I cook primarily on cast iron. Here are some things I've learned:

1. If you are lucky, you'll be able to find some vintage cast iron. You won't regret it. I'm not talking collector status 1800's stuff, but the stuff made in the 1950's is WORLDS better than modern Lodge stuff. Check out craigslist. Don't pay more than $20-$30 for a pan. Most people think they have a collector item worth $100 or more, but if you do a little research, you can pick out some nice pans for cheap, and be educated is very helpful in negociating. I picked up a set of 6 pans off CL for $50 (Griswold and unmarked Wagner pans, pre-1950's).
   
   
2. When you have your pans, you need to clean/ season them. DON'T use flax oil. It is hard, but as a result it is very brittle and won't last. This guy has the best videos detailing how to clean/season cast iron. The TL;DW is:
   
   
   1. Clean pans using a self cleaning oven cycle, you can beat the shit out of these pans cleaning them. Clean, unseasoned pans will rust in a matter of minutes, do not worry.
      
      
   2. Season. If you bought new pans, start here. You'll want to rub a thin layer of Crisco onto your PREHEATED (this opens up pores in the iron) ALL OVER, inside, out, even in the handle notch. Then, you take another dry towel and try to wipe it all off<--very important. You just want a thin film, any more than that you will get sticky drips of unpolymerized oil. This thin film will be your base seasoning, and done properly will prevent rust. Bake upside down @350 for ~30-45 mins. to polymerize the fat.
      
      
3. General care. Get yourself a set of these. Any supermarket should have them. They scrub pretty much anything off a properly seasoned pan. For tougher messes, boil a thin layer of water to loosen up the gunk. You should avoid cooking any acidic foods in cast iron: wine, vinegar, tomatoes, citrus will all mess with your seasoning. NEVER leave the pans wet. Even well seasoned pans will rust if left wet. Wash and dry right away. You should not use soap, I use a little bit if the pan is particularly greasy, but soap will weaken the seasoning. You can always rub a bit of oil on the pan after cleaning if you are worried about rust.
   
   Additional tips:
   
   -Don't be too concerned about aesthetics. These pans can take a beating. The inside/outside will become discolored with heavy use.
   
   -Cast iron pans are a healthy choice. They are a great way to increase your iron intake, something you don't get with enameled cast iron. To be honest, well seasoned cast iron, although less nonstick than Teflon cancer pans, is more nonstick than enameled cast iron. The pans impart a bit of iron to your food when you cook in them. Low iron makes you sleepy, and if you consume a lot of dairy, it blocks iron absorption. Vitamin C increases iron absorption.
   
   -Learn to cook properly with these pans to get the most out of them. Use fat, don't be afraid of it, you don't consume most of the fat that you cook your food in.
   
   -Coconut oil is a great healthy option and can be bought for cheap at Sam's/Costco/BJ's, Also look for any ethnic grocer that sells Swad brand products, their coconut oil is bomb and quite cheap.
   
   -Don't use olive oil. It can be oxidized to a trans fat at high heat (only unsaturated fats can do this, trans fats are the only fats scientifically linked to heart disease).
   
   -Preheat the pan! If it isn't sizzling when you drop it in, it WILL stick. Don't try to flip things too early, it will also stick, you want a nice crust to form.
   
   Best of luck!
   

Canti's take a lot of nuance to set up well; it took me several years before I got it down. I don't know if I can convey all of my tricks well in text but I'll try.


The first thing is it's all about angles. The height of the yoke, and the angle of the caliper arms in their resting position are good indicators. You want to start by getting the yoke in the right position. Shimano's "yokes" are called "link wires" I guess... according to Sheldon Brown... I always try to use these as I find them easier to work with. There's usually a line indicator to help you set them up, basically you want that "link wire" to be about a 90 degree angle when the brake is resting. When it's set up right, the caliper arms will be close to parallel when resting. You definitely don't want the tops of the arms pointing in, but you also don't want them pointing too far out.

​

After that I use a toe strap or something similar to hold the brake lever in a slightly pulled position. Depends on the length of lever and how it all feels but I usually do it 2 finger widths from the bar, sometimes 3. You're setting the "bite point" of the brake, aka the moment in the lever pull when the pads first contact the rim. With the toe strap holding the brakes at this position, I then install/adjust my pads. I put them up square against the rim. This works best with pads like Kool Stops Eagle 2's that have a little bit of built in toeing (the backs kind of angle out like a "claw") but honestly I've found it works ok with normal pads like Shimano's too. A lot of people will probably protest me here and say you need to toe them some. You certainly can, I just find I don't have to often. Why? I always, always, always clean a dirty rim. I use the "purple stuff", which seems to be called aluminum oxide scotch brite. The last shop I worked at used it all the time so I always try to keep some at my bench now. Clean up rims with it, sand the pads down a little, and a lot of your brake squeal problems will go away.

​

Like everything it just takes time and familiarity. I also "cheat" by using large channel lock pliers to adjust the angle of the whole pad if it just needs a slight adjustment, instead of loosening and re-tightening the hardware.

>1) I was just a dumbass for using the scouring pad

Possibly?! Was it like This Or more like This ?


I've never had anything stick so bad that a little hot water and one of These couldn't get it off easily.

-------------

>2) I was seasoning them with too-thin coats of oil

Not likely, you want it wiped down almost dry, you sound like you did good here.

-------------

>3) The quality of my seasoning was somehow marred by tiny bits of rust I couldn't see

Tiny invisible rust won't hurt. But oiling over a raw pan that's not 100% dry and then baking, can cause issues with the seasoning sticking.

-------------

For a long time this Flax seed oil method has been praised as being the end all and be all of seasoning cast iron. More and more lately I've been hearing stories like yours. There's got to be something to it. Either people are doing it wrong, or it's not really as good as people say. All I can say is that people seasoned pans without issue for the last 100+ years using whatever kind of grease they had on hand, and it worked just fine.


I've had pretty good luck with Olive Oil (Even though others may disagree). I've since moved on to using Sunflower oil and like it very much. I use only metal utensils, and only scrub with the pads I linked above and have never had the issue of seasoning flaking off.


Edit

Here's a few links with other people having problems with their Flax seasoning. Maybe you can glean some info from them.



My Flax seed problem.


"It worked nice. I was happy. But it didn't last."


"I like using olive oil better because olive oil in thin layers do not flake off like flaxseed for me"


After 8 coats, the surface looked great, the eggs slide off nicely and I thought we were golden. Then...the seasoning started to wear/cook off quickly.

I just got a stainless set for Christmas this past year. I was really excited but also terrified, then I did some research. The key to stainless steel cooking is heat the pan first before adding ANYTHING. I believe the adage is hot pan, cold fat.

So, say you want to cook something over medium-high heat.

• Turn the burner on to that, set the pan on it and forget about it for a few minutes so the pan comes up to heat empty.
  
• Then, add your fat, so butter, olive oil whatever (I don't do this with bacon because the bacon is essentially the fat, just heat and slap in your bacon), let the fat come up to temperature. You want to wait until you see a nice shimmer on the surface for things like olive oil. * Then add your food.
  
  I can even scramble eggs in my skillets and they slide out like nothing. You'll notice after a little practice that these babies are, when used properly, less prone to stick than something with a non-stick coating, unless of course you burn the shit out of it. :)
  
  Also, for cleaning, let the pan cool before you wash it. My favorite things to use are either no scratch Scotch Brite pads or Scotch Brite Dobies but in most cases I don't really need to scrub. That being said, you're going to encounter situations where you burn things or the fat oxidizes on your pans and for this, hands down, get some Bar Keepers Friend. It's the best thing ever.

The chain mail thing is great if you want to go that route. Personally I just use a perfectly normal stainless steel scouring pad that you can buy pretty much anywhere for a few dollars. I literally get them at my supermarket and for the past 10 years they have gotten the job done just fine. Good luck!

edit: as to this stuff

>I guess I’ll just buy a chainmail scrubber - but what do I do after cooking? Let it cool? Can I cool it down with cold water? Is 10-15 minutes enough cooking? Do I then go at it with the chainmail and running water?

I let mine cool off. Usually I just go eat dinner. Then when I wash up I wash the pan. Cooling it with cold water .. well I've done it. It works. People will tell you that you have a chance of warping/cracking the pan. If it is hot enough they are correct! So typically I just leave it on the stove till after my meal and then clean up.

>I’m new to this all and struggling. My housemates are all having a go at me for using soap and I explained that lye is the problem but they look at me like I’m an idiot.

Soap gets things clean. Clean is good. Use soap.

aqadvisor.com is pretty good for estimating basic stocking levels. You should probably get a couple more harlequin rasboras before adding anything else to the tank. They do best in schools of five or more. Even after adding more rasboras you still have room for shrimp. The shrimp's survival depends on the betta's temperament. I've had good luck with two different bettas in tanks with ghost shrimp, but some bettas just like to hunt the shrimp down until there are none left. More plant cover or a cave would help their chances of survival.

The original Magic Erasers are totally aquarium safe. The bathroom or kitchen specific ones have some extra chemicals and scents added so they should be avoided. Original Magic Erasers are just melamine foam and you can get it cheaply and in bulk from sites like Amazon.

I use to use these but they fell apart after 5-10 uses.

https://www.amazon.com/Chore-Boy-Copper-Scouring-Pad-2ct/dp/B006K3XS5A/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1519600857&sr=1-4&keywords=chore+boy

Now I use the scotch brand and they are outstanding

https://www.amazon.com/Scouring-Pad-Copper-Coated-PK3/dp/B00HNE8BV6/ref=sr_1_6?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1519600880&sr=1-6&keywords=copper+scouring+pad

If you don't want to tear your hand up it helps to use a regular sponge scrubby or brush scrubby on top of it.

Always warm pan hot water as well.

Great advice. Thanks. I just got a new lodge pre-seasoned for my birthday, and the seasoning seems to be great. Doesn't stick much at all even frying with very little oil, though I'd hardly call it almost like glass. What would you recommend for helping to cultivate that glass-like surface? My current routine is to let it cool till I can lay my finger on it, and then wash with hot water and one of these guys just until all the food bits come off. I then put it back on the stove with the heat on high until all the water evaporates, and that's a wrap.

Good choice. I have the same. Here are some bullet points:

• I have a job box that I set it on top of to cook, and store it inside the job box when not in use.
  
• I keep the grate indoors and clean it after every use. A simple course steel pad will work just fine. It and some Dawn dish soap.
  
• I clean out the ash after every use. (I store it in a knee high metal trash can)
  
• I use a chimney stack to start standard charcoal briquettes You only need to fill it 3/4 of the way full.
  
• You can easily close the vents and cap off to kill the briquettes and use them on the next grilling.
  
• I clean grill itself twice a year. Once in the fall before the winter season. And then again late spring/early summer. Once again, some Dawn and the above steel scouring pad works fine.
  
  I cook all the time for my lady and myself. 4 burgers. 8 wings. A full slap of spare ribs (cut in haft), 2 T-bone steaks, Shish-kabobs . So this grill is perfect for your application. Granted, don't plan on cooking a side with most meals, as the meat takes up a good amount of room.
  
  
• Yes you can do Hot and Cold sides. Just put your charcoal to one side. Granted this does limit your cooking space. So you may have to do something like burgers in batches.
  
  Oil is not needed. Thou I tend to Pam not stick spray the griddle right before I put the meat on. It works fine. A little elbow grease when you clean it may be needed, but it is fairly easy.
  
  Some Proof of what I have done with mine:
  
  
• https://twitter.com/eqrunner/status/512344565479911424
  
• https://twitter.com/eqrunner/status/493891657683574784
  
• https://twitter.com/eqrunner/status/466727864847441920
  
• https://twitter.com/eqrunner/status/451459503956176898
  
• https://twitter.com/eqrunner/status/451443387242389504
  

I have one small nonstick pan that I use only for eggs. I hand wash it and generally treat it like spun glass.

I keep my stainless steel clean in several ways. First, get in the habit of de-glazing the pan and making a tasty sauce for whatever you cooked. Second, soak the pan. Fill it with hot water and let it sit until the water cools. If that's not enough to loosen everything, then use a scouring powder like Bar Keeper's Friend or Bon Ami, along with one of these.

For really burnt on stuff, especially stuff that had a high sugar content such as barbecue sauce, try adding some white vinegar to the hot water when you soak the pan.

Cast iron lover ... it's easy.

You need:

• hot water
  
• a scraper like this
  
• a pad like this
  
  Technique:
  
  

• Rinse the pan with the hottest water you can stand.
  
• Use scraper to remove anything stuck to the bottom.
  
• Run the scotch pad around a couple of times.
  
• Dry thoroughly.
  
• Put on a warm burner for a minute or two to ensure all the water is off.
  
• Lightly coat it with some oil on a paper towel and wipe hard to ensure any oil left is a very thin layer.
  
  Done.
  
  Don't believe me though, watch this great demonstration, starting at 16:30

It's a modern Lodge skillet.

Look at castironcollector.com for instructions on how to restore.

I'd recommend the yellow-cap oven cleaner in a bag, scrubbing with stainless steel wool, and then a short diluted vinegar bath followed quickly by seasoning with Crisco. Three coats is what I'd recommend.

Good luck, that's a nice pan!

If it's hops you'll have to clean out the tube/poppet/tap/etc. then find a way to filter it BEFORE it enters the dip tube.

Someone below mentioned a muslin bag, but that might cause resistance or foam up the beer.

Stainless steel scouring pads might work. (this was suggested to me once here when I had the same issue). THESE But make sure you boil/sanitize them first and then just get it the bottom of the keg around the bottom of the dip tube. The idea is this will catch the hop sediment before it enters the dip tube. Good luck!

I haven't done one myself. But if you don't want to ruin the default shell, BASSTOP and some other companies on Amazon sell after market shells.

First you need to take a scour pad to the surface you want to paint. Rinse it off and make sure its clean and dry before painting.

Use a spray primer before painting. I would recommend a matte black or white. The use spray or acrylic paints to get your desired colors/effects/designs.

Then use a spray clear coat to seal it.

I'd look up plastic painting tutorials, a lot of the same practices can be used to achieve different results with controller shells.

I have not tried this on a SS mod specifically, but I am a machinist by trade and we use Scotch-brite to polish various steel, brass and aluminum parts. I use it on my copper Stingray and it puts a bunch or super fine scratches on it that give it a really nice (in my opinion) matte shine. They are cheap enough from wally to try it out.

The chainmail will work, but its a bit overkill for most things if your pan is in good shape. If you too crazy with it, you might rip a little seasoning off.

In addition to the old salt/oil method, plastic scrubbers ( like these ), Scotch Brite Non Scratch, the blue kind, not the green ones, and/or a stiff nylon brush under hot water all work great. Lodge also makes Scrapers that are very useful.

if you are talking about the green life ceramic coated pans you should know they recommend cleaning them with magic erasers, not your typical nylon scouring pad. And the magic erasers work great cleaning them up to new looking every time. The trick is getting magic erasers for cheap. I just got 100 of them for $7 being sent from china.

When I clean the pan I get most of it out with a sponge, then there's some sort of discolored spots or areas, discolored with a thin layer of matter. the magic erasers knock this out like a champ.

here's a link
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EZGIT8U/ref=nosim/?ascsubtag=FWcuirij&tag=fatwalletcom&linkCode=as1

Not at all. Rubbing alcohol is quite gentle. The magic erasers are cheap if you go this route, which I will do momentarily. But Mr. Clean 2 or 4 packs should work nicely for you.

Dip the eraser in alcohol, and scrub medium force. It'll come right off within seconds! :)

Same thing. All a Magic Eraser is is a melamine sponge, and one has a significant name brand upcharge. I have a bag of 100 of them in my closet I got for $6.63 or so. Arrived via the slow boat but they are perfect.

Edit: The ones I got are $8.99 now. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XC32NMK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
Still a good price on 100.

It's called melamine foam, and is also used in soundproofing rooms. You can buy the off brand stuff for WAAAY cheaper than Mr clean. Here's 100 of them for 10 bucks with free shipping. Mr clean wants like 8 bucks for 4 of them.

Dude, yes. If it's anything like the rubbery white caps on my converse, Magic Eraser (and honestly, the cheap knock off's too) works a charm!

Hey Maggie,

​

Over the last couple of years I too have started to really enjoy the pleasures of cooking full on meals out on the trail. I went through the same struggle, bought a few different pots, burned a bunch of food along the way, and all of that.

​

I finally bit the bullet and paid the money to try out one of those MSR ceramic nonstick pots, and that really changed things for me. Highly recommend them. The aluminum gives a good heat distribution and the ceramic coating does a great job.

​

I use a stainless steel scrub pad on mine, and so far it does not appear to have caused any damage to the coating, but I am not sure I would go and throw sand and rocks inside of the pot, I am just not sure what that would do.

​

Also, I first bought the 1.3L and found it to be an "ok" size, but when I really wanted to cook a nice meal, it just felt to be on the small size, so I ended up buying the 2.5L version, and that has really opened up the dishes that I am able to cook out on the trail. The extra 3.5 oz for the larger version, on those trips when I wanna cook a nice meal, just seems worth it for the extra room/volume in the pot. It is one of those things where the food seems to always be at the very top of the pot (with the 1.3L) versus having a bit of extra room inside of the pot to stir things around, and even add a bit of extra liquid should the need arise.

​

The lid on the S2S is better for straining and cleans easier, but I did not like the handle and the coating on the pan was not as good as the MSR.

​

I did not try the halulite, because when it comes to cooking, a wide and short pot is better than a tall and narrow, and the halulite is the latter of the two.

​

I have seen pictures of a few hikers that have caused damage to the MSR Ceramic pots, but every single time I have looked at their pictures, it was clear that they had their stoves in some kind of freakish afterburner mode and just caused heat damage. Keep your stove on low to medium and these MSR ceramic pots will serve you very well.

You'll want to clean your records with something like a Spin Clean or a cheaper clone. Then you'll probably want to upgrade the inner sleeves if they come in paper ones. And you'll need outer sleeves for those purchases that don't come with one. Then a carbon fiber brush would be great for getting any surface dust off before spinning a record. And occasionally you'll want to wipe any debris off your stylus with either a stylus brush or use a Magic Eraser. Speaking of the stylus, you should double-check the tracking force with a scale.

For storage, maybe just an IKEA Kallax will do.

Melamine sponges have a very fine abrasive quality which is perfect for this application. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are just melamine sponges impregnated with a detergent.

Just a generic melamine sponge with rubbing alcohol should work really well.

Interesting. I've been cleaning stainless steel pots and pans for a few decades and never heard that before. Makes sense, it is an acid. Some web sites claim it will leave the surface pitted, and some claim soaking them in anything will do the same. I've never had a problem with an overnight soak.

In most kitchens I've worked in, if you can't get it off after scrubbing and soaking and scrubbing some more, just leave it. It's just carbon, and will not hurt the food you cook in it. You can put the pan on the stove and burn it some more, just to make sure anything not-carbon turns into carbon. (I know that's not very helpful.)

Good luck with it. Green Scotch Brite pads and stainless steel scrubbies like these have always been my go-to for burnt-on stains. (Scotch Brite pads come in different colors for different purposes, like different grits/coarsenesses of sandpaper. Green is common in the kitchen for scouring metal. Blue is safe for non-stick pans. When you get into maroon and greys, I think they are used to sand paint off cars and stuff. I don't know the details. Just know green is good for scouring steel pans, but will leave the surface scratched. Blue should not scratch metal and is supposed to be safe for Teflon coated pans, though I don't trust anything abrasive on those.)

This is easy to fix. Use a scotchbrite pad, not the sponge, the actual pads you get at a hardware store. The rougher the better, scrub this out and it should be fine. If you'd like, you can also get a finer pad to finish off the surface and smooth it out.

http://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Brite-Heavy-Scouring-Count/dp/B003FYJ83S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420045474&sr=8-1&keywords=scotchbrite+pad

I don't know if you know this, but Mr Clean magic erasers are literally just melamine foam sponges. There's absolutely nothing special about them besides the Mr. Clean brand name. They are in no way different than any other melamine foam sponge on the market.

Here is a pack of 50 "magic erasers" for $12.

I'll page in OP u/eveningsnow because when I learned magic erasers are just melamine sponges with enormously hijacked prices, it was life changing, and since y'all use them WAY more than I do, I hope this helps a bunch!

Make sure to buy the good ones.

Here are the ones I get on Amazon, and they are way better than the cheaper ones.

Generic Jumbo Magic Cleaning Eraser Sponge Melamine Foam High Quality 110 X 70 X 30mm (Pack Of 99) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015RNBIM8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_n09Ezb61WZ3BJ

Best tank cleaning purchase I have made! Acrylic safe too!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.com/USMYTHA-Melamine-Cleaning-Multi-Functional-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK&ved=2ahUKEwiy0qPy4oLlAhVog-AKHdvzB6kQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw1bGWfw6w4-Ildnbbs8ow7w&cshid=1570197883990

Barkeepers Friend + Heavy Duty Scour Pad

I used this combo on my baking trays this past weekend, worked great.

(https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Scour-Pad-86/dp/B000KKIMU0).

Just found this 100 pack for $8.99.

And the customer questions are pretty great too.

https://www.amazon.com/Pumie-Scouring-Stick-HDW-12T-4PK/dp/B00N3EI34U

I use one of these when I want to get my grill pan perfectly clean. You will have to re-season after though.

More line than you think you need. Double the line. You can never have enough line.

Waterproof, powerful flashlight my recommendation

Plastic bag with a lanyard for valuables/wallets/phones/licenses. Alternatively, a pelican case.

A pair of vice grip pliers ("The wrong tool to get every job done right")

A knife, as others said. I work professionally on the water as well as boating recreationally. The Myerchin Rigging Knife is the best all purpose knife to have on board. It might be a little overkill, but when you need a line cut fifteen seconds ago, you'll be glad you have it.

A VHF handheld radio and a knowledge of what channels are monitored by the USCG (13, 16, 22A), Commercial traffic (13/16) and local police/fire departments

Spare fuses, bulbs, plugs

A Towboat US membership

A bigger, heavier anchor if you're anywhere with a decent amount of current (rivers, oceans). I'm very much a proponent of overkill when it comes to anchoring. I use an anchor way bigger than my 20' pontoon needs, and it's a tad pricey, but once I drop it and pay out the scope, I rarely worry about dragging.

Bag of cleaning supplies. Rags, paper towels, and the holy trinity of vinyl care: melamine pads, CLR Mold & Mildew, and 303 protectant

Most important item of all: A bleach bottle with the bottom cut off

I have to clean the outside of my filters every 3-6 months. The pores on the outside clog up with a thin slick sort of film in my case. I use a 3M scouring pad and very lightly rub it on the outside. Then rinse the filters with clean water. You really should disassemble and clean your Berkey at least once every six months anyways.

Mister Clean Magic Erasers might work. Or just the generic https://www.amazon.com/Baoer-100Pcs-Melamine-Cleaning-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK

Just be sure to go easy on the area around the ring or you'll take the paint off.

By naturally, do you mean without using chemicals?

If so, use a pumice stone. There are a few on the market, I get mine from Amazon or Home Depot. You just get it wet and scrub the stains and scale off. If you don’t like the sound of nails on a chalkboard, you won’t like this method. Otherwise, it’s very effective and uses no chemicals.

I've found that magic erasers (example) are pretty good for removing paint transfer. Wet them and squeeze off excess water, then scrub the marks fairly vigorously (here's a video example if you want), and that should do it.

Thanks for the reply!

Haha it was mostly just because a lot of the threads online about cast iron table saws and rust seem to warn against it. I have a ROS but no belt sander so that definitely could be an option. I did stick one of these on the ROS and go over the top after electrolysis and it did an okay job of cleaning up and smoothing out the area to the left of the blade opening and miter slot (it was comparable to the right section. I'll post an update after I have a chance to work on it some more this weekend!

https://www.amazon.com/Baoer-100Pcs-Melamine-Cleaning-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK


Don't buy another name brand magic eraser. These are identical at a fraction of the cost. I use these for LITERALLY EVERYTHING. Countertop, stove, use them on my feet my shoes my car. It is the BEST cleaning utility of my lifetime.

Got a white board that won't wipe clean? Take some windex and scrub the board with an eraser, apply a new coat of whiteboard finisher and bam, just saved yourself $40.

I can't sing the praises of this item enough.

Just an FYI-Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are just a fancy name for melamine sponges...just buy these and save a ton!!

I've used a normal cloth(?) scouring pad like these and from carelessly scratching over parts that have matte plastic, it does scratch up, just harder and it's not that noticable or looks that great (at least in my opinion)

maybe find something small you barely use or a 'hidden surface' somewhere so you can try it out and see how you like it

I've removed clear coat with 3M pads, they come in a variety of grits and leave a nice surface finish if you're careful with them. https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Brite-General-Purpose-6-Inch-9-Inch/dp/B000LPN3WQ

Go to home depot or lowes and buy a pack of these. They are around $2.50 for a pack of 3.

Sanitize 1. While you're doing that remove the liquid post and clear/re-sanitize it. When you put it back in, before pushing it all the way down use SS tongs or something to let you push the end of the dip tube into the middle of the pad. Push the dip tube all the way down and reattach post.

Depending on how much liquid is in the keg, you can use your hand (sanitized) and it's very easy to attach.

Problem solved for less than $1.

Does anyone have any experience using cheap melamine sponges to clean their tanks? Specifically the generic ones you can buy in bulk like these. I'm mainly concerned about them deteriorating inside the tank while I'm using them.

Try a magic eraser. It just wipes away any brown build-up. I tear a bit off and use use tweezers/needlenosed pliers to scrub it inside for like 5 seconds and it's as good as new.

Yep, magic erasers or the off brand will take care of that way faster.

I use a [melanine sponge] (https://www.amazon.com/Baoer-100Pcs-Melamine-Cleaning-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK) myself and it works pretty well.

honestly at first glance and not knowing what these shoes looked like i thought the pink was part of the shoe--it kind of looks dope.

But if you don't think so there's the sneaker cleaning stuff like Jason Markk and the melamine sponge stuff thats like a magic eraser, but cheaper.

Looks like cooked on food, or hard water deposit. Go to the store, get a scouring pad, and go to town. It'll take awhile, but it should clean right up.

Thank you for mentioning that you can't mix these chemicals!

I think it's my shampoo and conditioner- I get buildup in my tub really fast.

While it has never looked like this (ew. Just... ew.) I use fill and soak with bleach method as well. I find the smell to be less abrasive than Comet, which is the next best thing for removing soap scum, in my opinion.

I don't use other chemicals in that same day, though. I fill the tub with hot water (if you have a crappy hot water tank, think of maybe adding some water you boil on the stove) and add a few cups of bleach. Let that sit for about an hour or so- no less than 30 minutes. Then get a pair of gloves and a dish sponge like this and start to work on the sides- dip the sponge into the bleach water, scrub over the area, repeat.

For a job this big... you might need to do this a couple times.

I cant beleive nobody has mentioned this:

https://www.amazon.com/Baoer-100Pcs-Melamine-Cleaning-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK

Seriously makes cleaning SO much easier.

You're welcome 😁



100Pcs/lot ERASER CLEANER MAGIC MELAMINE SPONGE CLEANING 10x6x2CM https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00XC32NMK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_E6HwCbSTEVNW7


They arrive in a big bag, but each sponge is individually wrapped.

I use a heavy duty abrasive scouring pad to clean my toilet. Something like this or this. It works like nothing else. I've used pumice stones with good results, too, but the scour pad is my go-to now since the abrasive doesn't wear down like pumice does. Others in the thread are concerned about leaving scratches. I just checked the bowl with the flashlight and I don't see any.

Better yet, buy them in bulk on amazon Baoer 100Pcs/lot Eraser Magic Melamine Cleaning Sponge 10x6x2CM https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XC32NMK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_V3TOXYIeXJSw1 they are way cheaper

Get it hot then stick it in some brass or copper scrubby things. This would be the main way. You can also use copper scrubbing pads which can usually be picked up in a cleaning aisle in your local store. It's nice to have a container for it as holding one of the pads by hand is a bit sketchy but doable.

You could also consider getting a solder wick or vacuum pump to remove the build up from the last job.

Just as an FYI, those erasers are made of melamine, you can buy the stuff on amazon for cheap. Melamine works so well because its a very abrasive material at a microscopic level.
Don't buy anymore magic erasers. Check these out

I tried one of those on a really dirty tub once, and it did not work well at all. It did look a fair bit cheaper than the one you linked. But what worked the absolute best was one of those stainless steel scrubby things.

Also, after you soak it with vinegar and water (I do half and half, and soak for half an hour), take a non-scratch scouring pad and scrub it out. That gets it really clean.

That's what I usually do anyway.

Mr. Clean magic eraser. AKA melamine foam.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EZGIT8U/ref=pd_aw_sbs_6?pi=SL500_SS115&simLd=1
That's one example. Melamine is the active substance

Relax... Relax... just use a melamine foam sponge, that thing will be clean in 4 seconds. Use some gloves if you don't want to touch it.

If you like them here's the next tip. Just buy Melamine sponges in bulk.

https://www.amazon.com/Baoer-100Pcs-Melamine-Cleaning-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK

Something like this would work: http://www.amazon.com/3M-Scotch-Brite-Stainless-Steel-Scouring/dp/B002CQTXBC/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1372694956&sr=8-7&keywords=steel+wool

If you need more, order now on Amazon. Same product minus the name brand mark up. There are a lot of different sellers with different quantities based on needs. Melamine Foam Cleaner - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076Q7JHR2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_XzuBDbXVWNJ2P

How about $12 for 100? Works just as well as the name brand...

https://www.amazon.com/Baoer-100Pcs-Melamine-Cleaning-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK

THIS.

Magic Erasers are gods gift to sneaker heads everywhere.

Also, don't buy name brand Magic Erasers.

Generic Melamine board can be purchased wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy cheaper.

Amazon has 100pcs for <$7. The name brand ones don't break down as fast, but at this price point, you could use them once and throw them away and still spend less than the name brand ones.

You can buy 100 of those for $12 on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Baoer-100Pcs-Melamine-Cleaning-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK

no.

well, there might be pumice stones made for heavy duty use like grills or whatever but i'm talking about this one

Bathtub. I have secrets. Melamine foam will work wonders for your tub. Just order on amazon or buy "Magic Eraser" from supermarket and scrub. It's going to be a LITTLE pricy http://www.amazon.com/CLEANING-MELAMINE-CLEANER-ECO-FRIENDLY-MATERIAL/dp/B005HZWYNY This will last you a REALLY long time though so not too expensive.

Stainless Steel Wool. You will not believe how well it cleans off cooked on wort from your cook top.

Get these They are the same thing as magic erasers except they aren't crazy expensive.

Yeah, I had this happen to me with a smaller piece. The kitchen at my job was using these to scrub their fry baskets, and the metal got stuck in the space where two wires met. When put back into the fryer, the metal expanded, let the strip go, and it attched to my chicken cutlet.

I use stainless steel sponges
6 Pack Stainless Steel Sponges, Scrubbing Scouring Pad, Steel Wool Scrubber for Kitchens, Bathroom and More https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CTHPJYK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_h7ZjDbQ7Q1GG0

you can indeed https://www.amazon.com/Baoer-100Pcs-Melamine-Cleaning-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1466915830&sr=8-3&keywords=Melamine+foam

Stuff a 3M pad up the spout.

More than you need on Amazon

you can get a pack of 100 for $8

Baoer 100Pcs/lot Eraser Magic Melamine Cleaning Sponge 10x6x2CM https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XC32NMK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_qKELBb8FNBGZG

https://www.amazon.com/Baoer-100Pcs-Melamine-Cleaning-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK

Buy these instead

https://www.amazon.com/3M-08293-Scotch-Brite-General-Scouring/dp/B00C0OH5E8

This one?

Scotch Brite

https://www.amazon.ca/100Pcs-CLEANER-MELAMINE-CLEANING-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK

Generic version for you.

That what I would have thought, but then why do they sell pumice specifically for cleaning toilets?

I brought a small scrubby. Like this (except only brought half of one, not 20).

This Pumice Stone is what I use. It won’t scratch the porcelain.

Pumie Scouring Stick (4PK) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N3EI34U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3IgXDbEDK9Q45

And get yelled at by cost-conscious wife about why you spent nearly $1/sponge for a Magic Eraser® when you could have gotten the Melamine sponges 100 pack for $8 which is the exact same thing?

These should work.

HTH;HAND.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002CQTXBC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1497305129&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=metal+scrub+pad&dpPl=1&dpID=41h3cypvWmL&ref=plSrch
These will also take it right off.

If you can get your hands on some brown 3M Scotch-Brite (the pads, not discs), it'll be less hard on the metal than the steel wool the next time around.

If you're wondering, there's rumors all over the internet that magic erasers are just these

And I guess they're also bad for the environment. But I don't care. Just wanted to share this info in case you like those sponges and you want to get them cheaper.

"Magic erasers" are your enemy, "Melamine sponges" are your friend.

They're exactly the same thing, but it costs 20x less if you you don't buy the brand name.

Nope. I was on my phone before, and couldn't easily give a link. One of these.

A friend's ex did this regularly to their business vehicle. He learned that a car wash with the high pressure hose works fairly well and you can use a green scrubbie (Amazon link because some folks have asked what that is before) very gently to get any remaining bits out. If you get down to metal, make sure you use some touchup paint to seal that back up or it'll rust on you.

His ex tended to just graze them. If you have serious damage, you probably need to be careful of removing too much other paint. HTH

Edit: Forgot to add that if there are minor scratches left, you can often buff them out with rubbing compound (ask at any auto parts store).

https://www.amazon.com/Chore-Boy-Copper-Scouring-Pad-2ct/dp/B006K3XS5A

Thats the choy - alternatives can be found but not as good. Some have soap and chems on them, some have wires that are too thick, your boy choy gets you everytime. Just burn the copper coating off completely before loading

pro tip: get a magic eraser or 100 generic ones for the same price for the coffee stain. also stop pouring coffee down your walls

https://www.amazon.com/Baoer-100Pcs-Melamine-Cleaning-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK

Here is your magic eraser. Only without label. Probably 10 times cheaper on aliexpress (if you ignore shipping).

I'm about to blow your mind:

Mr Clean doesn't have a patent on magic erasers. They are called melamine sponges. You can buy a pack of 100 for less than $10.

Seriously.

https://www.amazon.com/Baoer-100Pcs-Melamine-Cleaning-10x6x2CM/dp/B00XC32NMK

I have become a melamine sponge whore. And I am ashamed.

The added bonus: I think that the magic eraser branded ones tend to have a scent on them. The generic ones I linked to don't.

Silk Roses and Chore Boy are not age restricted. Anyone can buy it. Dipshit

It's stainless steel. I wouldn't worry too much about damaging it.

Just soak it in hot soapy water for an hour and then go at it with one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Brite-Stainless-Steel-Scouring-3-Pad/dp/B002CQTXBC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462972888&sr=8-1

They do! Except I go buy the Japanese version from the "everything is $2.80" Daiso store, which is exactly the same thing, because you get a whole bloody sheet instead of a tiny rectangular prism you would get if you bought the Chux magic eraser version that cost an arm and a leg.

Though that's just in Australia. You could probably find it around. It's called Melamine foam. Probably somewhere online for cheaper than corporate priced.

Edit - Hi Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005HZWYNY?pc_redir=1404530170&robot_redir=1

Let it sit overnight with water and some dish soap. Then boil with washing soda Sodium Carbonate, if still stubborn then like IceColdCarnivore said scoure with a stainless steal pad and some elbow grease....

That's fucking awful, I would be absolutely livid if that happened to my kitty. Seems like the same thing the sponges are made of after all.

>which you can find dirt dirt DIRT cheap online.

Wow you weren't kidding, $9 for 100, holy shit