Swarfega

[Mick F]

Just found an old tub of Swarfega. It's gone all runny and liquidy, so I thought I'd dispose of it.
Where?
How?
I know you're supposed to clean your oily mucky hands with it, then rinse it off ............. and it goes down the drain into the sewage system.

Looking at the label, I see the following:

Aqua
C9-C16 Alkanes/Cycloalkanes
Sodium Tallate
Trideceth-5
Propylene Glycol
BHT
Dimethyl Oxazolidine
Sodium Benzoate
Tetrasodium EDTA
Parfum
Cl 19140
Cl 42090

I know that aqua is water, and parfum is something to stop it smelling horrible.

Is this stuff actually safe to wash down the drain?

[bovlomov]

Both the tubs I have are runny (and not that old). It's a bit of a nuisance having to catch the drips, but it still does the job, as far as I can tell.

[mercalia]

well thats waht you used to do didnt you? smother your ands in the stuff then rinse under the tap?

[Ray]

I think it will still work as a hand cleaner - try it! As to whether it's safe to wash down the drain, I don't know. I suspect most of these oil-derived cleaners are fairly noxious, but in the small quantities that you use each time you wash your hands, it's surely more dilute and less harmful than tipping the whole lot down the drain - or on to the land?

[thirdcrank]

I've never bothered dumping the stuff just because it's gone runny. If I did, I'd be chucking a lot away simply because I'm the sort of tight wad who buys economy size packs of many things to save money in the long run. IME, it continues to work in the sense of cleaning hands, it's just that the loss of the gel effect means that it doesn't stick to the skin so much.

I should have thought that if the stuff is environmentally nasty, then it must be even more so when it's tainted with muck washed off hands etc.

[mercalia]

I think it will still work as a hand cleaner - try it! As to whether it's safe to wash down the drain, I don't know. I suspect most of these oil-derived cleaners are fairly noxious, but in the small quantities that you use each time you wash your hands, it's surely more dilute and less harmful than tipping the whole lot down the drain - or on to the land?

is it oil based? the above ingrediants suggest not?

[Ray]

is it oil based? the above ingrediants suggest not?

Sorry, that was a guess. However, I'd be surprised if its environmental impact is benign.

[mjr]

I think Swafega Orange is greener.

[sloyd]

Just use it. It doesn’t go off and still works. Clean you chain and cassette with it too!

[CliveyT]

approx half of those ingredients are present in shampoo, others are used in cosmetics, and BHT can even be added to food. Compared to the rubbish that's flushed down the drains every day there's nothing in there that I would be particularity worried about.
I suppose the alkanes might contribute to the Calstock fatberg but as long as you don't send a baby wipe down with it it should be OK.
Equally there's not much I can see that would go off in there (assuming you're not intending to eat the stuff). The greenest thing to do is keep on using it.

[Tangled Metal]

Is it the version with the micro-particles or beads in it? I've had versions with and without the beads. The beaded one is supposed to be bad for the environment due to the plastic beads. I'd still use it no matter which version. One way or another the beads will escape but at least in using it you're getting a positive for the future negative environmental toll.

[bovlomov]

I knew punks who used Swarfega to spike their hair - but that particular application won't be of any interest to the OP.

[mjr]

Is it the version with the micro-particles or beads in it? I've had versions with and without the beads. The beaded one is supposed to be bad for the environment due to the plastic beads. I'd still use it no matter which version. One way or another the beads will escape but at least in using it you're getting a positive for the future negative environmental toll.

While you can still find old data sheets and adverts for the plastic version online, the second ingredient in Swarfega Orange now seems to be corn kernel meal. Current COSHH sheet.

It sounds like MickF has the old green one, though. Its datasheet is the MSDS link on http://www.swarfega.com/workplace/products/swa304a-0 and it's currently not regarded as ecotoxic but you might have to find an old version.

[Mick F]

Thanks guys!
I guessed this subject would be of interest.

I knew punks who used Swarfega to spike their hair - but that particular application won't be of any interest to the OP.

How do you think I lost all my hair?

[martin biggs]

Runny or not it should still work and if you want , bits in it just add soil