Disposal of old watch cleaning solution

[MattyG]

Hello everyone. I am a bit curious with how to dispose of my watch cleaning fluid. I have a little in a plastic container. I diluted it with water so It wasn't so potent. 

 

The way I clean watch parts is this

I put the parts in small mesh baskets and put the mesh baskets in mason jars filled with L&R cleaning fluid. I put this jar in the ultrasonic machine with the lid on and clean that way. Same goes with my two rinses. I unscrew the mason jar and put the baskets, using my tweezers, into the next mason jar.

 

I'd like to know not only if my method is okay to continue doing, but also again what to do with my leftover fluid. 

 

Thanks everyone. 

[mikepilk]

That's what I do too. I put the parts in small mesh pots, and put the pots in small glass beakers containing the cleaning/rinsing fluids (Elma), sat in the heated water of the ultrasonic.  I only need about 40ml of fluid each time. I only do the one rinse, why two?

Then I have the same problem as you, as to how to dispose of it.  

I have tried burning it, but it produces lots of black smoke. What I do now is put it in a shallow tray outside to let it evaporate. I use some flat sheets of kitchen roll with their edges dipped in the increase the surface area. 

But, winter in the UK is not the best time to do it!  So I save it up until we get warmer/drier days.

I have thought about using clay absorbent granules (or cat litter?) to soak it up and then put it in the household waste. 

Edited January 4, 2023 by mikepilk

[spectre6000]

Exact same process here. I also evaporate it outdoors.

[watchweasol]

Hi guys the evaporation theory is ok but why not combine the kitty litter and the fluid that way there is no chance of spillage or contamination as the fluid I’d contained in a solid.

[mikepilk]

The data sheets for Elma WF Pro cleaner and Elma Suprol Pro rinse show the same for disposal  :

Pity I can't heat my house with it, given the price of gas !

Edited January 4, 2023 by mikepilk

[Nucejoe]

Can be used for home heating if your heater has gaseous fumes outlet, and you don't explode the house.

[MattyG]

Thanks guys a ton for your replies. I've been really anxious about watch making recently not gonna lie lmao. When it comes to safety of course. First radium scares, and then I started to rethink my cleaning methods and disposing methods for my L&R cleaning solutions. (Considering they are absolutely not the safest of household chemicals). 

11 hours ago, mikepilk said:

I only need about 40ml of fluid each time. I only do the one rinse, why two?

By the way. I use two rinses because that is at least how the pros do it? No? My watch making heroes all use two rinses too be as thorough as possible when dissolving the cleaning solution. (As it can leave a sticky residue). That's why I at least use one cleaning solution, then put my parts in two separate rinses. If you guys really think its not necessary then I will probably stop doing that. As it's kind of a pain to tell you the truth haha. 

[GuyMontag]

I've been collecting my old cleaning fluids in empty milk jugs and plan on taking them to my recycle center the next time I take a trip. I haven't confirmed they will take it but they take paint, used motor oil, cooking oil etc, so I expect it won't be an issue.

[mikepilk]

2 hours ago, MattyG said:

By the way. I use two rinses because that is at least how the pros do it? No? My watch making heroes all use two rinses too be as thorough as possible when dissolving the cleaning solution. (As it can leave a sticky residue). That's why I at least use one cleaning solution, then put my parts in two separate rinses. If you guys really think its not necessary then I will probably stop doing that. As it's kind of a pain to tell you the truth haha. 

I'm guessing that the two rinses are in the watch cleaning machines, which won't have the solutions changed too often, so that the first rinse solution may become contaminated.

After the cleaning solution, I use a puffer to blow most of the solution from the cleaning baskets, before I put them in clean rinse solution. So there should be very little contamination. I use fresh solution for every watch.

I suppose you could do a final dip in some IPA as a final clean, and help absorb moisture

[dadistic]

Cleaner and rinse can be used more than once, so what happens is that the first rinse gets contaminated with cleaner.  I get about five watches cleaned before I change the solutions, depending on how grotty the movements are. I replace the cleaner, rinse #1 is replaced with rinse #2, and #2 is replaced with new rinse. 

I occasionally use IPA as a final rinse, but not usually. 

[spectre6000]

6 hours ago, mikepilk said:

Hey now! In the US at least (I think it's the same in every state) you can take it to any auto parts store, and they'll recycle it. You'll probably get fewer questions if it's mixed in with a bucket of used motor oil, which I always have a big bucket of ready to go. That's what I'll be doing from now on!

[smeggem]

I use three solvents for cleaning my parts in. The first stage is in a jar of gunk using ultrasonic at 70c, this gets most of the dirt off. The other stages are in the old style elma machine. First wash in gunk again, then naphtha and a quick rinse in ipa. I prefer to use solvents as I found some parts would rust if left for too long in the water based cleaning fluids. Gunk is great for cleaning watch parts and easy to get from halfords. I've managed to get a lot of use out of my solvents by filtering it through coffee filters into clean jars. I always remove the balance jewels and the palette fork and clean them by hand using an artists paint brush in a jar of naphtha then ipa. When I need to get rid of old solvent I save it for lighting the barbecue or fuel for my camping stoves.