Re: Brew for cleaning filthy gas tanks

[amuller]

It’s well to bear in mind that caustic (alkaline) chemicals are good at attacking grease but they also eat aluminum. I’ll pick up some of the "super clean" and not hesitate to try it in a gunked up steel tank. Before using on aluminum I will try it on a test coupon, though different aluminum alloys will react differently. Oven cleaner on aluminum? It used to be based on lye. Maybe safer and milder chemistry is used these days. Special caution advised.

My grandmother used to make soap from grease and lye. Pioneers who didn’t have lye use wood ashes. That’s the chemistry.