this just sanitizes.

For water, I'm lucky. I'm in central Tx and our public water is pretty well-known to be good for brewing. Just plain old tap water is all I need But, I have seen a nice article for taking a filter and building a PVC housing for it and running your tap water through it before brewing.

OK. I guess it's enough hijacking this thread. I will go look into the "drinking now thread" and we can continue our posts there (actually, I haven't read any of it yet at all), or start a new thread or PM on the topic.

One note on the topic: You nailed it again on the MF washing and DO NOT use a drier sheet on it.

EDIT: Brewing is a hobby where you can ask 10 people the same question and get 10 different answers, and none of them be the wrong answer.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Here's one cleaningtip for what not to do. A buddy of mine had his PJ on recently and noticed a bit of dust being reflected on the screen. So, while the PJ was still on he grabbed his can of compressed air...you can probably guess what happened next....and gave the lens a shot of air. POOF! He was in the market for a new bulb. Cold air on hot glass doesn't mix well.

 

[cvcgolf]

I've been using this product for years.. Great stuff and makes your equipment shine and look sweet.. Safe for plasma screens etc.. You may have a distributer near you and it looks like Amazon sells it as well..

Brillianize #1 Rated Plastic Cleaner and Plastic Polish

 

[jostenmeat]

I've been using this product for years.. Great stuff and makes your equipment shine and look sweet.. Safe for plasma screens etc.. You may have a distributer near you and it looks like Amazon sells it as well..

Brillianize #1 Rated Plastic Cleaner and Plastic Polish

I know the definition of polish gets confusing for some people, but as far as I'm concerned, polish always has abrasives. I've used plastic polish before, and it most certainly had abrasives as well. I believe you that it made lots of things look good, but I'd still never use it on plasma glass, firstly due to fear of abrasives, secondly because of whatever the heck the residue it may leave. Distilled water is really cheap anyway.