A mechanics trick is to use one of the orange goop or lotion type
hand cleaners . coat your hands and rub your hands together without
using water. Wipe this dirty mess off with a cloth or paper towels.
apply again and wash with water. Jesse
Hi Sharon, I used to work in a golf club repair shop, and got some
amazingly persistent dirt on my hands (not to mention my clothes,
arms, face… ) The one product that worked on absolutely
everything was “D&L Hand Cleaner”. Here in the States you can find
it at any store which sells automotive parts & supplies. I’m sure
that you can find D&L, or a similar product, in Australia. Ask any
mechanic… 
Pete
Buffalo, NY, USA
Hi all, I worked for a jeweler who did everything as chemical free as
possible and his way of cleaning up was different. Of course, he
washed with soap and water then he used strong hydrogen peroxide (The
food grade 33% solution) and an old toothbrush to get around the
nails and into the cracks. It will feel like it burns and leaves a
bleached look for a little while. I don’t think it causes any damage.
It does work. Patty Rios
Hello all those with grubby hands. Judy was right - do more
tumbling. And Hoover and Strong gave their endorsement to keeping
your mitts out of the tumbler. Now, before you beginners go putting
on big work gloves and getting tangled up in the arbor, let me
suggest that gloves are dandy IF THEY ARE VERY SNUG FITTING ONLY.
Golf gloves OK, latex gloves OK, fine ladie’s kid glove OK. Do not
use heavy, loose leather or cloth gloves unless you want to risk
lost fingers or deal with a mangled hand. Think the process through
and understand the risk and eliminate as much as possible. Always.
Go safely, cleanly,
Pat
and the appearance of my fingers (never looking clean) I decided to start using gloves to polish with. I use leather "batting" gloves. Some jewelers I know use golf gloves. Makes a huge difference in the
I tried to pass on answering this (figuring others would land on it
for me), but my consious nagged me too loudly. Sorry I’m going to
have to stridently (but with all due respect) dissagree.
Please don’t wear gloves while polishing!
I’ll gladly accept any barbs or retorts for my opinion, but I have
personally known people who’ve suffered grave injury by having a
glove caught by the machine and getting their hand pulled in around
the spindle. You might not get a finger torn off, but you can easily
break bones and tear ligaments (as my friend did). What usually
happens is that the stitching in the gloves provides a point at which
the fibers of the buff can become entangled, and once the glove
starts winding into the buff, it just gets a tighter grip till it
slips off or stalls the motor. And a 1 hp motor can develop some
serious torque. Some may get away with it, and God bless them, but I
won’t do it. Use the “pr88” or the “glove cote” scrub the skin off
with whatever formula you prefer rather than risk an accident.
Mangled hands are even more unattractive than dirty ones.
David L. Huffman
Hi all, I worked for a jeweler who did everything as chemical free as possible.... Of course, he washed with soap and water then he used strong hydrogen peroxide (The food grade 33% solution)
G’day; I would most certainly call hydrogen peroxide a ‘chemical’!
(33%) will feel like it burns and leaves a bleached look for a little while.
It feels like it burns because it does, and yes it is a good bleach.
I suggest you keep hands and flesh away from the 33% solution. 5
-10% won’t do any harm though; you can even use that strength to
clean and sterilize cuts. – Cheers for now,
John Burgess; @John_Burgess2 of Mapua Nelson NZ
You guys and gals lead a hard life. All these harsh cleaners when
there is a solution that is so much more enjoyable. After you are
done with a day of soldering and polishing it is time for a quick
soaping and rinse of the hands as well as the rest of the body and
off to the hot tub. I have found that a good hot Jacuzzi with your
sweetheart does a super job on ones hands. Now you do have to keep
those hands under the water for at least half and hour. They will
come out soft and clean. Best wishes have a fun week end
etienne@etienne.com
I have found that baby wipes work well. You clean the hands with
the wipe and than use soap and water. The hands clean up well. I
have to agree, the first thing I thought about when I read about the
golves is the safety issue.