Those high-pitched squeals? You need to clean your brakes. This doesn’t have to be a trip to the store, as you might be able to fix the problem yourself and learn more about how to do things on your own. To help you, let’s look at how to use brake cleaner in a safe way.
WHAT IS BRAKE CLEANER FOR?
As the name implies, brake cleaner is an aerosol spray that has chemicals in it that help grease, oil, dust, and other debris come off your brake parts. This makes them run off as liquid. Is quickly absorbed by the air and doesn’t leave behind any of the gunk that has made your brakes make noise and could make them less efficient. Anything your brake pads touch that isn’t the brake rotor can make your stops take longer.
HOW TO SAFELY USE BRAKE CLEANER
Brake cleaner is easy to use when it’s used the way it’s supposed to be. A jack and jack stand will make it easier to get into the car and remove the wheel. The first thing you might want to do is lay down some shop rags or containers to catch the dirty water that will spill over. As always, wear eye protection. If you use the spray, you can apply it to your calipers, pads, and rotors freely. It will be safe for these parts.
It’s important to note, though, that brake cleaner isn’t something you just want to spray all over your car. It’s not like an air freshener. Some brake cleaners have caustic chemicals in them, and some are very flammable. The chemicals in yours were not meant for your eyes or lungs. Some formulas, depending on how they’re made, could even damage your paint job, rims, or tires if they’re used incorrectly. Then you should try to make sure you have the right kind of straw if you can. There are a lot of good brake cleaners that come with one of these. They help you direct the spray where you want to.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU USE BRAKE CLEANER FOR?
A good thing about brake cleaner is that it can be used for a lot of different things. You can use brake cleaner to clean screws, nuts, hinges, and other metal parts that might be hard to clean with a toothbrush. If your car’s carpet, your garage floor, or the driveway are stained with oil or grease, this can help. Brake cleaner can change the color of what you’re trying to clean if there is too much of it on the carpet. Also, you don’t want to breathe in the fumes in your car. That’s not the only thing that can help with small stains from grease or oil. It can also work well on small stains from paint or ink. Make sure to start with a small, out-of-the-way place, like under the seat.
HOW NOT TO USE BRAKE CLEANER
Keep it away from flames and don’t breathe it in. Do not use brake cleaner near welding equipment or on anything you plan to weld. The active chemical in a lot of brake cleaners turns into Phosgene gas when heated and mixed with Argon. Phosgene gas is a poison that can be fatal even in small doses, and there is no way to get rid of it. Make sure you do your welding and brake cleaning at different times and in different places to keep yourself safe.
Brake cleaner can be used for a lot of different things, so read the directions and follow them as you clean your brakes or do other things with your car. Make sure you also look up how to dispose of empty or partially empty cans and any material that has brake cleaner on it before you throw it away.
