# What Do You Use to Clean Ink Out of Screen?



## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

Just wondering what you use to clean the ink out of the screen immediately after printing? Press Wash? Or Ink Degradent? What's the difference? Is ink degradent just a more powerful version of press wash?

I've always used press wash, but I hate doing it and it seems like it takes a long time to get it clean.

Rusty


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

If you plan on keeping the image on the screen I would suggest using press wash. If you plan on reclaiming the screen use screen wash/Ink degradent (step 1).


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

rusty said:


> Just wondering what you use to clean the ink out of the screen immediately after printing? Press Wash? Or Ink Degradent? What's the difference? Is ink degradent just a more powerful version of press wash?
> 
> I've always used press wash, but I hate doing it and it seems like it takes a long time to get it clean.



Which ink? Which press wash?

Then we will look up the Technical Data Sheet and it will tell you the recommended solvent to remove the ink.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

It's plastisol ink, mostly Triangle brand. I've used CCI's Screen Wash #147 and Press Wash LV. Thanks.


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

Tri-sol 25 or equivalent (Mineral Spirits)

Ink degradents are meant to disperse your ink in the solvent and wash it all down the drain.

Press washes usually have petroleum solvents that evaporate fast and need no residue so you can use tape on the bottom of the screen.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

RichardGreaves said:


> Tri-sol 25 or equivalent (Mineral Spirits)
> 
> Ink degradents are meant to disperse your ink in the solvent and wash it all down the drain.
> 
> Press washes usually have petroleum solvents that evaporate fast and need no residue so you can use tape on the bottom of the screen.


Thanks Richard. I've never heard of Tri-sol 25 and don't see it listed by my local supplier (GSG). So are you saying that Mineral Spirits from any hardware store will work just as well as the press washes I would buy at a Screen Printing Supply?

Rusty


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

rusty said:


> I've never heard of Tri-sol 25 and don't see it listed by my local supplier (GSG). So are you saying that Mineral Spirits from any hardware store will work just as well as the press washes I would buy at a Screen Printing Supply?


Tri-sol 25 is the Triangle packaged cleanup solvent. Mineral spirits is excellent for re-circulation sinks because it doesn't evaporate too fast. 

I wrote this in October 1992 in my Screen Printing magazine column:

MINERAL SPIRITS - GREAVES ON GARMENTS October 1992

Mineral spirits is the most popular version of confusing number of names, many of which are unscientific and confusing; mineral spirits, Varnish Makers and Painters naphtha (VM&P), petroleum ether, petroleum spirits.

Petroleum naphtha is the most accurate, but not one vendor I know of sells anything by that name. Regular readers will recognize my attack on the use of the wrong words, but in this case I'm up against such resistance, even I surrender. What I can do is explain what to look for in a common solvent, what you should know about their personality and why each one has a specific purpose.

*SOLVENTS*
Solvent is another word that is battered about without much explanation. Solvents are liquids that can make a solid (solute) or gas disappear or dissolve. The solvent is the liquid and the solute is the solid. You dissolve the unexposed areas of a stencil with water when you process a screen. The water dissolves the unexposed stencil, they mix and go down the drain. Start picking a solvent is whether it will dissolve the solid you have in mind.

Plastisol ink is not dissolved with water, so it doesn't make a good washup solvent. Of course the entire family of resins that make up water base inks, will dissolve in water. To wash them up, water attacks the resin, dissolves it and carries it away from the screen. Solvent based inks, (called oil based or oil phase for textiles) actually use a solvent as the liquid carrier of the ink. When the solvent evaporates, the resin can go about its destiny of sticking pigments and itself to a substrate when the solvent is gone. Some resins require heat to form a film on the substrate, but others are just naturally sticky at room temperature.

*INK WASHUP*
You don't have to be at the mercy of your ink company when it comes to buying solvents. Study the MSD sheets and look for the chemical names of common solvents. Open the Yellow Pages to "CHEMICALS - MANUFACTURERS & DISTRIBUTORS". Most of them would like to sell you a tank car, rather than 5 gallons, but call a couple and ask for their catalogs. This will turn out to be a small booklet with lots of charts for different categories. Look in the Aliphatic and Aromatic solvents sections.

*ALIPHATIC AND AROMATIC*
In ten years of screen printing (now 27) I can think of no reason to try and understand the structural differences between aromatic and aliphatic solvents. They have to do with the shape of the molecule structure and there are many references to straight chains and benzene rings. All this talk about jewelry makes me dizzy. To further confuse those of us who don't have a PhD.D. in chemistry, aromatic has nothing to do with smell in this case, but instead refers to whether the compounds obey the Hšckel rule. Pay attention instead to chemicals that fall into these families and half of your work is done for you.

*AROMATICS*
Benzene
Toluol
Tolulene
Xylol
Xylene
Super Hi Flash naphtha

*ALIPHATICS*
Pentane
Rubber Solvent
Hexane
Heptane
VM&P
Mineral Spirits
White Spirits
Naphtha
Rule 66 Mineral spirits (for Rule 66 in California)
140 Solvent
Stoddard Solvent

When you're looking at the chart, here are the things you should look for:

*Kauri-Butanol Value (KB Value)*
The science wizards have designed an arbitrary measure of hydrocarbon solvent strength called Kauri-Butanol. All you need to remember is that higher is stronger. Aromatic hydrocarbons feature higher KB values which allow for less solvent to be used but, a more powerful solvent may be wasted if it's more power than what's needed. It's wa$tefull to wash our car with champagne, when water will do the job. Also keep in mind, the more active the solvent, the more irritating it may be to your skin.

In 1981 I hosted a 3 day test, (at the suggestion of OSHA) where the screen cleaner wore an air pump with a filter. She did what she could to splash as much screen cleaner on the unit, but the final result was no hazard. Still, many people have skin that is irritated. Insist they use proper protection.

If you're interested in conducting your own test, 3M has an exposure tester (product 3500) that you take out of a sealed container and wear. You then seal it up and send it to them for testing. They can check for only chemicals per tester, but you can always wear more than one at a time. The price is much cheaper than commercial lab processing. Try it, you'll be surprised what you find.

*Boiling Point*
At a certain temperature the upward pressure (vapor pressure) will equal the downward pressure (atmosphere - 14.7 pounds per square inch at sea level). Like two teams in a tug of war, the upward and downward pressure will be equal and no vapor escapes (no evaporation). Who will win in this battle? Atmosphere or vapor? This equilibrium temperature is called the boiling point, even though there is no boil. Add a little heat, the temperature goes up and the vapor escapes. Evaporation.

Boiling point is important because the higher the boiling point, the longer the solvent will take to evaporate. If we were making an ink, we would think about what speed we would like the ink to dry, and would choose an appropriate solvent. Use as a comparison water. It boils at 212øF. Do you want a solvent that evaporates slower or faster than water?

For washup, you don't want a solvent that evaporates fast because it won't last long, so look for solvents with a high boiling point.

*Flash Point*
Liquid chemicals are rarely flammable. The trick there is the word liquid. My father showed me when I was a boy how you can put a lit cigarette in a small puddle of gasoline. I have given this demonstration for my own employees out in the driveway of the shop during Hazard training. (Beware, this is a dangerous demonstration. One little spark and the gasoline can ignite. I'm telling you a story. I'm not telling you to do this yourself).

It's the vapor (evaporating liquid) that can form an ignitable mixture with air that's dangerous. The flash point is the minimum temperature for combustion.

Things are flammable when they ignite instantaneously compared to things that are combustible which means it takes time to ignite. Wood takes some time to ignite when exposed to flame, but gasoline will burn instantaneously.

Flash point is important because it describes at what temperature the chemical has a high enough concentration of vapor near it's surface to ignite, but don't worry, you still need a flame or spark to get the chemical to ignite. Gasoline for instance, with it's very low flash point can splash as you fill the tank on your lawn mower, but you still have to ignite it with a flame.

The flash point rating should be indicated on the label of the solvent container to remind us to keep flame away.

Loaded with this information, you should be ready to shop for a bulk solvent with some confidence. Consider price, strength and boiling point and flash point.

*DRYCLEANING*
We own a great deal to the drycleaning industry when it comes to solvents for plastisol and oil-base inks. Drycleaning uses solvents to clothes instead of water. There has always been confusion about the use and origin of the word dry. Water washing has always been called wet processing, so there is some logic to the use of the word dry, even though solvents are very wet and drycleaning goes on in washers much like the ones at the Laundromat. What is different is the way the liquids effect cloth. Water is absorbed by the fibers and they swell up, solvents don't. When wet fibers dry, they shrink to their normal size, and the garment looks soft, out of shape and has lost the new finish we like so much. Solvent cleaning retains all of the shape and finish of the garment and takes half the time for processing.

Much of the confusion also comes from the fact that one of the pioneers of this cleaning method was a man named Ludwig Drei. He called his methods and store Drei Cleaning, but of course when he came to America, the culturally handicapped twisted this to Drycleaning.

During the late 19th century, oil of turpentine, benzene and benzol were the most widely used. As the country progressed in the 20th century, gasoline was almost universally used as a drycleaning fluid. There was a huge fire hazard connected with using gasoline (poor Mr. Drei did not survive his last fire) and in 1928 standards were issued for a petroleum drycleaning solvent with a flash point of 100øF. In 1951 standards were issued for a solvent having a flash point of 140øF. The original 100-F standards were pioneered by W. J. Stoddard and the 100-F and 140-F solvents are named Stoddard Solvents in his honor. These flash points were achieved with the blending of chlorine with the basic petroleum naphthas, yielding chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents. Solvents like perchlorethelene and trichlorethelene clean well, (it's what you use in your spot cleaning gun) and you can't set them on fire.

It's a shame that our inks have this close tie to the drycleaning industry, because typical inks can't be drycleaned. This is the best solvent for cleaning clothes and breaking down our inks. This is being addressed with the creation of water washup, biodegradable solvents like Union Ink's Plawsh, Aeroflex Bio-Wash, Citi-Safe XDM, Mr. Murphy's Bio-Safe Screen Wash, ICC #840 and Planisol-M. If inkmakers can build resistance to drycleaning solvents by recommending these modern washups, we can have a more durable ink.

*DON'T ADD MINERAL SPIRITS TO YOUR PLASTISOL*
Many busy printers are tempted to add mineral spirits to their ink instead of more expensive plasticizers. Don't do it unless you're ready for the consequences. Your ink will always smell of solvent. The solvent is trapped in the ink at curing time, but won't bond with resin, so it washes out when detergent comes looking for oil. This will make your ink crack and your customer mad.

The most common problem with adding mineral spirits to plastisol ink is that the resin doesn't wait until it's heated to absorb and swell up. It starts now! If you add too much, the ink in the bucket will start to expand like the blob. Beware of this aging process!

*SAFETY KLEEN*
In the past I have recommended Safety Kleen (Elgin, IL) as a source of solvent for cleaning your tools and screens. They supply a sink and pump that goes on top of a 30 gallon drum (filled with 20 gallons of solvent). It eased my mind to know that someone was properly disposing of my hazardous waste.

In recent years, they have frowned on the practice of returning a drum full of ink sludge and 2 gallons of solvent. They are in the recycling business and expect to get more return on their product. There is also quite a difference around the country about the makeup of their solvent, from harsh to ineffectual. Try to work out a nice arrangement if you use Safety Kleen for your supplier. It is still great peace of mind to have them do your disposal.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

Thanks a LOT, Richard.

Rusty


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## sswimer (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi Richard,

Where do you buy Mr. Murphy's Bio-Safe Screen Wash? Thanks, S. Wimer


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## sswimer (Jul 24, 2009)

HI Richard,

Where can I buy Mr. Murphy's Bio-Safe Screen Wash - I see you mention it in this post.

Thanks,
S. Wimer


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

Alas, that article was from 1992 and they don't make it anymore.


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## sswimer (Jul 24, 2009)

Anything out there that is comparable to it? I first heard about it in 1996 and didn't pursue it at that time because I was using something else.

thanks.


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## nativeera (Jun 4, 2009)

How about this simple solution:

100% cooking vegetable oil - it works if you run out of soy solvent.


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## ambitious (Oct 29, 2007)

nativeera said:


> How about this simple solution:
> 
> 100% cooking vegetable oil - it works if you run out of soy solvent.


Ha Ha Ha 

A buddy of mine told me to use that and i never tried it (i thought it was a joke). I guess it ain't.


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## nativeera (Jun 4, 2009)

ambitious said:


> Ha Ha Ha
> 
> A buddy of mine told me to use that and i never tried it (i thought it was a joke). I guess it ain't.



YES!!! I do it all the time... .Now Just Hit That Button That says "THANKS" I'm teasing about that thanks part but yeah, it works..

Please note this, the ink can not be removed by water or make the ink not stick together, so when you use oil, it makes the ink constantly not sticking together. And thus, making the ink like an illusion. water can not do this. Like grease.


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## ambitious (Oct 29, 2007)

Well, i still have to thank you. lol 

I'll be trying that tommorow.


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## jsreid (Oct 10, 2008)

Check out Franmar. I use these chemicals and they work great.

Franmar Chemical - Environmentally Friendly Cleaners and Removers


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

nativeera said:


> How about this simple solution:
> 
> 100% cooking vegetable oil - it works if you run out of soy solvent.


What type of vegetable oil have you tried and do you use a degreaser afterwards?


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## nativeera (Jun 4, 2009)

Another simple solution for this problem would be just using "Paint Thinner - Mineral Spirits" Try it... It makes cleaning a screen easy. Within 10 minutes your screen clean will be clean. Keep using Clean paper towels or napkins, latex gloves and a mask to cover your mouth and nose.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

nativeera said:


> Another simple solution for this problem would be just using "Paint Thinner - Mineral Spirits" Try it... It makes cleaning a screen easy. Within 10 minutes your screen clean will be clean. Keep using Clean paper towels or napkins, latex gloves and a mask to cover your mouth and nose.


Thanks. But the problem will be the same. I live in a Condominium and print at home. Neighbors are likely to complain about the smell of kerosene or thinner. I need something milder. In our country, products such as citrus based cleaners are not available or at least I'm not aware of them.


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## macmiller (Jul 23, 2007)

Easiway Easisolv 842 is great, and smells like oranges. Won't break down the image.


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## lcarriger (Jan 22, 2010)

PlastiSol 842 is super for textile inks....smells good, destroys the ink and dries quickly. if you have graphic inks to clean out of a screen they make stronger products too.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

So few choices here and it seems that my only alternative to kerosene is varsol. But I heard that even varsol is not recommended by ISO inspectors.


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## bindininj (Nov 3, 2012)

nativeera said:


> How about this simple solution:
> 
> 100% cooking vegetable oil - it works if you run out of soy solvent.


Hey...i like this a lot. What do you use after to clean out the oil? Would a very basic liquid detergent do?


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

Oftentimes, I just wipe it clean and leave it outdoors to ventilate. Sometimes I use a moist rag as a final wipe(if I bring the frames indoors immediately).


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## bindininj (Nov 3, 2012)

hey...thanks but was wondering wot Nativeera used to wash the vegetable oil out with.


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

Yes, any detergent will work, from gasoline to hand soap. Of course some work better than others. Residue removal, smell, cost, availability, environmental impact, etc.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

I have a liquid dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle for general cleaning (also to ensure a grease-free cleaning). With about 75% water.


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