12 February 2004

This little can was the subject of big discussions today in Arkansas. It's something that is good to use when changing tires because it cleans the surfaces so well. The problem is that it contains methylene chloride, which isn't such a great compound to use, if you're worried about your health and the environment. Chlorinated hydrocarbons, while quite useful, are heavily regulated compounds, which means that if you use them in a vehicle maintenance shop, you're subject to many more environmental and health & safety regulations than if you don't use them. Some companies specialize in finding substitutes for things containing methylene chloride. The substitutes usually work about as well as the original not-so-great materials, and are composed of more benign ingredients.

DWL