How to Dissolve Hardened Grease – 3 Effective Ways [Fast]

Grease is generally used as an alternative to oil, though grease carries around 80% of oil. But it is something stronger than oil and used for multiple purposes in mundane life. However, this lubricant is mainly used in machinery, pipes, and engines that require powerful lubrication to run accordingly. But this semisolid element gets hardened and creates tar-like thick layers because of evaporation or excessive temperature.

Dissolving the hardened grease is the most important job. Because only by perceiving that way, you can run your machines again. But it’s always a big question “How to dissolve hardened grease?” To remove thick grease you need to follow some procedures. Some ways help to break down grease unbelievably.

You might need different materials to wipe out grease from different elements. Our purpose is to help you find ways and materials to remove grease from industrial pieces of machinery like engines to pipes. Till then stay tuned.

What Materials Do You Need to Use for Removing Hard Grease?

Hard grease is a very stubborn layer to wipe out from a place. It requires effective material to be removed. If you try to remove hard grease with only water, all your hard work will go in vain. To fight the stubborn layers of grease you need to have some powerful materials in hand first. Well, you cannot get rid of old hard grease completely. However, these following materials will help you to pull out hard grease to a great extent hopefully.

a) Industrial Degreaser:

A degreaser is a liquid that helps in cleaning strong-layered grease, tar, and other deep layers of dust and debris very effectively. An industrial degreaser is more efficient when you try to run a machine that has jammed plants and metal parts due to its inactivity for a long time. However, this degreaser comes in different types. Must Read: 9 Best Industrial Degreaser for Removing Hard Grease.

But the industrial degreaser is the heavy-duty one. Applying this degreaser on a hard layer of grease which is insoluble in water affects the space instantly and perfectly. This greaser discretely carries inhibitors, different types of cleaning agents, emulsifiers, builders, strong Alkalis, and so on. These ingredients are mixed in the cleaner in a perfect range.

When you use the heavy-duty industrial degreaser, you are using a non-toxic cleaner as well. This greaser is an upgraded version that cooperates in keeping a safe environment. Many users use a product to see if it’s eco-friendly or not. For them, it’s a beautiful piece of news that the heavy-duty industrial degreaser comes with eco-friendly components and can separate about 99.9% oil contamination.

b) Putty Knife and Propane Torch:

A putty knife is a mainstay in your arsenal if you are a DIYer. The versatility of a putty knife is seen everywhere. You can get different sizes of a putty knife and some come as a set. Whether it is a plastic-made putty knife or steel-made putty knife, it always contributes to removing the hard grease from metal or engine. But if you want your metal to not break or have no harsh scratch on it then you should adopt the plastic putty knife.

However, a ticklish kind of caked grease on the engine might want some serious type of scraping. In that case, you can use the steel-made putty knife superficially. In that way, the old hard-caked grease is easy to remove a little. Well, you cannot expect a complete removal of the hardened grease if you are only relying on your putty knife.

To make the putty knife really effective, you need to use a propane torch as well. Industries, that use metals, engines, and other solid properties regularly require propane torch for heating and flaming purposes. However, heat can minimize the stubbornness of grease, and then you can easily remove it with the help of a putty knife.

c) WD-40 Specialist Degreaser:

WD-40 Specialist Degreaser is the material you need to have to remove hardened grease fast. This degreaser comes with a formula that allows you to have your old greasy engine look like a new one. From metals to rubber, this material not only breaks down the grease but also leaves a smooth reflection on it. This degreaser is a solvent-based material and is formulated with different kinds of hydrocarbons.

A continuous process of applying WD-40 Specialist Degreaser on hard grease will assist you in dissolving it eventually. You need to apply a coat of it on the hard grease first. Then let it soak in the degreaser for five minutes almost. The hardened grease slowly loses its power when you start to rub it with a cloth that is lint-free. A continuous degreasing process with the material will lead you to success.

d) Paraffin, Diesel, and Petrol:

For solidified grease, finding the suitable material to dissolve it is frustrating sometimes. To find out the effective and easy getting materials, you can simply rely on paraffin, diesel, and petrol. Though paraffin and diesel come with the same result, you can choose one observing the condition of the solid grease. Paraffin carries extremely efficient properties.

It has cleaning agents, lubricants, oil, and penetrations. It might sticks a lot and leaves a messy spot but it’s considered as a very well degreaser. For cleaning an engine and metal that have solid grease on it, paraffin is a go-to material. However, diesel works almost in the same way. The cons of using diesel are that it doesn’t evaporate like the other fuels like petrol and it leaves terrible marks as well.

Petrol is a globally used greaser for degreasing the solidified grease. It comes with a lot of conveniences. But yet it’s not a safe idea to use petrol to degrease any kinds of parts of a machine, especially on an engine. Petrol evaporates easily and therefore, it doesn’t leave any stain. The evaporation of petrol creates a trap of explosion in the. Therefore, if you tend to use petrol as the degreaser, make sure there is no risk of fire, fumes, and explosion.

e) Gunk Degreaser:

Gunk is another best degreaser to dissolve rough grease from a solid space. Gunk is known as the safest material for effacing hardened grease. It carries non-toxic chemicals. It’s also biodegradable which ensures a secure environment. It helps not only in cleaning engines and metal but also helps in wiping out grease from stainless steel-made pipes and aluminum.

f) Alcohol and Acetone:

Alcohol and acetone both are powerful as degreasers. To remove hard grease from metals, these two materials are almost two safe options. Besides, these cleaning solvents provide the same result in cleaning grease. They are also highly safe to use.

g) Mean Green Cleaners:

Mean Green cleaners are strong and remarkable in nature. This cleaner can directly agitate the hard and rough grease and grime. It also affects versatile ways. This degreaser cuts through deep-layered grease and doesn’t even affect the metals in a bad way.

3 Ways to Dissolve Hardened Grease from Engine, Metal, and Pipes:

It’s so common that you’ll have hardened greases over engine, metal, and pipes if they remain inactive for a long time like 20 or more years. Grease gets very stubborn over time. But some ways can be adopted to make the old engine, metal, and pipes work again by dissolving the solidified grease. Let’s have an elaborate discussion about the steps you should adopt to clean grease from engine, metal, and pipes respectively.

Way 1. Remove Hardened Grease from Engine:

Your old engine might have caked grease on it, just because you leave it unclean for long years. This hardened grease can fell off if you follow the next steps properly.

Step 1: Gather the Material You Need:

You’ll need some serious materials if you want a serious result from your old greasy engine. These materials can be collected from any automotive retailer.

1. A powerful degreaser (WD-40 Specialist Degreaser, gunk, or paraffin)
2. Different sizes of non-metallic bristled or scrub brushes
3. Pressure washer
4. Enough source of water
5. Plastic bags and bands
6. An air compressor

Step 2: Check the Important Things and Do the Primal Degreasing:

After getting the necessary materials for the job, you need to check out whether the engine is hot or cool. Naturally, a left-old engine will remain cool. But still, make sure of the point for your safety. After that, cover the sensitive parts of the engine with plastic bags and tie them with bands.

Also, check if the engine is connected with an electronic socket. Free the engine from all the sensitivity and make it ready for a hard job. Then remove the extra dirt and debris that covers the engine bay.

Step 3: Apply the Degreaser and Let It Soak:

After that, you need to apply the first coat of the strong degreaser thoroughly. Let the grease soak the degreaser for about 4-5 minutes. It will agitate the grease. Make sure you are pouring enough degreaser to let the grease soak it properly. This way, it will not take much time to accomplish the job.

Step 4: Scrape the Grease with Scrub Brushes:

When the grease seems to soak the first coat of the degreaser and becomes a little calm, grab the bristled brush. Make sure the bristled brush is non-metallic. Then, scrape the grease in a back and forth motion with a handsome amount of pressure.

Different sizes of brushes are needed to do the cleaning job. It would even help in cleaning the narrowest space of the engine.

Step 5: Rinse and Apply the Whole Process Again:

When you are done with the scraping process, you are supposed to rinse the engine afterward. With a pressure washer, you need to clean the engine bay. Make sure the nozzle tip of the washer is appropriate for the job. Do the rinsing keeping the washer 3-4 feet away from the place.

Then apply the degreaser again. And like before, let the grease soak it again for some time. Scrape off the old grease. You have to continue the process till the hardened grease gets soften enough and finally falls off.

Step 6: Dry the Engine:

After you are finally satisfied with the removal of the solidified grease from the engine, you need to dry it afterward. Bring an air compressor to make your job easier and quickly finished. You can also use a dry towel as an alternative and wipe the extra water from the engine.

Way 2. Remove Old Dried Grease from Metal:

As an industrial part, metal is the most usable material. Therefore, metal machinery gets greasy easily over time. The messy grease becomes harder if it does not get enough attention for a long time. So, if you want to clean the mess from the metal, check out the following steps.

Step 1: Collect the Necessary Materials:

To start the process, you are supposed to collect the materials. Without the materials, the process will be completed. So, the materials you need are,

1. Plastic-made Putty Knife
2. Propane torch
3. A strong degreaser (Acetone, or green cleaner)
4. Paper towels
5. Pressure washer
6. Bristle brushes

Step 2: Scrape with Putty Knife and Apply Propane Torch:

First, you need to scrape the grease real hard. A plastic-made putty knife is effective and recommended by many DIYers. Also, it doesn’t leave any scar on the metal. Use a paper towel to wipe off the dirt of the grease. To make the putty knife works properly add the propane torch.

The heat from the torch will loosen the hard grease to a great extent. Sometimes, the heat lets the caked grease fell from the metal as well. But be careful so the heat does not destroy the efficiency of the metal.

Step 3: Apply the Degreaser and Brush It Properly:

If the putty knife and propane torch don’t work together extremely, then adopt a proper degreaser for metals. Then apply the degreaser to the grease. And to make the grease loses its internal molecular bond, let the degreaser sink into it.

Then use bristle brushes and rub the degreaser thoroughly. You’ll see the grease is coming out from the metal drastically. Apply the same process again until it reaches the point where the hardened grease will be removed almost completely.

Step 4: Rinse with Pressure Washer and Dry:

After that, rinse the metal. It will look fairer than before. Use the pressure washer with a perfect pressure-range with it because the pressure in it adds extra effort to wash out the stubborn grease. Rinse it perfectly and make the metal dry.

Way 3. Dissolve Dry Grease from Pipes:

Basically, removing hardened greases from engines, metals, and pipes indicates almost the same procedures. But the three materials come with a different range of hardened grease. And that’s why you should not blunder in choosing the right degreaser to withdraw the grease from them. However, to mend the clogged pipes with grease, follow the steps accordingly.

Step 1: Make the Water Warm:

If your pipe is clogged with heavy grease, filling the pipe with warm water makes the work easier. Heat is always great to defeat grease to a large extent. After that, remove the filter, if your pipe carries any.

Step 2: Apply a Degreaser:

When the warm water makes the grease less powerful, apply a degreaser, for example, green cleaner. Then wait about 15-30 minutes to get an appealing result.

Step 3: Flush It:

After soaking the degreaser, the pipe needs a solid flush of water. This flush will take away all the grease and other debris together. If one flush seems not enough, then flush again and make your pipe clean like before.

Step 4: Call a Plumber:

A pipe is a very narrow thing to handle. If it’s not dealt with care, it might get cracked or more jammed. If anything like this occurs in the process, you better let the professional deal with it.

FAQs:

Question: How do you remove old dried grease?

Answer: To remove old dried grease, you can make your own degreaser. To make it up you’ll be needing baking soda and dish liquid at first. Take the same amount of liquid from them and mix it together. To make it more powerful for old dried grease, mix almost one tablespoon of orange essential oil in it.

The mixture is all ready to be applied over the dried grease. Apply it nicely on the grease and leave it for 10-15 minutes. Then take a sponge and rub the grease thoroughly. It will come out eventually leaving a beautiful fairer surface.

Question: What solvent will dissolve grease?

Answer: Alcohol and acetone are known as great solvents to dissolve grease. Isopropyl alcohol with ethanol also works better on grease as it is insoluble in water. The liquid conditions of the solvents allow the grease loses its internal bonds. And then the grease dissolves.

Acetone solvent is a solvent with low VOC or HAP and so is alcohol. So, it will not put any harmful impact on our environment as well.

Question: What dissolves grease in pipes?

Answer: To withdraw not-so-hard grease from pipes, you can apply a mixture of baking soda and coarse salt. Take the two materials with an equal amount. To dissolve grease, pour warm water at first. Make sure the water is not so hot. Otherwise, it will backfire on the pipes.

Then, pour the mixture of baking soda and salt. Wait for a moment and flush it. Besides, the home remedy, you can adopt some professional green cleaners to dissolve grease in pipes.

Question: What dissolves automotive grease?

Answer: A solvent-based degreaser works better on automotive grease. And WD-40 Specialist solvent-based Degreaser is known as the strongest form of degreaser. Automotive grease is a semi-liquid substance that converts into hard grease over time.

To remove this hardened grease, the WD-40 is recommended loudly. From rubber to plastic and from metal to aluminum, this degreaser dissolves automotive grease with ease.

Question: What dissolves heavy grease and oil?

Answer: You can simply adopt baking soda to dissolves grease and oil. But baking soda might not bring a satisfying result in heavy grease and oil. WD-40 Specialist Degreaser is way better than baking soda in this case. This degreaser is helpful in removing oil and heavy grease. Moreover, Industrial Degreaser is the best solvent to dissolve hardened grease from metal, machinery, engines, and pipes.

Last Updated on June 27, 2024 by Rogers Weber

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