Greasy Tool Chest - How to clean it?

luttersj

luttersj

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This being a car forum, there has to be some people on here that know their tools. I recently inherited a tool chest that used to be my grandpa's. It has many many years of grease built up inside the drawers, etc but is still in great working condition. I'd like to get it cleaned up real nice before I put my tools into it. I bought a can of engine degreaser and started going at it. While it does cut through the grease, I'm still left quite a bit of smell and some residue. Now, the instructions say to spray it on and wash it off. I'm no tree hugger, but I do what I can. I'd rather not wash all that gunk and chemicals down the gutter. Any other ideas or products that might work? I contemplated taking it down to a car wash where, presumably, they have some sort of grease trap. But that would take a lot of time and quarters to hit all of those drawers. So I'm not sure that's the right answer, either.

Suggestions?
 
yup... I got the cure for what ale's ya

Take it to a car wash... like the kind you put the quarters in... use the engine degreaser setting. OR bring along some biodegradeable degreaser (not that it matters, usually those car washes have a catch basin for all the harmful stuff)... go at it with that and the pressure wand!

And when you're done doing that, take the drawers out, remove the sliders... and take the whole thing to a powder coating shop and give her a new finish!!
 
I don't know about the power washing, that may play hell on the bearing sliders, presumably it has them..
 
yeah, it does has bearing sliders on all of the drawers. But I suppose I could remove the drawers and wash them that way. I don't know...what a pain in my a$$, though. But I suppose if I want it clean, that's my best route...
 
Look at it this way... with bearing sliders, atleast you know it's quality. So it must be worth the effort to clean it up!
 
yeah, not to mention the sentimental value! It will get cleaned up and used again. I don't even want to refinish it. I want to keep the wear and tear from many years of use. I just don't want all the grease...
 
yup... makes sense. There's something nice about an old tool chest that's been around and seen it's fair share of labor!
 
Engine degreaser will be too harsh, I think. I would try to wipe up the bulk of the grease with rags or paper shop towels, and follow up with a good wash with a degreasing soap like Simple Green (full strength).

http://www.simplegreen.com/
 
+1, start with something less harsh and work your way up to degreaser.
 
Purple Power all the way! :p Soak it down and let it sit, then scrub it with a nylon bristle brush. Spray it off and she'll be good as new if you do it right. Hit the sliders with some spray grease afterward to prevent them from rusting.
 
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