Spray bottle deteriorated - rinseless wash

M

Mooser

New member
A new one for me.

I noticed that my spray bottle for rinseless was leaking but since it was almost empty so I just left it in a tote since it wasn`t spilling anywhere else.

Went to put all the bottles of product in a new cupboard I just made in the shop and thought I`d just look to see if I accidentally punched a hole in the bottle or what, saw what looked like a small crack in the side near the bottom, gave it a little squeeze to see if it opened and pushed my thumb right inside the bottle.

The entire bottle (well sides and bottom, didn`t check the top) has gone brittle and weak, you can just crush it in your fingers and it shatters and flakes into pieces.

I`ve used the same dilution bottles for APC, wheel cleaners, carpet & upholstery cleaners, detail sprays, bug wash, you name it without ever having an issue, sometimes the spray hears give up with the wheel cleaners but never lost a bottle.

checked what`s left of the gallon of concentrate I have in the house and it seems fine

It`s been rinseless in this bottle for a couple of years (Adams in this case at 16:1) and I use ONR in the bucket.

Anyway, one bottle in a few years isn`t bad but still pretty surprised (glad it wasn`t full) Now of course I`m thinking I should look into trays to line the new cupboard.....
M
 
I have had a few waterless washes mixed into gallon distilled water jugs mysteriously leak as well

I haven’t been able to explain it


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Huh, I never had that happen with either ONR or IUDJ.

Did have it happen with a gallon jug of GG Oil/Grease Cleaner..yeah, that was a bit of a mess :o
 
I’m not an expert, and I didn’t stay at a holiday inn express last night but I did work in the plastics / thermoforming industry for a few years. I know that PET (soda bottle material) can become brittle / fracturable from certain temperature changes, and if I remember correctly even reactions with solvents. (It’s been about 7 years now so I can’t remember what solvents, so I could be totally off base) Polystyrene itself it a very brittle plastic to begin with. I remember many times of our molded parts would come off the mold and just crack. (A lot of plastic cups are made from polystyrene, hence the fracturing I noted) HDPE (milk jugs, etc.) is a common plastic used for solvents. Polypropylene is widely used in the auto world (bumpers / trim)

With all that said, over time plastic does age and become brittle. I’d guess that would be your cause


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#2, HDPE
I`ve got a bunch of the same vintage (ordered a case at a time back when my supplier had Tolco sprayers available in bulk) that I`ve used for everything from glass-cleaner to full strength APC, they seem fine. Just didn`t play well with this rinseless I guess
M
 
If you Google search HDPE stress fracturing there are some interesting articles kve read (well not really, but for you situation- interesting)

In short it could be the age of the bottle, it could be heat related (summer months means product inside heats up, expands and vaporizes and affects the natural stress areas of the bottle causing the cracking and then leaking. As we. Ome I to fall and it cools down the plastic contracts back but becomes brittle. Many other factors as well. If your interested look it up. HDPE is inherit to stress fracturing because of the way it processed, especially blow moulding which is how bottles are made. I was at a conference one time while I was in the industry and saw a video clip on a bottle exploding because of stress fracturing. Had a pretty nasty acid in it and was a scary incident to witness on video

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I find that continued long-term exposure to fluorescent lighting kills my plastic bottles. The bottles from Griot`s have always been the worst, but maybe I just think that since I have so many of those. It`s enough of a concern that I keep UV blocking stuff on the plastic lenses of my Garage Queens lest they start to yellow from it..or worse.
 
MattPersman said:
I have had a few waterless washes mixed into gallon distilled water jugs mysteriously leak as well

I haven’t been able to explain it
Click to expand...

Yep, I had the same thing happen to me. If they made those distilled water bottles from any thinner plastic, they could call it Saran Wrap.
 
fje- Welcome to Autopia!

You`re *so* right about the flimsy jugs for Distilled Water! I had one spring a leak while sitting untouched in a spare bedroom...resulting in (thankfully only cosmetic) damage to some woodwork that probably forever :o Heh heh, and checkout baggers wonder why I insist on every liquid being double-bagged!
 
fje said:
Yep, I had the same thing happen to me. If they made those distilled water bottles from any thinner plastic, they could call it Saran Wrap.
Click to expand...

Yes! I transfer them to used Arizona Iced Tea gallon containers as soon as I get home.
 
I`ve had bottles crack before. I have switched to the spray bottles sold at Sam`s Club for a few years now. They seem to hold up well. However, they recently switched to newer wide neck bottles. The bottles themselves hold up well, but I have two issues. The sprayers don`t last as long and the threads that hold the sprayers on are "weak". I have had a couple of times where the sprayer came slightly loose on the bottle, but when I picked up the bottle by the sprayer, it pulls off of the bottle. I still use them because they are cheap enough to switch out, so now I always make sure the sprayer is on tight before picking up the bottle.
 
I can`t see using anything other than one of the handheld pump sprayers for a rinseless wash. Just too much spraying for a regular spray bottle.

rl-flo-master-sprayers-56hd-64_1000.jpg
 
Dan- Hey, I have that exact same sprayer! Don`t use it for Detailing stuff (my RW is in a bigger thing with a hose/wand), but it`s a well-built unit that`s working great despite being awfully old.
 
Accumulator said:
Dan- Hey, I have that exact same sprayer! Don`t use it for Detailing stuff (my RW is in a bigger thing with a hose/wand), but it`s a well-built unit that`s working great despite being awfully old.
Click to expand...

I should have said that was the minimum size to be useful! I have had good luck with them except if they freeze. Game over then.
 
Dan- Yeah, I bet freezing could do one in. It`s a hand size for little jobs, I guess I just prefer squeezing that trigger for most of my Detailing...go figure :D
 
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