Comments on: The Frugal Geek’s Toolbox

By: ppp

ppp — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:25:49 +0000

Gasoline? I’m a bit shocked at the recklessness of this tip, I certainly hope your umbrella liability policy is paid up. Never mind the flammability, gasoline contains toxic and carcinogenic solvents (for example, benzene in our part of the country).

I hope you are aware that there are similar products with names that sound like GooGone (Goo-B-Gone, Goof-Off, etc). Among them, there is a non-toxic formulation that is safe for household use, the solvent is orange oil. Be sure to read the label if you are concerned.

There is also a industrial formulation. It contains more solvents than gasoline and should be handled while wearing a NIOSH-rated respirator (not dust mask).

By: 3Handed

3Handed — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:08:08 +0000

I was just looking for a goo gone solution without going to the store because a lot of time the stuff in the store is the refinement of an age old type of solution. I’m not going to go to the gas station with an empty glass jar for reasons cited above. So that was good feedback. None the less, I appreciate even more than that, the idea of how to make a home made goo gone more than the idea of why I shouldn’t do it in one particular fashion or another.

Anyway, goo gone may be none toxic and gentle, but nothing sticky or gooey survives gasoline.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:44:42 +0000

FYI, Goo Gone 8oz can be found at your local dollar stores for… yep.. $1. Definitely not worth buying Benzine and grinding citrus peels.. but if you have a toxic dump in your back yard you might already be wondering what to do with the stuff I guess.. Liquid Wrench is filled with Benzine.. Gas works great on weeds. Smells like high hell though. All depends on the price of gas if its worth using it for anything..

By: Bill Kearney

Bill Kearney — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:33:05 +0000

What ‘law’ are you claiming would apply here?

Gasoline as a liquid is one thing, let it sit for a while and the fumes are most certainly PHENOMENALLY explosive. Doesn’t take long. Pour a pint of gas into a closed space and light it and you’ll have a small fire that goes out. Pour that same pint and then wait a half hour and if it ignites the whole structure will cease to exist. Suffice to say do not attempt this at home.

By: Jaime

Jaime — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:24:59 +0000

Goo-Gone is pretty cheap nowadays… Why on earth would you try to make it yourself by breaking the law AND risking your safety??

By: PiFreak

PiFreak — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 22:16:29 +0000

actually, dollar tree has goo-gone now… I was there with my mom and made her get 2 bottles. She had no idea why til we got home and I took the sticker residue and hair off of a candle holder that had been sticky for years. A dollar for eight ounces… pretty good.

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:14:21 +0000

Hmmm… for sticky messes (adhesive residue etc.), I just spray the spot with a little vegetable oil and wait. If it’s too “vertical” and the oil runs off, I’ll use cheap peanut butter, thinly. Sometimes it takes a while (up to overnight), but it’s not something you have to keep attentive to usually. The oils dissolve the adhesive and clean up easily with soap and water.

By: labyrus

labyrus — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 20:24:23 +0000

Naptha is not the same thing as Gasoline. You can buy Naptha at a hardware store. It’s excellent for removing oil finishes from wood.

By: Gaming the Credit System

Gaming the Credit System — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 22:06:19 +0000

While I’m not going to berate you like these other gasoline-fearing-to-a-ridiculous-degree comment-leavers*, I will say that I really don’t see the point of making your own Goo Gone. I bought an 8-oz bottle (more than a year’s worth, at the rate that I use it) for $4. Yes, I guess it can be fun to make your own chemistry experiments, but this is taking frugality a bit too far (unless you regularly need gallons of Goo Gone).

*see here: http://www.intuitor.com/moviephysics/mpmain.html#carcrashes
Despite what you see in movies, gasoline is actually NOT particularly explosive, nor is it even prone to catching fire from sparks!

By: consumer_q

consumer_q — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 16:17:33 +0000

“How to get the gasoline Take a small jar with you when you pump gas. Pump a bit of gas into that jar. Close it up.”

Trent, next time you are at a fueling station please note the safety signs. A pickle jar is not considered an “approved container” for pumping gasoline into.

If you are going to continue making this concoction, spend the $5 and get a small gas can, pump fuel into *it* first, then transfer the fuel from it to the jar. Much safer, plus you get to have a gas can you can throw in your car for when you need to rescue your frugal friend who ran out of gas on the freeway. ;)

By: Ponz

Ponz — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 03:00:05 +0000

Trent! You spend countless hours and much effort planning for financial success, building an emergency fund, and plotting how to teach your children to be smart. Yada yada yada.

Take a few bucks and buy a proper can of Goo Gone if you need it. Sure, chances are you won’t ever have that jar of gasoline blow up on you, but is it really worth the risk? And while you’re at it, get a couple of good fire extinguishers for the kitchen, garage, laundry room, and basement.

Here’s a thought. Whenever you find yourself contemplating a hazardous behavior, picture yourself justifying it to your son, who you can count on to mimick your every move.

Happy Easter,

Ponz

By: corey

corey — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:11:34 +0000

Great ideas the look on my wife’s face when I told her about filling up a cup with gasoline at the next fill up was classic. I suppose some feeds are better kept to myself.

By: Trent

Trent — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 01:58:17 +0000

Ben: minimal research shows that the primary active ingredient in Goo Gone is petroleum. Read the material safety data sheet on Goo Gone - the two major active ingredients are petroleum naphtha and citrus oil.

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 01:53:18 +0000

From goo-gone’s website

“Goo Gone has minimal impact on our environment and is safe to use on virtually any surface, including: carpets · upholstery · clothing · tile · glass · grills · appliances · vinyl · wood · draperies · autos · boats · fiberglass”

Gasoline or kerosene certainly don’t meet this criteria. If you have never spilled gasoline on yourself, it burns the skin. I’m certainly not putting a petroleum product on my carpet, couch, or anywere I’m likely to be touching.

By: Zachary

Zachary — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:09:09 +0000

Years ago when I was a teenager, my older cousin gave me a toolbox and told me, “You may not appreciate this now, but someday you will.” In hindsight, it was one of the best gifts I have ever received. I need to organize mine, though. It’s nearly overflowing with tools and hardware stuff.

By: William

William — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 23:06:35 +0000

I second the kerosene comment. A small, closed jar of gasoline is a small bomb with a glass shell.

By: Him

Him — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:15:44 +0000

Holy gasoline hazard! For something a little less corrosive, volatile, and flammable, try mixing in kerosene instead of gasoline for the goo gone solution. I detailed cars for a while and that’s what we used.

Actually kerosene alone removes a lot of stains with little smell and a lot less flammability.

By: Bones

Bones — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:45:28 +0000

Trent,
I am always admired of the way you have to always give good advice and solution. Weren’t for your blog i would have never knowm many things, and I wouldn’t have started an emergency fund!
Thank you, happy easter!

By: Erick

Erick — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:40:00 +0000

The old toothbrush is a great tool. I’ve got a bunch of them in my bathroom drawer. Use them for everything from cleaning out my electric razor to scrubbing the hard to reach areas near the bathroom and kitchen sink.