How to Remove Grease from Machinery [3 Effective Ways]

Ever wondered why machines malfunction? What is the root cause of rust in machinery? Grease or oil is the main culprit at this point. So, in order to get the best service from a machine, you have to keep it free from grease or oil.

Now, you might be thinking, oil or grease is one of the crucial elements of the machine maintenance process. How can I keep my machines free from these 2 elements?

Well, you have to be tricky in this regard. The good news is that, following several methods, you can remove grease from machinery. Also, it is up to you to decide how much you want to invest in the grease cleaning equipment if you want to call a specialist or take it as a DIY project.

Okay, enough horn tooting; let’s look at the detailed discussion on how to remove grease from machinery.

How to Remove Caked on Grease from the Machine?

Before heading towards the grease cleaning process, you will need to segregate your small and large pieces of machinery first. It is because the grease cleaning process is separate for small and large machines.

Smaller machines can be transported easily to the pre-designated cleaning area while transporting larger machines can be challenging.

Small machines can be categorized as below:

• Gear trains
• Individual parts of a machine
• Compact sized machine
• Portable generators

The large machine can be categorized as below:

• Pile drivers
• Bulldozers
• PTOs
• Heavy-duty shears

Small Machinery Grease Cleaning Process:

Since small types of machinery are not challenging to carry, you can comfortably take them to the predesignated cleaning area.

If you clean your small pieces of machinery periodically, you will get less grease in the machine. As a result, the cleaning process will be hassle-free. On the other hand, a large chunk of debris will be found if the machines are cleaned less frequently.

You can use your hand to remove big chunks of greasy debris. We recommend you to wear industrial gloves when doing so.

Let’s look at the step-by-step procedure below.

Required Items:

• Hot water
• Grease cleaning products => 8 Best Degreaser for Heavy Equipment 2021
• Cleaning detergent

3 Easy Steps to Remove Grease from Machinery:

Step 01: Apply hot water and grease cleaning products [Solvent-based Degreasers]:

Fresh grease stains can easily be removed using hot water. But you will also need to use grease cleaning products to get the best result. You can use solvent-based Degreasers if it’s not toxic. First, apply hot water on the grease stain and then scrub the dirty area thoroughly using grease cleaning products. Next, re-apply hot water again.

Step 02: Apply cleaning detergent:

Once you finish step # 1, apply the cleaning detergent to the oily area and give it a rest for at least ½ an hour. This way, the most persistent grease will dislodge from the small machinery.

Read Also: 5 Best Degreaser for Kitchen Cabinets Before Painting

Step 03: Rinse the machine:

After ½ an hour, properly rinse the machines. Give them air dry.

NOTE:

• A power washer or steam cleaner is an alternative option when cleaning small machinery. But you have to be careful enough when using these because they are suitable for cleaning large machines.
• Some small machines have a delicate design. To clean them adequately, you may require to clean them manually using a hand scrubber. However, don’t give much pressure when cleaning manually because breakable parts can be destroyed if you do so.

Large Machinery Grease Cleaning Process:

You can follow the same procedure to clean grease from large machines. But the issues are that you will require a large amount of cleaning solutions, and the process will be time-consuming. So, to make the cleaning process convenient and time-saving, choose a “powerful” process like water pressure and steam pressure. If the debris is too robust, you may require a spade to clean.

Power Washer:

Depending on the severity of the grease on the machine, choose between a light-duty and heavy-duty power washer.

Apply the Power Washer:

Turn the power washer, apply it to the greasy area. Due to heavy power, the grease will be cleaned shortly. Be sure you will get an efficient result when cleaning large machinery using a power washer. Moreover, no damage will happen to any parts of the large machine.

Steam Pressure:

Stem pressure is another option in cleaning grease from large machines.

Either you can buy a steam pressure or hire a professional team to do so. However, considering it as a DIY project will be financially better.

The cleaning process is similar to the power washer method. A high steam temperature will evaporate the grease, and working with it is much easier than the power washer method.

However, the steam pressure method is costlier than the power pressure method, but in terms of results, it is much efficient.

Read Also: 5 Best Liquid Sander Deglosser 2021 Reviews

Frequently Asked Question:

Question: How do you remove old hard grease?

Answer: Solvent-based degreasers are a powerful solution in cleaning old hard grease. They have a fast-acting formula that allows you to clean old hard grease comfortably. As a result, your machinery will get a new look and can perform smoothly.

Question: How to clean the inside of an engine?

Answer: If you are using quality motor oil and cleaning your engine periodically following a regular maintenance schedule, then using “Oil Flush” will give you a safe and expected result.

While if your engine has full of greasy residue because of a delayed cleaning process, the use of a cleaner will surely offer the best result.

Final Words:

Ideally, you can follow any of the above methods to remove grease from machinery. A combination of all 3 processes will also deliver a good result.

However, it would be best if you clean your machinery regularly to eliminate many hassles. Moreover, buying the cleaning equipment is beneficial in the long run than hiring a professional. Large machinery like Heavy-duty shears should be cleaned with an industrial-strength degreaser to get a good result.

Last Updated on October 1, 2024 by Rogers Weber

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