Cillit Bang - is it as good as it seems from the adverts?

[Derek *]

Because "it" would have rotted and dropped off.

DG

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I like the 'rough' Swarfega.

[Aidan]

I think you may mean "...you can make your won Gunk/Jizer from paraffin...". Gunk and Jizer are for cleaning oily grime off things, Swarfega is a hand cleaner, I believe. Paraffin & other such oil fuels are absorbed through the skin and you should avoid skin contact.

[Mary Fisher]

Yes, but when this diy stuff was first suggested most washing up liquid was green and you ended up with something which LOOKED a bit like Swarfega so people were duped into thinking it would be the same.

Mary

>

[Huge]

[35 lines snipped]

As long as those things don't include skin; hydrocarbons are carcinogenic.

[Bob Eager]

But then it's not even called Swarfega any more...it's called Tufanega...

[The Natural Philosopher]

I have no idea what is actually in it, but green fairy liquid and parafin mixed together look exactly the same and behave exactly the same.

I used to clean my hands after a good 'car operation' session by dowsing in paraffin, then washing the paraffin off with washing up liquid.

One day I mixed the two together..and got a strangely familiar jelly like substance....

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yawn. I shouldn't indulge in most things I indulge in.

Everything is absorbed through the skin. I wouldn't shake hands with the prime minister either.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yup. Thats got microballoons of polystyrene in it as a sort of abrasive. You can buy those at model shops.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I never was recommended it. It happened by accident.

It worked. Yup it stank a bit, bit it was pretty obvious that swarfega was in fact an olefin and a detergent mixed. Plus a bit of antiseptic and a bit of dye and a bit of pong.

Try using pentane hexane or octane instead of parafin for a better smell.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yup. Don't handle those candles folks, or touch that butter or margarine. Or in fact handle any part of the organic world at all, all of which is hydrocarbons of one sort or another.

Sometimes people make idiots of themselves don't they?

Know what candles are? Paraffin wax. Why is it called paraffin wax? because its made of long chain paraffins. You can almost eat the bloody things.

Most carcinogenic hydocarbons are aromatics of one sort or another - the benzenes etc. Or the chlorinated hydrocarbons like carbon tetrachloride, trichlorethane etc.

But I guess you are the sort of guy who reads the sunday sport and attacks paediatricians instead.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Ah. Perhaps that's why it was on very special offer at my local motor factor a year or so ago. I bought 4 of the gallon tubs. Will probably see me out. ;-)

[Alan]

In message , Bob Eager wrote

You can still get Swarfega under that name.

[Bob Eager]

C1SIIQ?id=24084&ts=45723>

Having had a look round (I had a thing that said 'Tufanega - the new name for Swarfega'), it's not quite as simple as I thought.

They now appear to be marketing under both names - see

It's not clear if the 'home' market is still being sold Swarfega, and the 'industrial' market Tufanega. Having said that, the part numbers for Tufanega start SWA....!

[dmc]

From years ago when my dad ran a garage I seem to recall that Swarfega was green and smooth and Tufanega was orange and had the abrasiave in it.

I could have been dreaming...

Darren

[Mary Fisher]

Only some candles. And it's paraffin, not wax.

It shouldn't be. It's just a paraffin.

There's no food value, unlike tallow candles which aren't sold with added VAT because they're made of a food substance, animal fat. Yes, it's a hydrocarbon but it's not carcinogenic.

But not all.

Why are you so very silly?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

My orange coarse stuff is in a tub marked Swarfega. Perhaps that's why it was on special offer.

[Bob Eager]

You're right...that's 'Tufanega Orange'. As opposed to 'Tufanega Green' !!

[Huge]

[25 lines snipped]

How do I acquire your patience and forebearance? As I get older, I seem to be getting angrier, not calmer.

ObDIY: Just cut myself getting open the elderly NiCD battery pack on my

144MHz handheld, so I could put new cells in it.

[Rob Morley]

I've found it dries your hands if used frequently. Manista is good.