Okay, you know how I was fine using hydrogen peroxide? Yeah… I think the peroxide destroyed the coating on the bearing or something. Now I need to get rid of the r**t. WD-40? What’s so bad about it? Also, can you clean your bearing with lemon juice (heard about this), or isopropyl? It’s 95% alchol.
Thanks Samad for the warning…
dont use WD-40, it contains water(i think) and will make your bearing rust which is not a good thing, just stick with what everyone else uses and get some mineral spirits or light fluid.
Hydrogen Peroxide decomposes to Water! and WD40 is just plain bad because I think it has water and it is quite thick though it may be slick it won’t clean well. Also, the isopropyl may crack the plastic on the yoyo. Just go with mineral spirits or lighter fluid. Im sure you can get it as easily if you can get isopropyl alcohol. 
How could alcohol crack plastic? And my bearing rusted?
I said this too. I probably said it after Samad but I want some credit too 
Isopropyl Alcohol has some water in it as well, so it’s not really any better than Hydrogen Peroxide.
Meh. I should get the credit since he had to ask me about it.
My bearing isn’t rusted and I ran it under cold water. Keep it going under water if you ever encounter it being in it. If you don’t, well… it will be in the bearing graveyard.
hahaha. We all have our sources.
Mine was school. Yes, somebody actually paid attention in middle school science. jp I know lots of people do, just not at my old school.
Mine was in my High School Cobalt Chloride Lab.
Ok, why is using just mineral spirits or lighter fluid an issue?
Just stick to these two and you’ll be fine. Not sure why we have to constantly try new and potentially damaging things.
What is lighter fluid? Can I crack open a lighter and… or is it the thing you spray on coals? BTW, the isopropyl alchohol got off some rust.
Lighter fluid is butane and I think it is both of them. Also, it is a good thing that some of the rust got off.
mineral spirits is made from minerals {jk} Ace or your local hardware store . there is nothing better
Lighter fluid gas station or grocery store Its the kind you put into a ZIPPO lighter second best but it is not as pure and leaves behind a residue do to sulphers and other impurities left in and both can and will fade or warp or causae cracks in plastic over time .
Mineral Spirits, also called Stoddard solvent [CAS 8052-41-3][1], is a petroleum distilate commonly used as a paint thinner and mild solvent. Outside of the United States and Canada, it is referred to as white spirit. In industry, mineral spirits is used for cleaning and degreasing machine tools and parts. According to Wesco, a supplier of solvents and cleaning equipment, mineral spirits “are especially effective in removing oils, greases, carbon, and other material from metal.” Mineral spirits may also be used in conjunction with cutting oil as a thread cutting and reaming lubricant.
Artists use mineral spirits as an alternative to turpentine, one that is both less flammable and less toxic. Because of interactions with pigments, artists require a higher grade of mineral spirits than many industrial users, including the complete absence of residual sulphur. Odorless Mineral Spirits are mineral spirits that have been further refined to remove the more toxic aromatic compounds, and are recommended for applications such as oil painting, where humans have close contact with the solvent.
In screen printing (also referred to as silk-screening), mineral spirits are often used to clean and unclog screens after printing with oil-based textile and plastisol inks.
A typical composition for mineral spirits is the following: aliphatic solvent hexane having a maximum aromatic hydrocarbon content of 0.1% by volume, a kauri-butanol value of 29, an initial boiling point of 149 °F (65 °C), a dry point of approximately 156 °F (69 °C), and a specific mass of 0.7 g/cc. In the European Community, the composition of mineral spirits comes from Article 11(2) of Directive 2002/96/EC (WEEE).
This goes to show you…Samad can be right some of the time 8)
Wait, what?
Lighter fluid and butane are not the same. They essentially act the same way, but they aren’t the same. The stuff you spray on coals is lighter fluid. Usually what is in a lighter is butane.
Yes and no. Let’s clear this up.
When people say lighter fluid they are not referring to butane, a gas normally sold in cans, under pressure, not meant to be messed with. ;-]
Butane is a type of lighter fluid, but it’s not what you’re looking for.
What you are looking for is a chemical called naphtha. Sold in bottles, not under pressure, and normally under the brand names of Ronsonol (big yellow bottle) and Zippo (just like the lighter).
I’d really recommend to just stay away from butane.
wd-40 does not contain water–it’s designed to displace water as well as lubricate. i still wouldn’t put it on my yoyo. it contains tons of chemicals which may or may not hurt your rubber and plastics bits.
the stuff you spray on coals (i think what you mean is charcoals like in a grill) is charcoal fluid. i’m guessing that stuff is pretty impure.
regular old naptha lighter fluid and mineral spirits can both be bought at any department, drug, or grocery store. they are cheap and do the trick, not to mention tried and true and the number 1 recommended method for bearing cleaning by yoyo experts around the world. why bother with anything else?
Ahh, good old Water Displacement Formula #40. I wouldn’t put it anywhere near a yo-yo, either. It’s good for Atlas nuclear missile systems, bike chains, and squeaky door hinges. Not so much for yo-yos.
I can’t understand why people still insist on putting this stuff, with it’s long list of plastic-eating hydrocarbons, on their precious throws. Not to mention the fact that it’s way too thick to be of use as a solvent or lubricant in the first place.
Just don’t do it.
You’d be correct. Not really something you’d want to use for bearing cleaning.
Because people get bored with the tried and true? Perhaps it’s a need for adventure? Punishment for a naughty yo-yo? Who knows?
I’ve already mentioned this once before but I’m curious to know if HEET would work.
I’m feeling pretty confident it would work… but not so much that I’m willing to be the first to try it.
