# Cleaning solvents, my two cents **URL:** \ **Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance\ **Created:** [December 30, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/cleaning-solvents-my-two-cents/22318 "2010-12-30T12:59:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hoggwild89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/57b2e6/32.png) [@hoggwild89](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/hoggwild89)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/cleaning-solvents-my-two-cents/22318/1 "2010-12-30T12:59:24Z")
I see a lot of people use lighter fluid or spirits. I guess the concern is rust. Dif-e recommends simple green, hell that’s probably 99.9 percent water. My thought here (and possibly dif-e’s too) is that if you dry the bearing thoroughly (I use compressed air OR air-in-a-can) then rust shouldn’t be a concern. Make sense? I was using denatured alcohol. I don’t know what the water content is but its used as a fuel and evaporates very quickly. We have used it at my job for years on delicate electronics and mechanical assemblies and it always worked well and a gallon of the stuff is dirt cheap. ---
**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:** [December 31, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/cleaning-solvents-my-two-cents/22318/2 "2010-12-31T19:41:42Z")
I’ve used lighter fluid and mineral spirits exclusively and never encountered a rust issue. I blow the bearing dry w/compressed air, and lightly lube them as well. Simple green - looks like Frank updated his site. On fast evaporating solvents: [quote=dif-e-yo]There are other solvents that can be used to clean bearings but… some solvents evaporate too fast and leave dry residue in the bearing that cause the bearing not to spin freely after cleaning. It may spin free at first but, can become responsive and possibly lock up! Regardless of how you clean a bearing I Highly Recommend using some type of lube after cleaning the bearing before using it. [/quote] Oh what the heck, everybody should read all of Frank’s advice. Good stuff: [http://www.dif-e-yo.com/Tech%20Tips.htm](http://www.dif-e-yo.com/Tech%20Tips.htm) ---
**Author:** ![hoggwild89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/57b2e6/32.png) [@hoggwild89](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/hoggwild89)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/cleaning-solvents-my-two-cents/22318/3 "2010-12-31T20:43:00Z")
I would be more in favor of simple green than lighter fluid. If you have a yoyo thats half plastic, the lighter fluid/petroleum based stuff is contraindicated…F’s up the plastic. > [@jhb8426](#): > > I’ve used lighter fluid and mineral spirits exclusively and never encountered a rust issue. I blow the bearing dry w/compressed air, and lightly lube them as well. > > Simple green - looks like Frank updated his site. > > On fast evaporating solvents: > > [quote=dif-e-yo]There are other solvents that can be used to clean bearings but… some solvents > evaporate too fast and leave dry residue in the bearing that > cause the bearing not to spin freely after cleaning. > It may spin free at first but, can become responsive and possibly lock up! > Regardless of how you clean a bearing I Highly Recommend using some type of lube > after cleaning the bearing before using it. Oh what the heck, everybody should read all of Frank’s advice. Good stuff: [http://www.dif-e-yo.com/Tech%20Tips.htm](http://www.dif-e-yo.com/Tech%20Tips.htm) [/quote] ---
**Author:** ![Yummy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yummy/32/14065_2.png) [@Yummy](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Yummy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/cleaning-solvents-my-two-cents/22318/4 "2010-12-31T20:58:50Z")
That’s why you don’t pour solvents on your plastic yo-yos. You remove the bearing from the yo-yo Put it in a sealed container (sealed fixes the problem of evaporation) filled with solvent. Then you pull the bearing out and blow all the solvents/junk out of the bearing. Add a tiny bit of lube that stays withing the bearing and replace the bearing within the yo-yo. With that method the solvents never come in contact with the plastic. ---
**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:** [December 31, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/cleaning-solvents-my-two-cents/22318/5 "2010-12-31T21:40:11Z")
> [@hoggwild89](#): > > I would be more in favor of simple green than lighter fluid. If you have a yoyo thats half plastic, the lighter fluid/petroleum based stuff is contraindicated…F’s up the plastic. Ehhh, never had a problem with either lighter fluid or mineral spirits affecting the plastic. In fact when I get a new trade I usually wipe it down w/lighter fluid to clean it up good. Now, lacquer thinner or acetone, yes, they will have a deleterious affect on plastic. On the other hand, like mrcnja says, you normally remove a bearing for cleaning, so it should be a non-issue. ---
**Author:** ![hoggwild89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/57b2e6/32.png) [@hoggwild89](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/hoggwild89)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/cleaning-solvents-my-two-cents/22318/6 "2011-01-01T17:56:45Z")
Just got email from Frank @ Dif-e, Denatured is ok if followed by thinlube. Might be interesting to try each a few times and do some timed sleeper tests or finger flicks to see if there is any difference in spin time. I may sound OCD but hey 1 second longer is better than 1 second shorter, LOL. ---
**Author:** ![circusmonkey888](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@circusmonkey888](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/circusmonkey888)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/cleaning-solvents-my-two-cents/22318/7 "2011-01-02T01:06:23Z")
I’ve used mineral spirits for a while now and not had problems with plastic. Though, when I was still kinda starting out, I used this stuff called “OOPS!” which is pretty much Goof Off or a really strong solvent and stain remover. It cracked the hubs on my first FHZ. I would just stick to mineral spirits. Lighter fluid I’ve never used but I know a lot of people use it. It’s all trial-and-error and preference. Yet when is anything yoyo-related not all preference?