Cleaning with Rex's Lye & Water

Reprinted from "INSULATORS - Crown Jewels of the Wire", August 1971, page 31

Dear Dora & Don:

Sorry I missed the opportunity to meet you at the 2nd National, but it was very hectic for me both days and I didn't know you were there until the show had ended.

I enjoy reading the "Crown Jewels" publication and find it interesting as well as amusing.

One of the questions that seems to come up almost every month is "How do you clean insulators" and I find it to be no chore at all. I have been using a solution of Rex's lye and water. It will clean the dirtiest insulator without harming the surface in any way, and that includes the Carnivals! ! I have yet to find an insulator that was so dirty that lye wouldn't break down the film. Simply dissolve the can of lye in a plastic bucket of water (start with cold water, it will get hot fast enough) and put the insulators in to soak. 1 usually leave them in over night, but longer if they need it. I then remove them and wash with a sponge and a little cleanser. I never use S. 0. S. pads, as they have a tendency to scratch the glass. If they do not readily come clean, I soak them a little longer. When soaked long enough, the dirtiest film comes off just by wiping under running water. To remove rust stains on the glass, I soak for a few minutes in a solution of hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid) and then wash in the same manner as above. A little caution at this point--be sure to wear a pair of rubber gloves as the lye raises hell with your hands! I find the acid doesn't do much to them for the brief moment they are in it unless you have an open sore. Has a tendency to burn a bit then.

Hope this helps someone a bit.

Keep up the good work!

Harold Vordos

P. S. I have also soaked an E-14B in lye with no ill effects. I have not put a carnival in the acid solution, so don't know if it will hurt the carnivals or not. About 100 insulators can be cleaned with one can of lye. Cost of each insulator: 1/3 cent.

Editor's Note: DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT put any carnivals or factory dyed insulators in the muriatic acid solution unless you want a clear insulator. The E-14B is not a dyed insulator. The color is in the glass.