Windex-Carbon Remover

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Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by Oldbloke » 24 Mar 2018, 8:21 pm

Sooo, in a previous thread “Windex” the window cleaner got a mention as a great CARBON cleaner/remover. So a few days ago I was in coles and I grabbed some of their generic window cleaner, “Ultra”. Pretty darn cheap if I recall correctly. Usually these generics are very close to same recipe so figured I give it a go.

Here are the results. I cleaned my 30-06 and it had had only about 5 shots through it over the last 2 or 3 weeks. I use AR2208 for those interested.
1 First 3 or 4 strokes using ultra window cleaner
B A few strokes with a nylon brush & wait a few minutes
2 Another patch with ultra window cleaner
B A few strokes with a nylon brush & wait a few minutes
3 Another patch with ultra window cleaner
4 A dry patch only
5 A patch of Sweets 7.62 & 3 or 4 strokes then waited about 2 or 3 minutes
6 A patch of Sweets 7.62 & 3 or 4 strokes then waited about 2 or 3 minutes
7 A patch of Sweets 7.62 & wait about 15 minutes
8 A dry patch only. A lot of copper on this one. So soaking for 15 minutes or perhaps more does help.
9 A dry patch only
10 Eds Red
11 Eds Red
Then dry patch pretty clean but not shown. Tossed it out by mistake. It was close to clean, Left it at that, Ready for next trip.
My conclusions:
Ultra is pretty good at removing carbon only and worth using.
There is about 90% water with about 5% of ethanol in Ultra so some sort of oil after using it is a MUST.
Sweets is still great at removing copper.

Cleaning test.jpg
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Window cleaner.jpg
Window cleaner.jpg (136.91 KiB) Viewed 3594 times
Last edited by Oldbloke on 24 Mar 2018, 8:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by Carter » 24 Mar 2018, 8:24 pm

Score a couple of points for Windex eh.

Looks much the same as what I get out with the "proper" stuff.
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Re: Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by Oldbloke » 24 Mar 2018, 8:33 pm

Soooo, whats the definition of "proper" ?
Often its just what makes them the most money.
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Re: Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by sungazer » 25 Mar 2018, 8:14 am

I would say the Ultra is a bit light on in the ethanol dept. The new bottles of Windex surprisingly don't have the ingredients listed. I believe the old blue version had some ammonia in there and the newer formula doesn't.
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Re: Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by marksman » 26 Mar 2018, 7:37 am

just make sure the bore is oiled after cleaning :thumbsup:
I have seen a chamber destroyed by a guy who cleaned his rifle with windex but did not oil the bore after so it rusted out and pitted :thumbsdown:
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Re: Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by straightshooter » 03 Apr 2018, 8:21 am

OMG too much complexity makes my head hurt.
Since we are in an experimentation mood has anybody ever considered the use of naturally produced urea in a sterile aqueous solution, chemical formula (nh2)2co.
You produce a quantity every day and if you need to ramp up production it's easy just drink more beer.
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Re: Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by Oldbloke » 03 Apr 2018, 9:59 pm

No, but just FYI the blue they add to some diesels is just urea.
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Re: Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by Apollo » 03 Apr 2018, 10:24 pm

You guys are crazy.
No way I would use any of this rubbish to clean a very expensive firearm.
In my mind you must own something that you don't give a s**t about yet alone respect as valuable to you.
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Re: Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by marksman » 04 Apr 2018, 6:30 am

its not my cup of tea either Apollo but as long as you oil very well after it should be ok
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Re: Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by sungazer » 04 Apr 2018, 5:02 pm

I would put my target rifle in the upper end of equipment. I win my fair share of OPM's and will be entering the Vic Queens. I have no qualms about using windex or my home made version of it for the first 4-6 patches getting out the carbon and soot. My patches are much blacker than OB but that may be because its after a day of perhaps 36 rounds.
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Re: Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by Oldbloke » 04 Apr 2018, 6:07 pm

sungazer wrote:I would put my target rifle in the upper end of equipment. I win my fair share of OPM's and will be entering the Vic Queens. I have no qualms about using windex or my home made version of it for the first 4-6 patches getting out the carbon and soot. My patches are much blacker than OB but that may be because its after a day of perhaps 36 rounds.



Yeah, I agree. My patches are only after few shots. After all it's mainly water and alcohol. No big deal plenty of oil based products after the Windex ensures no rust.

People need to get there head around the fact that many products or substances can have many uses.
Let's look at kero. What is it used for?
Heating.
Cleaning engine parts.
Aircraft / jet fuel.
Washing paint brushes.
And I would bet remove carbon from rifles, but perhaps not well.

What about diesel fuel?
Cleaning parts
Light lubrication because it's a light oil
Heating for many years.
Oops forgot, truck/ute fuel.

Salt, wow the list would be a mile long, just like sugar.

Just because Windex cleans windows doesn't mean it doesn't have other uses.
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Re: Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by bigfellascott » 04 Apr 2018, 8:27 pm

Oldbloke wrote:
sungazer wrote:I would put my target rifle in the upper end of equipment. I win my fair share of OPM's and will be entering the Vic Queens. I have no qualms about using windex or my home made version of it for the first 4-6 patches getting out the carbon and soot. My patches are much blacker than OB but that may be because its after a day of perhaps 36 rounds.



Yeah, I agree. My patches are only after few shots. After all it's mainly water and alcohol. No big deal plenty of oil based products after the Windex ensures no rust.

People need to get there head around the fact that many products or substances can have many uses.
Let's look at kero. What is it used for?
Heating.
Cleaning engine parts.
Aircraft / jet fuel.
Washing paint brushes.
And I would bet remove carbon from rifles, but perhaps not well.

What about diesel fuel?
Cleaning parts
Light lubrication because it's a light oil
Heating for many years.
Oops forgot, truck/ute fuel.

Salt, wow the list would be a mile long, just like sugar.

Just because Windex cleans windows doesn't mean it doesn't have other uses.


Yeah from memory Howa recommend it when running in their rifles - I've used it and no dramas, these days I just use whatever carbon/copper solvent I have at hand and just lanox the bore when finished. :thumbsup:
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Re: Windex-Carbon Remover

Post by Gwion » 04 Apr 2018, 10:21 pm

You mean you guys actually clean your rifles!?! :wtf:
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