Need Some Help/Advice: Cleaning Soakers - help me out...

[cobralex297]

I'd like to give all my soakers a good clean, and i'm gonna try to do better than a hose. This could be a big project, because all my guns total a number greater than 50, and i'm an insane perfectionist... i clean one, i clean 'em all. I clean any, i clean 'em GOOD. Thinking about this, i think one of the best products for the job would be Handi Wipes... see link:
http://www.instawares.com/handi-wipes-t ... 87.0.7.htm

This is good for me because this can be done INDOORS.
Now consider the product above or others comparable. I know that it contains alcohol and other chemicals, do i have to worry about corrosion/wear on the paint/color? All my soakers are stock and in good condition.

What do you guys think? I'd like to get this done soon, so any advice would really be appreciated.

Also, apart from input on my idea, what do you guys do? Is this something everyone does? What's most common?
GENERAL INPUT APPRECIATED>>>THANKS

[isoaker]

I don't recommend using cloths containing alcohols unless the percentage is really low and even then, you have the chance of removing some paint (if there is paint) not to mention potentially dissolving some of the adhesive on stickers and such, making them more likely to peel. I also don't recommend anything that you do not know 100% of the chemicals that are in the solution as some may be more toxic and unnecessary for soaker cleaning. Good ol' warm water (and some mild soap only if needed) is what I use primarily for cleaning the exterior of soakers. I have used ethanol/alcohol solutions for spot cleaning, but never for general wiping. Ethanol solutions are mostly safe on pure plastic, but avoid isopropanol solutions that are more likely to dissolve layers of plastic. Bathtubs, large buckets, or even large plastic bins (I've used some large Rubbermaid containers for cleaning, then storing soakers when dry) are great places to do soaker cleaning indoors. Of course, if a soaker has a lot of dirt/sand/grass on it, if you're using a large sink or bathtub, make sure you have a drain screen to keep the large chunks of dirty from entering and possibly clogging the pipes.

For detailing smaller crevices and lines on soakers, I use simple decent-quality paper towel that has been moistened. I avoid using toilet paper as that stuff shreds easily when wet and can end up leaving lots of paper bits around. I also use toothpicks or BBQ sticks to help me reach and cleanse the tight areas. Toothbrushes are also really good for cleaning textured areas on a soaker.

This thread reminds me that iSoaker.com needs a revamped article on general soaker care/cleaning. The site has some info in places, but lots of info is missing or incomplete.

[Silence]

I'm a perfectionist too, but I'm also lazy when it comes to non-work issues, so I tend to forget about these massive cleaning jobs. I would just open the soaker and flush with water if there are any parts that are clogged up.

Speaking of which, what do you want to clean up? The exterior of the water gun, the exterior of the tubing, or the interior of the tubing?

The most thorough cleansing (strike that: repair) job I know of was done by AMDAthlon. But even he only did so because the water gun wouldn't function properly. I would not recommend using hydrochloric acid otherwise. And be especially careful with what you use on rubber bladders.

If there's something clogging up the water gun's internals and it's near the mouth of a section of tubing, I would just get a Q-tip or something to swab it out.

[cobralex297]

@ Silence: I'm just looking to clean the exterior of all my guns, mostly to make them look better. Also, i'll probably give 80% of them a second good cleaning at the end of summer, so that i can prepare them for wherever i wind up putting/storing them during the off season.

@i_soaker: Okay, thanks very much for the input. I will definitely stay away from alcohol. I have used it before for 'spot cleaning' as you mentioned it, but only in small quantities when there has been some mark of unknown origin/substance, and it needs the heavy duty stuff to try to get it out. I think i'll probably stick to paper towels and water, as you suggested.

Perhaps i'll acquire some 'Weaponry Crates', as featured in the armory gallery, for winter storage. Where did you get yours? Is there a brand you can recommend?

Regardless, I'll have to figure this out. My collection is approaching 60 right now, and will most likely hit 70-80 by the end of the summer. It will definitely be necessary to find and settle on some routine procedures to practice, including but not limited to;
regular (but not unnecessarily frequent) cleaning and testing.

Also, again because the number of Soakers that I own is rising fast, I need to figure out and settle on storage procedure. Probably 'Weaponry Crates', if i can find some like isoaker's.



Edited By cobralex297 on 1183767424

[isoaker]

I got my large Rubbermaid Containers from places like Zellers, K-Mart, Walmart, Canadian Tire... pretty much any large department store. I bought them when I needed them from stores that had them on sale.

So far, for the largest soakers, I've only found Rubbermaid snap-top bins (I don't recall the volume.. something like 80-100L) that were able to accommodate the big ones. I have large blue Rubbermaid swing-top bins for everything else. When packing many soakers into a bin, I use bubble-wrap to cushion blasters and reduce the chance of some blasters being crushed under the weight of other ones.

I really should write up a full article on cleaning and storage. I'll work on that during freer time, but I do need to do range tests, too!