# Bearing Cleaning Chemicals **URL:** \ **Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance\ **Created:** [July 23, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991 "2014-07-23T16:14:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mullicabob](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/mullicabob/32/1108_2.png) [@mullicabob](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mullicabob)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 2:43am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/21 "2014-07-24T02:43:16Z")
> [@GregP](#): > > Two counter-arguments spring to mind: > > 1. These are usually newcomers. They have no idea that a culture of acceptance for answering repeat questions has been created. They just want confirmation for their shaky research before committing to a process that they’re paranoid will potentially make their yoyo not work. :wink: They are a blank slate, oblivious to what has come before. > > 2. If those same individuals (myself obviously being one of them) keep replying, it should mean nothing to you as you get to wipe your forehead and go, “phew, another one of those threads I don’t have to even consider answering…! Off the hook again!” Standing idly by and helping the problem along instead of corrective reply places “those” people in the category of no better than the very “newcomer” you describe. ---
**Author:** ![GregP](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/gregp/32/1192_2.png) [@GregP](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/GregP)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/22 "2014-07-24T02:47:45Z")
I don’t mean this in a snarky way at all, but I’m not sure I understand that last point. Let me take a stab at it: Are you saying that sometimes the people who “always reply” to these threads continue to give bad advice and you can’t just idly stand by? Consequently, you’re not off the hook after all… you are duty-bound to provide corrections when needed? I tend to agree with that. Which is why I guess I poked my know-it-all nose in here to mention that a “plastics and acetone don’t mix” statement is not factual. ---
**Author:** ![mullicabob](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/mullicabob/32/1108_2.png) [@mullicabob](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mullicabob)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 2:56am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/23 "2014-07-24T02:56:11Z")
The process goes on and on and on regardless of who replies for whatever reason. Fact of the matter is people reply with answers instead of saying “why not search, Facebook, youtube” or any other of the multitude of ways to find the answer to the question they most likely threw up in haste. As in a “Thank you” from a moderator that yet allows another one to go by. Or the common go to guy that just cant help but to feed the fire with an answer instead of “this has been beaten to death”. ---
**Author:** ![Buggot](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/buggot/32/1534_2.png) [@Buggot](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Buggot)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/24 "2014-07-24T03:07:58Z")
Sorry if I created an argument or something :-[ But I was unsure of myself at first, because I didn’t want to wreck my yoyo. Hope you guys understand. I kinda did research about cleaning the bearing, but I wanted someone to give the “ok” before I jumped into it ---
**Author:** ![kyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@kyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/kyo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/25 "2014-07-24T04:34:16Z")
> [@Buggot](#): > > Sorry if I created an argument or something :-[ > But I was unsure of myself at first, because I didn’t want to wreck my yoyo. Hope you guys understand. > I kinda did research about cleaning the bearing, but I wanted someone to give the “ok” before I jumped into it You had a valid question, don’t worry about it… the ‘what kind of container’ thing doesn’t come up often. > [@GregP](#): > > Yeah, because it’s a terrible idea to expect young people to be intelligent. His follow-up post sure shows that he needs our protection. > > Every glass food container you’ve used in recent memory probably has a thin rubber seal on it. It’s integrated into the lid. Whether it’s likely to dissolve or not, I’m not sure. But if it IS reactive, it’s going to make a worse seal than the contact lens case. Recommending a non-reactive plastic that has a good seal is a much safer recommendation than a random food container with a questionable (or variable) sealing material. If it’s reactive the seal might fail and acetone will spray around during the shaking process. The recommendation was based partially ON safety, not in disregard to it. > > Acetone is also not sulphuric acid. It’s not water, but it’s not as hazardous as people like to make it out to be. You wouldn’t be able to get it by the gallon off a shelf at Home Depot if it required that strict of control. > > I don’t really think the attitude in your reply was warranted, Kyle. It’s not terrible to expect it, it IS terrible to assume it. The OP isn’t the only one who will read this thread. I try to avoid getting into unnecessary detail when a general answer will cover all cases. Glass is always going to be safe, plastic might be… As you pointed out, it isn’t a harsh acid, even if it was eating away at a rubber seal on a glass container, it’d take quite a long time to do any real damage… it’s not like these bearings are in a totally full container sitting upside down (where it would actually be in contact with a seal) for hours at a time… you don’t even need a lid most of the time, just enough to cover the bearings and swish them around a bit. My concern with plastic isn’t just safety though, it’s that melting plastic could, in theory, work its way onto the bearing itself as well… you’re contaminating the solvent. Is it a horribly dangerous situation in any case? not at all… but I make no assumptions when dealing on a forum primarily filled with young kids. In general I actually just avoid telling kids how to clean bearings to begin with, but we were obviously past that point here. Kyle ---
**Author:** ![GregP](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/gregp/32/1192_2.png) [@GregP](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/GregP)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 4:50am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/26 "2014-07-24T04:50:08Z")
The information I gave was sound, though, and I even indicated that I can’t be trusted on the specific number. I do actually trust our young members to read “certain plastics are fine… there’s a number that will help you figure it out” for what it is. None of the readers are going to take that as “just use plastic, it’ll be fine”. :wink: I’m a big fan of promoting information over ignorance. The same readers that you’re skeptical of trusting are going to take your information and suddenly in every thread it’s going to be “acetone will melt plastic!” which isn’t true. Would more people be “safer” in that false information? Possibly. Not sure. But “certain plastics are fine” is hardly harmful information that will cause false assumptions. It will only cause research or “I’m too lazy to figure out which… I’ll just use glass”. :wink: Regarding the glass container… here’s where our perspectives might differ: I do not just swish the bearing around. I agitate fairly vigorously. If there’s non-organic matter in there that the solvent isn’t going to dissolve, I want to dislodge it. 🙂 You’re right to be concerned about the contamination of the solvent and plastic working its way into a bearing. That’s one of my concerns, too. But again, _IF_ the seal itself is attacked by the acetone, it will contaminate the solvent. With my “appropriate plastic” containers, there’s no risk of that. Whether by fumes or by my vigorous agitation (why does that sound like a term from a traveling medicine show?), I still think there’s more risk in the thin rubber of a food jar lid. ---
**Author:** ![jhb8426](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jhb8426/32/631_2.png) [@jhb8426](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/jhb8426)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/27 "2014-07-24T04:55:14Z")
Well, after all that, I still prefer lighter fluid. :wink: ---
**Author:** ![kyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@kyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/kyo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 5:59am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/28 "2014-07-24T05:59:44Z")
> [@jhb8426](#): > > Well, after all that, I still prefer lighter fluid. :wink: and I still don’t clean bearings unless absolutely necessary (very, very rare)… Anyway, GregP perhaps I’m too jaded on this topic… I’ve seen far too many kids screw up their bearings, yoyos, etc. in an attempt to magically make them ‘better’ by playing with chemicals. ---
**Author:** ![GregP](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/gregp/32/1192_2.png) [@GregP](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/GregP)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 1:14pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/29 "2014-07-24T13:14:47Z")
> [@kyo](#): > > and I still don’t clean bearings unless absolutely necessary (very, very rare)… > > Anyway, GregP perhaps I’m too jaded on this topic… I’ve seen far too many kids screw up their bearings, yoyos, etc. in an attempt to magically make them ‘better’ by playing with chemicals. Maybe. I admittedly haven’t seen any, because I don’t see yoyoers in person. The bearing screw-ups you see around here are almost always “it’s responsive even after I put a bunch of lube in”. And the solution for that is… cleaning. :wink: ---
**Author:** ![kyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@kyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/kyo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/30 "2014-07-24T19:07:00Z")
> [@GregP](#): > > Maybe. I admittedly haven’t seen any, because I don’t see yoyoers in person. The bearing screw-ups you see around here are almost always “it’s responsive even after I put a bunch of lube in”. And the solution for that is… cleaning. :wink: I have been doing this a very long time, several years of which was answering thousands of phone calls to a major yoyo retailer… it happens a lot more than you’d think. We very strictly didn’t give out information on cleaning at all, simply because of the liability involved in a retailer recommending their customers play with chemicals… just bad business… but more than that, we got to hear all the upset parents calling to get their kids yoyo fixed, replaced, etc. Kyle ---
**Author:** ![kadabrium](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/kadabrium/32/1522_2.png) [@kadabrium](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/kadabrium)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/31 "2014-07-24T19:53:15Z")
Zippo lighter fluid has always been the standard in my home country but here acetone is far more easily available so wynaut ---
**Author:** ![Buggot](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/buggot/32/1534_2.png) [@Buggot](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Buggot)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/32 "2014-07-24T22:42:29Z")
Wow. It actually worked!!! This is new, trying something out for the first time and not failing 8) 😃 The yoyo never comes back no matter how I try to pull it back up (me saying that statements few years ago would’ve been a problem ;D). It’s great! Thanks to you guys, I am back on track for my project. Okay, nowI have to learn how to figure out this darned Pop n’ Fresh trick 😛 :🙂 Thanks: GregP, Kyle, Kadabrium, Couch, JHB, MullicaBob, Abby, FJH, and Yoyo for helping me. ---
**Author:** ![GregP](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/gregp/32/1192_2.png) [@GregP](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/GregP)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 12:53am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/33 "2014-07-25T00:53:10Z")
I don’t know why, but Pop’n’Fresh took me a LONG time to get compared to other tricks at supposedly the same level. No shame in moving to the next trick and circling back around. :wink: ---
**Author:** ![Buggot](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/buggot/32/1534_2.png) [@Buggot](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Buggot)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991/34 "2014-07-25T16:09:43Z")
> [@GregP](#): > > I don’t know why, but Pop’n’Fresh took me a LONG time to get compared to other tricks at supposedly the same level. No shame in moving to the next trick and circling back around. :wink: To be honest, I was thinking the same thing about the difficulty, then suddenly there was a “click” moment where I understood how to do it, and so now I know how to do it, but I just need to smoothen and perfect it 🙂 [Previous page](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-cleaning-chemicals/67991.md?page=1)