Parts Washer Disinfectant

Any ideas of a good disinfectant for parts cleaning tanks?
We have one solvent based tank and one alkaline aqueous tank (with an orange smell).
They both smell like sewage. And it isn't just going away with the hot weather, like a miracle.

I poured about a pint of benzalkonium chloride from the janitor closet into the aqueous tank 'cause I can't stand the smell any more. Remains to be seen if it does any good.

Looking for something oil soluble for the solvent tank... maybe mothballs?

I like to clean my tools, but its so bad I wash up to the elbow with germicidal soap followed by hand sanitizer. If it gets on a rag it reeks up my whole office.

Sorry if this is an old topic, but search for "disinfectant" mostly came up with first-aid lore. Seems a qualification for machinist, you don't mind "hamburger hands."

Please don't suggest replacing the solvent: I'm not the owner!

You can get anti-bacterial tablets for coolant. IDK if they would work for a water-based degreaser, but it seems they should.....

If all else fails, change the solvent.

Put the new kid on the forklift and have him move those tanks, ooops, going to need some new solvent

Have you tried injecting them with bleach? How about some hydroxychloroquine sulfate fishtank cleaner, I've been hearing good things about hydroxy

For fish ponds they circulate water through a filter with a UV light to kill algae. You could run a tee fitting and constantly pump some percentage through a UV chamber to do this.
Bil lD.

Get someone to crack one off in the tank. Management will be *demanding* that you change the solvent.

Hydrogen peroxide is a good water based cleaner and when it's used up its just water. However it can bleach surfaces white.

dalmatiangirl61 said:

Put the new kid on the forklift and have him move those tanks, ooops, going to need some new solvent

Have you tried injecting them with bleach? How about some hydroxychloroquine sulfate fishtank cleaner, I've been hearing good things about hydroxy

Click to expand...

I have better uses for tonic water! but the gin might work... especially F*manns

air bubbles maybe? aquarium pump. or oxygen treatment for pools.

Call the solvent manufacturer and explain the problem. When he finishes trying to sell a years worth new solvent.
Ask to speak with some in the know about what disinfectants will work with out degrading the solvent or your lungs and skin.