Screwfix No Nonsense Degreaser – Changed Formulation?

I just picked up this year’s supply of NN Degreaser and I see the hazard symbols are changed and it warns of containing caustic soda. It looks a different colour, too.

Is it no longer aluminium-friendly?

Certainly changed colour. Works just the same. I’ve used it diluted to clean my cassette, and alloy rims, but that’s it. Tend not to get it that near a bike – usually for ‘oil spils’, general cleaning, and chain/cassette cleaning.

Main substances

Hazardous substances: sodium hydroxide
Isotridecanol, ethoxylated

Yes, I believe it changed earlier this year, used to be phosphate based now it’s caustic.

I would exercise caution using it on aluminium.

You could always use the ZEP degreaser but it’s £17.99 – still good value and doesn’t contain caustic soda. I’ve used it when there was no stock of the ‘old’ no-nonsence and it seems OK.

Must say the current stuff cleaned up two cassettes with just brushing it on with a paint brush, agitating, then rinsing. For a thorough clean I’d usually remove the cassette to protect the bearing grease in the hub/freehub.

elbow grease for a couple of quid and water usually does the trick and it’s safe

I’ve started using paraffin instead on the no-nonsense degreaser and I find it’s much better at cleaning chains and cassettes. I pour it in an old milk carton after being used, all the old oil and dirt settles and I re-use the same paraffin multiple times.

The only negative is the smell but I wear rubber gloves which doesn’t make it so bad!

I had a look in the safety sheet for the Zep All Purpose Cleaner and Degreaser Concentrate on the Screwfix website and it also currently lists sodium hydroxide / caustic instead of tetrapotassium pyrophosphate.

I found a safety sheet for the old No Nonsense formula, I can see the tetrapotassium pyrophosphate 2.5-5% in it and that at the time it was made by Zep.

Screwfix does still sell a 1ltr No Nonsense Heavy Duty Grime Remover, but according to its safety sheet it’s only 1-3% tetrapotassium pyrophosphate and it costs £11.49 per litre.

Well this is rubbish* news to end the year.

*I presume it’s good news for our heath and aquatic life, but bad news for my shiny cassette at least.

Although I finally got round to using some muck-off I got as a stocking filler last year and it’s far better than I remember it being? Either that or it’s just more effective on hot-wax’ed drivetrains than it was on TF2 wet.

https://amzn.eu/d/irGRLCz

Alternatives on Amazon/eBay etc.

[niel11]

niel11

Free Member

The only negative is the smell but I wear rubber gloves which doesn’t make it so bad!

you put the gloves on your nose?

Elbow Grease is Quat and pretty good, with no salt. I use it to get oily marks out of clothes. I haven’t put it directly onto bike bits, but I’ll give it a go.

Cheers all. I got some Zep All Purpose Cleaner and Degreaser Concentrate for the delicate stuff, and NN for the heavy lifting. That me set up for quite a while, I think!