Bang and the dirt is gone

[Metric]

Anyone tried salt and vinegar for a few minutes?

[diredesire]

I've used vinegar with great success in the past, very polished looking coming out. I haven't tried cola before, since I've never needed to. I'm surprised not more people have mentioned it, TBH. I would imagine that (if it really is the acid that is cleaning the block) that there is a higher acidity of vinegar vs. cola...

[requ13m]

I think the reason people don't use more highly acidic substances is because the damage they do to the blocks. For e.g cilit bang is highly acidic for a domestic product and leaving it on any surface for more than 5 minutes can cause pretty bad damage, I left it on my block for a few minutes and it left marks. My next step is fizzy cola but considering leaving it in ketchup overnight (that will sort out the vinegar dilemma as well)

[Eddie3dfx]

I tried white vinegar and it didn't work exceptionally well. Same goes with toothpaste. When I go back home, I'm going to try coke

[Defratos]

right so from all of this can I conclude that Cola would be the best to clean most water blocks?

[defect9]

right so from all of this can I conclude that Cola would be the best to clean most water blocks?

as long as you don't leave any sticky residue behind, probably

how about:
Cola
agitated Vinegar bath (swish it around for a while)
rinse with distilled water (probably swish it around a lot in that stuff)

seems like a logical solution, if a bit long and roundabout. Hell, you could probably get a toothbrush in there and scrub the fudge out of it between the cola and vinegar spots. at this point, just try something and report how well it works

[GrossmeisterB]

I always use Cillit Bang...I let it sit for ~5 minutes, and then use an old toothbrush and some paper towels - looks like new again...

[requ13m]

right so from all of this can I conclude that Cola would be the best to clean most water blocks?

I'll try and make a conclusion on this in the next day or so, I haven't had a chance to give it a second bath but i'll post up pics once the second bath has been complete

[3Z3VH]

Just curious... What in the world happened to this block to make it so dirty ?!

[diredesire]

I think the reason people don't use more highly acidic substances is because the damage they do to the blocks. For e.g cilit bang is highly acidic for a domestic product and leaving it on any surface for more than 5 minutes can cause pretty bad damage, I left it on my block for a few minutes and it left marks. My next step is fizzy cola but considering leaving it in ketchup overnight (that will sort out the vinegar dilemma as well)

I would hardly qualify vinegar as "highly acidic," if anything, it would be less "risky" to try as an experiment compared to coke/ketchup simply because it is more "pure" in my eyes, nitric acid and water versus tomato pastes, spices, etc. I'd give it a shot, you've got nothing to lose, really...

[nikhsub1]

One word. Tarn-X.

[sabe]

Just for everyone's info. Bases (alkalines) work equally well at removing oxides and certain stains. For most purpose, bleach which is mostly Sodium Hypochlorite and water works very well and as a side note, produces a water soluble salt together with aluminum oxide(in the case of heatsinks). And if its copper (in the case of waterblocks), its even easier.

[LOUISSSSS]

i boiled my stained block in distilled water with some distilled vinegar. came out shiny as new.