Product test: hand cleaner

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Product test: hand cleaner
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Product test: hand cleaner

Product test: hand cleaner
Hand cleaners that are really good for something

The international warning sign “Dirty hands” says it very clearly: Here no getting through with screwdriver paws! It’s good that there are hand cleaners for tough cases. And even better that MOTORRAD has extensively tested twelve of them in the laboratory and workshop.

Klaus Herder

December 17, 2009

From BMW test wins (“You are the Bavarian post office!”) and safety vest stories (“Humorless philistine leaf!”) Aside from that, a hand cleaner story offers perhaps the best letters to the editor. Hand cleaners are like football: everyone knows about it and has an opinion about it. Which is not surprising, because even the little screwdriver comes into greasy situations in the course of his motorcyclist life in which curd soap and nail brushes are no longer effective. Which brings us to the potential letters to the editor: Yes, the incredibly secret do-it-yourself insider tips “Cooking oil and sugar in a ratio of 1: 1” or “Coffee powder and detergent” are well known in the MOTORRAD editorial team. And we have already heard of the cleaning agent system providers popular and proven by professionals, such as Stockhausen (www.stoko.de). But this story is not about a Hobbythek revival or the initial equipment of a ten-man workshop.

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Product test: hand cleaner

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Hand cleaners that are really good for something

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This is about hand cleaners, especially hand washing pastes, which are available in small quantities, nationwide if possible, and in normal drugstores, consumer and hardware stores. Hand cleaners are mostly chemically clearly knitted products that are relatively easy to produce, do not come under any hazardous substance regulations and do not require excessive effort for transport or storage. This also makes these products interesting for small and very small sellers, which means that there is an incredible variety of brands on the market.

The twelve products purchased by MOTORRAD, including eight classic hand washing pastes, can therefore only be a relatively small selection. But this range shows where the differences lie. For example with the friction agents, i.e. the abrasive (“abrasive”) Substances that are supposed to get the dirt off the skin. In earlier times it was mostly sand, but it had the fatal habit of not just sanding down the dirt. To make matters worse, at least the somewhat coarser sand collected in pipes over time (especially in the siphon under the sink) and caused blockages. Nowadays, wood flour and, in some cases, cellulose or plastic granulate are used as abrasives – and work just as well or even better, as this test shows. Hand washing pastes are usually not particularly aggressive cleaners. However, there is also the risk that the manufacturer will overdo it with the addition of active cleaning ingredients or fragrances (or want to produce particularly cheaply) and that substances are used that are known to cause allergies. In principle, almost any substance can act as an allergen, but the probability is significantly higher for some substances. For example with lime (citrus oil), which is available in large quantities and is cheap. Limonene have a very good cleaning effect and also help to spread a pleasant smell, but are known to be highly allergenic. You come across them if you read the declaration of ingredients on the packaging of cosmetic products more closely. While reading, MOTORRAD received support from the chemists at the cleaning equipment manufacturer Karcher. But the white coats did a lot more: Among other things, they determined the pH values ​​of the hand cleaners.
Human skin is slightly acidic, with a pH around 5.5. The protective acid mantle and a thin layer of fat ensure that the skin is protected from pathogens. When washing hands with normally alkaline soap, this protection is attacked, the skin “dries up”. To keep this effect as low as possible, it is advisable to use a cleanser with a pH value that comes as close as possible to that of the skin. And it is even more recommendable to add caring, specially moisturizing components to the hand cleaner. But not every manufacturer does that, at least it cannot be seen from every ingredient specification that such components are naturally included in the production which make the product somewhat more expensive. But before the great health concern takes hold, the following should be clearly stated: Normally, none of the hand cleaners tested pose a risk to life and limb when used appropriately. If you treat yourself to a good hand cream after washing your hands, you will most likely have better cared-for hands than before the dirt and cleaner attack. However, anyone who, as a professional or militant hobby mechanic, gets the full wash program every day and may react a little more sensitively to the chemical club, should take a closer look at what they are putting on their hands. Which brings us back to the ones mentioned at the beginning “Insider tips” would be: Looting the pantry is absolutely harmless from a dermatological point of view. To what extent convincing cleaning results can be achieved even with the heaviest soiling is another question – which one or the other letter to the editor can answer.

CARAMBA ALL HAND WASH PASTE


Product test: hand cleaner


MPS

MOTORRAD verdict: good

PROVIDERS: Caramba Chemie GmbH & Co. KG, 47032 Duisburg, Tel. 0203/778601, www.caramba.de

PRICE: 4.45 euros for a 500 ml can (bought at: Polo) PRICE FOR 100 ML: 0.89 euros

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH 4.9; Dry matter content 35.1 percent; Wood flour as abrasive; according to the table of contents does not contain any refatting agent; overall an uncritical recipe

ODOR / CONSISTENCY: very slight wood odor, smells almost neutral; Paste is quite dry (may have been in stores for a little longer?)

USE: at the beginning crumbly and a little awkward to distribute, friction agent clearly felt; slight reworking required, creamy and even with a bit of foam; Hands tend to feel dry after cleaning; Detergent requirement approx. 8 grams

CLEANING EFFECT: good to very good

Conclusion:

Chemically absolutely harmless; advertises skin protection, but this cannot be seen in the table of contents; proper cleaning service; rather expensive, the price / performance ratio is therefore only satisfactory.

CROLDI: HHAND / WASH PASTE


Product test: hand cleaner


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MOTORRAD verdict: good

PROVIDERS: Croldino-Schneider GmbH, 42655 Solingen, Tel. 0212/27180, www.croldino.de

PRICE: 3.99 euros for a 500 ml can (bought at: Toom-Baumarkt) PRICE FOR 100 ML: 0.80 euros

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH 5.5; Dry matter content 30.7 percent; Cellulose as a friction agent; Paraffin as a refatting agent; Ethersulfate and sodium chloride (table salt) as thickeners (can dry out the skin under certain circumstances)

ODOR / CONSISTENCY: heavily perfumed, smells like orange lemonade; relatively damp

USE: can be spread very easily and smells extremely fruity; Easy to feel friction agent; one application is sufficient; Hands feel normal after cleaning; Detergent requirement approx. 5 grams

CLEANING EFFECT: very good     

Conclusion:

Chemically rather harmless, pH value and refatting agent are correct; Opinions can be divided about the extreme smell, but not about the very good cleaning performance; the price is a bit high and just frustrates that “very good”.

ECO-FIX: HAND WASH PASTE


Product test: hand cleaner


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MOTORRAD verdict: satisfactory

PROVIDERS: ecCo GmbH, 26160 Bad Zwischenahn, Tel. 04403/99710, www.ecco-bad- Zwischenahn.de

PRICE: 1.29 euros for a 500 ml can (bought at: Edeka Center) PRICE FOR 100 ML: 0.26 euros

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH 8.1; Dry matter content 34.6 percent; Wood flour as abrasive; Glycerine as a refatting agent; Contain limonene (allergen!); Sodium chloride (table salt) as a thickener (can, under certain circumstances, severely dry out the skin)

ODOR / CONSISTENCY: slight smell of wood, smells largely neutral; normal, inconspicuous consistency

USE: at the beginning a bit crumbly or lumpy and a bit more time-consuming to distribute, the friction agent can be clearly felt; stronger work required for paint, but one cleaning cycle is sufficient; Hands feel normal to slightly dry after cleaning; Detergent requirement approx. 6 grams

CLEANING EFFECT: Good 

Conclusion:

At a competitive price there is a somewhat high pH value and ingredients that very sensitive people should not necessarily let on their skin; more robust natures are happy about the very good price / performance ratio.

EILFIX: HANDWASH PASTE


Product test: hand cleaner


MPS

MOTORRAD verdict: satisfactory

PROVIDERS: Becker Chemie GmbH, 33818 Leopoldshohe; Tel. 05203/99230 www.becker-chemie.de

PRICE: 2.49 euros for a 500 ml can (bought at: Profi-Baumarkt Lutzen) PRICE FOR 100 ML: 0.50 euros

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH 6.0; Dry matter content 39.4 percent; Wood flour as abrasive; Glycerine as a refatting agent; the content is somewhat confused, as some substances are mentioned twice, but in different places; overall an uncritical recipe

ODOR / CONSISTENCY: has a strong chemical-woody smell; Paste rather loose and relatively moist

USE: very creamy, easy to distribute, foams a bit from the start; Rubbing agent can be clearly felt, two applications and brush support required, heavy scrubbing required for paint; Hands feel a bit “sticky” after cleaning; Detergent requirement approx. 11 grams

CLEANING EFFECT: satisfying

Conclusion:

Chemically absolutely harmless; can be easily spread, but has to be used a little longer and fairly actively so that the hands are completely clean. Price is still okay, but the competition often cleans better.

GLUTOCLEAN C: HAND CLEANER


Product test: hand cleaner


MPS

MOTORRAD verdict: satisfactory

PROVIDERS: Glutolin Renovierungs- produkte GmbH, 34334 Hann. Munden, Tel. 05541/700303, www.glutolin.de

PRICE: 3.49 euros for a 200 ml tube (bought at: Profi-Baumarkt Lutzen) PRICE FOR 100 ML: 1.75 euros

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH 8.1; Dry matter content 17.0 percent; Sand as a friction agent; Lanolin as a refatting agent; Limonene (allergen!) Are already in the 5th position of the table of contents (and therefore very high)

ODOR / CONSISTENCY: smells fruity; Consistency like skin cream

USE: is initially distributed without water; immediately makes one “Lubricating film” z. B. also settles in the nail bed and gets to places where there was no dirt before; Slightly felt friction agent; one application is sufficient, with the exception: paint requires some reworking; Hands feel dry after cleaning; Detergent requirement approx. 4 grams

CLEANING EFFECT: good to very good

Conclusion:

Somewhat high pH value, possibly critical limonene – that could be solved even better. The application takes a bit of getting used to at first, but the effect is convincing; can also be used as a stain remover; heavy price.

HOLSTE: HANDWASH PASTE


Product test: hand cleaner


MPS

MOTORRAD verdict: satisfactory

PROVIDERS: Arnold Holste Wwe., 33611 Bielefeld, Tel. 0521/520750 www.holste.de

PRICE: 1.59 euros for a 500 ml can (bought at: Sky-Markt) PRICE FOR 100 ML: 0.32 euros

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH 6.4; Dry matter content 36.0 percent; Wood flour as abrasive; Glycerine, paraffin and lanolin as refatting agents; all in all an uncritical recipe with noticeable multiple hand protection

ODOR / CONSISTENCY: woody, somewhat chemical odor; Paste relatively moist

USE: somewhat creamy, easy to spread; Clearly felt the friction agent; two applications required; Hands initially feel a little after cleaning “sticky” and normal after a short time; Detergent requirement approx. 12 grams

CLEANING EFFECT: satisfactory to good  

Conclusion:

Chemically absolutely harmless; easy to use, but some patience is required; Excessive use of force is not necessary, but the yield is below average – which is to be tolerated at the price.

LINDA: DIRT OFF


Product test: hand cleaner


MPS

MOTORRAD verdict: sufficient

PROVIDERS: Linda Waschmittel GmbH & Co. KG, 19061 Schwerin, Tel. 0385/64040 www.linda-mv.de

PRICE: 1.75 euros for a 500 ml can (bought at: Rossmann drugstore) PRICE FOR 100 ML: 0.35 euros

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH 4.1; Dry matter content 61.9 percent; Magnesium sulfate as a friction agent; Contain refatting agents; all in all a completely inconspicuous recipe

ODOR / CONSISTENCY: smells like simple hand cream; Consistency like some crumbly hand cream

USE: very creamy, easy to spread; feels like liquid soap with few, but coarse abrasives; at least two applications and vigorous reworking required, in the case of oil contamination only a strong use of brushes helps; a little difficult to rinse off as everything is very soapy; Hands feel normal after cleaning; Detergent requirement approx. 20 grams

CLEANING EFFECT: sufficient

Conclusion:

The packaging reveals it: hand washing cream instead of hand washing paste – a clear disadvantage when it comes to oil contamination. The chemically absolutely harmless product is rather unsuitable for screwdrivers, Linda has better ones in her range.

LINDA: HANDS ON


Product test: hand cleaner


MPS

MOTORRAD verdict: good

PROVIDERS: Linda Waschmittel GmbH & Co. KG, 19061 Schwerin, Tel. 0385/64040 www.linda-mv.de

PRICE: 2.59 euros for a 500 ml can (bought at: Schlecker) PRICE FOR 100 ML: 0.52 euros

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH 7.9; Dry matter content 37.9 percent; Cellulose as a friction agent; Glycerine, paraffin and aloe vera as refatting agents; Sodium chloride (table salt) as a thickener (can dry out the skin under certain circumstances); overall a still uncritical recipe

ODOR / CONSISTENCY: smells mildly fruity (aloe); Consistency completely normal and like typical hand washing paste

APPLICATION: a bit crumbly or lumpy at the beginning and a bit more time-consuming to distribute, easy to feel the friction agent; one cleaning cycle is sufficient; Hands feel normal after cleaning; Cleaning requirement approx. 4 grams

CLEANING EFFECT: good to very good 

Conclusion:

Chemically there is still some potential for optimization; Application and cleaning effect as with a typical craftsman hand washing paste from the large container – rustic, but overall convincing; Price / performance right.

LINDA: HAND CLEANER


Product test: hand cleaner


MPS

MOTORRAD verdict: very good

PROVIDERS: Linda Waschmittel GmbH & Co. KG, 19061 Schwerin, Tel. 0385/64040 www.linda-mv.de

PRICE: 1.49 euros for a 200 ml tube (bought at: Frauen Edeka-Center) PRICE FOR 100 ML: 0.75 euros

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH 6.1; Dry matter content 35.1 percent; Rock flour (kaolin) as abrasive; Glycerine and aloe vera as refatting agents; Contains limonene (allergen!)

ODOR / CONSISTENCY: smells mildly fruity and a bit like lemon; extremely creamy, almost liquid consistency

USE: very easy to apply, in contrast to Glutoclin on slightly moistened hands; Friction means not felt; one application is completely sufficient, the hands are cleaned very quickly and without any effort; can be rinsed off very easily; Hands feel pleasantly cared for after cleaning; Detergent requirement approx. 3 grams

CLEANING EFFECT: very good to excellent

Conclusion:

In the chemical analysis, the limonene bothers something that will annoy sensitive people, because otherwise this hand cleaner convinces across the board and delivers the best cleaning performance in the test field.

OROFIX: HAND WASH PASTE


Product test: hand cleaner


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MOTORRAD verdict: very good – TEST WINNER

PROVIDERS: ORO-Produkte Marketing International GmbH; 32051 Herford, Tel. 05221/9944255, www.oro-marketing.de

PRICE: 1.79 euros for a 500 ml can (bought at: Toom-Markt) PRICE FOR 100 ML: 0.36 euros

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH 6.2; Dry matter content 39.0 percent; Wood flour and titanium dioxide (white pigment) as abrasives; Glycerine, paraffin and lanolin as refatting agents; overall a very “skin-friendly” Recipe

ODOR / CONSISTENCY: smells a bit woody and very lightly perfumed; airy, relatively moist consistency

USE: easy to spread, quickly becomes creamy and slightly foams; Abrasive means can be clearly felt; the one-time application without a lot of force or even brushing is completely sufficient; Hands feel normal and well cared for after cleaning; Detergent requirement approx. 8 grams

CLEANING EFFECT: very good 

Conclusion:

Chemically absolutely harmless; potential allergy triggers are nil; the recipe promises good skin protection. There is nothing to complain about when it comes to use and cleaning effect, the price is cheap – clear test victory!

POLO: RACING DYN. HAND CLEANER


Product test: hand cleaner


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MOTORRAD verdict: satisfactory

PROVIDERS: Polo Expressversand GmbH, 41363 Juchen, Tel. 0180/5225785, www.polo-motorrad.de

PRICE: 4.95 euros for a 250 ml tube (bought at: Polo) PRICE FOR 100 ML: 1.98 euros

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH 6.7; Dry matter content 24.7 percent; Plastic granulate as a friction agent; no caring or moisturizing substances; Contain limonene (allergen!); Contrary to relevant regulations, the ingredients are not mentioned on the packaging and were only communicated to MOTORRAD upon express request

ODOR / CONSISTENCY: smells a little like lemon; very creamy, almost liquid consistency

USE: practical one-hand flap closure; is very easy to distribute; To feel friction means something; one application is completely sufficient, the hands become clean quickly and without great effort; can be easily rinsed off; Hands feel a little after cleaning “sticky” on; Detergent requirement approx. 4 grams

CLEANING EFFECT: good to very good

Conclusion:

The allergen Limonene is included, protective substances for it are not. The lack of information on the ingredients is absurd, and so there is only one, despite good performance in terms of application and cleaning effect “satisfying”.

TEROSON: TEROQUICK HAND WASH PASTE


Product test: hand cleaner


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MOTORRAD verdict: good

PROVIDERS: Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, 85748 Garching, Tel. 089/92680, www.henkel.de

PRICE: 3 euros for a 300 ml can (bought at: Martika Autoteile) PRICE FOR 100 ML: 1 euro 

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH 5.1; Dry matter content 30.8 percent; Wood flour as abrasive; according to the contents no caring or moisturizing substances; all in all a completely uncritical and quite simple recipe

ODOR / CONSISTENCY: smells slightly woody and largely neutral; airy, slightly moist consistency

USE: can be easily spread, quickly becomes slightly creamy; Easy to feel friction agent; one application is sufficient, greater effort or reworking is unnecessary; Hands feel a little dry after cleaning; Detergent requirement approx. 8 grams

CLEANING EFFECT: very good 

Conclusion:

Chemically absolutely harmless, but also not particularly caring or protective. The pack size is too big for the actual content, converted to 100 ml, this good standard hand washing paste is quite expensive.

Hand cleaner: ingredients


Product test: hand cleaner


Herder

Enlarged 100 times: sand as a rubbing agent.

Hand washing paste consists for the most part, namely 60 percent or more, of water. Of the remaining dry matter, around two thirds are mostly friction bodies (e.g. wood flour, sand, plastic granulate), which are considered abrasive, i.e. “sanding” Substances work. The rest is a mix of active cleaning ingredients (surfactants), possibly also fragrances and preservatives as well as ingredients that z. B. help adjust the pH or act as a thickener. Not to forget: lipid replenishing, i.e. caring substances. They can, of course, do not have to be included and make up around one percent of good products. That all sounds relatively complicated, but actually hand washing pastes are usually quite clear recipes that can be produced cheaply. Some do-it-yourselfers like to take advantage of this and mix their own hand washing paste: sawdust, soft soap and water, allow everything to dry out well – the DIY is done.

Hand protection tried: Preventive measures


Product test: hand cleaner


MPS

Thin but robust: spontaneous type 7.

If you take precautions, you don’t have to scrub later. Has been doing for many years “rath’s pr88” good service. The pleasantly scented amaretto agent is very well absorbed by the skin, is not greasy and is good for you “invisible glove”, which protects very well against all common workshop soiling. The grip feeling is fully retained. The hand protection, including dirt, can simply be rinsed off with water – and is therefore not suitable for working with water. 105 ml can about 2.60 euros, information: www.rath.de. The amazingly authentic Spontex Type 7 is actually a glove intended for fiddly housework and gardening, but can also be used as a motorcycle screwdriver’s glove when things get greasy. For 5 euros, information: www.spontex.de.

Interview: “We ran into it earlier”


Product test: hand cleaner


Herder

Dr.med Ralf Dzingel – Dermatologist.

Dr. med Ralf Dzingel (47) is a dermatologist in Stuttgart (www.dr-dzingel.de). As a passionate racing cyclist, he is also familiar with the problem of dirty screwdriver hands in his private life.

? What are the greatest sins that we can do to our hands in normal everyday life?
! Solvents and substances containing chromate such as B. Cement is poison for unprotected hands. It is also too frequent or too vigorous cleaning. The worst is the combination: clean hands with solvents such as turpentine.

? What does the ideal cleaner look like??
! The best is a pH-neutral cleaner, everything about pH 5 is ideal.

? How does the skin react to irritation, when does an allergy occur?
! If the protective acid mantle of the skin is destroyed, it can become sensitized to contact substances, which can lead to a contact allergy. An allergy can show up very quickly, but it can take months or even years to develop. I know cases where everything went well for 20 years before the allergy developed.

? What do our hands particularly like??
! Regular greasing is very important. Ideally with a good cream with five to ten percent urea, so that the skin remains elastic. The soles of the feet and palms of the hands dry out particularly badly, even if we used to walk on them.

? The quality of hand creams is a question of price?
! This certainly applies to creams from the upscale drugstore range and to pharmacy brands. Not for perfumery, because you pay unnecessarily for the label.

This is how MOTORRAD tests: Everything under control


Product test: hand cleaner


Herder

Leftover party: This is left over after the water has been removed from cleaning agents.

All chemical examinations and tests were carried out in the research and development laboratory of Alfred Karcher GmbH & Co. KG (one of the most famous cleaning equipment manufacturers). MOTORRAD bought the hand cleaner in stores. First of all, the declaration of ingredients required for cosmetic products on the packaging was checked and the specified substances were qualitatively assessed. The Karcher chemists then determined the respective pH value and dry substance content of the hand cleaners. For the practical test, they went to the workshop of the MOTORRAD editorial team. The worst chain dirt and lovingly applied highlighter paint as well as well-deposited exhaust gas residues, fresh from the exhaust, and a pinch of brake abrasion formed the dirt pack on the hands that had to be removed. For a workshop scenario that was as realistic as possible, only cold water was available. In order to be able to assess the productivity, the quantities of detergent used were placed on a scale beforehand.

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