Non-toxic head cleaning fluid - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

ricard · 29th Mar 2020, 5:21 am

I recently saw a picture of a "Tandberg professional head cleaning kit", a cardbord box, containing little more than a couple of Q-tips, and a bottle of cleaning fluid. The fluid itself was long gone (as were the Q-tips), but what made me curious was the wording "Non-toxic vapour" on the bottle.

What cleaning fluid may have been considered non-toxic back in the day? I'm thinking early 70s by the graphic appearance on the bottle and box. Neither alcohol (ethanol) nor isopropanol (ipa) would be considered non-toxic, which would have been my primary choice for such a fluid. Or perhaps the concept of 'non-toxic' has varied over the years?

Radio Wrangler · 29th Mar 2020, 8:03 am

Trike, trichloroethane was a possibility as a nasty that recognised early on, then xylene got banned. Both got used as headcleaners.

David

DMcMahon · 29th Mar 2020, 12:14 pm

Last year with a Grundig TK 146 purchase, it came with an old head cleaning kit with a little bottle of cleaning fluid. I must locate it and see if it says what the fluid is.

I guess it is most likely IPA, will have to give it a sniff test. Photo taken at the time attached.

paulsherwin · 29th Mar 2020, 12:18 pm

I guess it depends on how you define 'non-toxic'. Water is pretty toxic if you breathe it in.

DMcMahon · 29th Mar 2020, 12:28 pm

The wooden stick in the photo above (it came with the cleaning kit/recorder) reminds me of some time ago when reading one of the old R2R manuals it stated to clean the heads "use a wooden stick and a cloth soaked in alcohol", which made me smile at the time, obviously before the days of cotton buds

Gulliver · 1st Apr 2020, 10:13 am

Compared to 1,1,1 trichloroethane....IPA was probably considered non-toxic. Note that the claim is that the vapour is non-toxic...no mention of the liquid.

I'd go with it being isopropyl alcohol which doesn't give off the toxic vapours that trike did. It also used t be sold as "zero residue head cleaner" by Tandy/Radio Shack.

DMcMahon · 5th Apr 2020, 7:12 pm

Found the little bottle of MetroSound Klenzatape fluid, it definitely smells like IPA (not much left).

29th Mar 2020, 5:21 am	#1
ricard Octode Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Lund, Sweden Posts: 1,632	Non-toxic head cleaning fluid I recently saw a picture of a "Tandberg professional head cleaning kit", a cardbord box, containing little more than a couple of Q-tips, and a bottle of cleaning fluid. The fluid itself was long gone (as were the Q-tips), but what made me curious was the wording "Non-toxic vapour" on the bottle. What cleaning fluid may have been considered non-toxic back in the day? I'm thinking early 70s by the graphic appearance on the bottle and box. Neither alcohol (ethanol) nor isopropanol (ipa) would be considered non-toxic, which would have been my primary choice for such a fluid. Or perhaps the concept of 'non-toxic' has varied over the years?

29th Mar 2020, 8:03 am	#2
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,871	Re: Non-toxic head cleaning fluid Trike, trichloroethane was a possibility as a nasty that recognised early on, then xylene got banned. Both got used as headcleaners. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

29th Mar 2020, 12:14 pm	#3
DMcMahon Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK. Posts: 6,601	Re: Non-toxic head cleaning fluid Last year with a Grundig TK 146 purchase, it came with an old head cleaning kit with a little bottle of cleaning fluid. I must locate it and see if it says what the fluid is. I guess it is most likely IPA, will have to give it a sniff test. Photo taken at the time attached. Attached Thumbnails

29th Mar 2020, 12:18 pm	#4
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,944	Re: Non-toxic head cleaning fluid I guess it depends on how you define 'non-toxic'. Water is pretty toxic if you breathe it in.

29th Mar 2020, 12:28 pm	#5
DMcMahon Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK. Posts: 6,601	Re: Non-toxic head cleaning fluid The wooden stick in the photo above (it came with the cleaning kit/recorder) reminds me of some time ago when reading one of the old R2R manuals it stated to clean the heads "use a wooden stick and a cloth soaked in alcohol", which made me smile at the time, obviously before the days of cotton buds

1st Apr 2020, 10:13 am	#6
Gulliver Hexode Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Luton, Bedfordshire, UK. Posts: 469	Re: Non-toxic head cleaning fluid Compared to 1,1,1 trichloroethane....IPA was probably considered non-toxic. Note that the claim is that the vapour is non-toxic...no mention of the liquid. I'd go with it being isopropyl alcohol which doesn't give off the toxic vapours that trike did. It also used t be sold as "zero residue head cleaner" by Tandy/Radio Shack.

5th Apr 2020, 7:12 pm	#7
DMcMahon Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK. Posts: 6,601	Re: Non-toxic head cleaning fluid Found the little bottle of MetroSound Klenzatape fluid, it definitely smells like IPA (not much left).