what is brake cleaner made of/why aren't I blind?

[Alejandro__]

So I got a can of brake cleaner for my tb job. I was cleaning parts with it today. At one point, it bounced off the part I was cleaning and right into my eye. I flushed it out right away and put in some polysporin eye drops. Polysporin is to me, what hello kitty bandaids are to my 4 year old daughter. Anyway, I was remarkably surprised about how 'not at all' it hurt/stung. I don't appear to be blind in that eye and after a good flush it was fine.

The can says (I know, cuz I read it (after the fact)) may irritate eyes.

I thought for sure it was a heavy solvent. Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad I'm not blind. But I'm amazed that something soo good at removing grease coudl be so easy on the eyes :)

[1auburn]

Just got a good laugh so thank u. Funny but not really. Good question; would like to know the answer as well.

[falkor923]

Quick reaction time worked to your benefit. Now....take some of the money you saved on TB labor and go buy some latex gloves, and eye protection so that you can CONTINUE to watch your wonderful daughter grow up...and she will be happy and so will you and the rest of the family.

[S4 00 2.7]

Gotta wear eye protection.

[julex]

Most brake cleaners these days are non-chlorinated. Now try that with chlorine based and you might be as lucky.

[A62TURBO]

Most brake cleaners these days are non-chlorinated. Now try that with chlorine based and you might not be as lucky.

Fixed that for you julex

[Rdp616]

I've gotten brake cleaner in my eye quite a few times at work. We use the shit like crazy when were tearing motors apart.. We use CRC brakleen. It burns a little, but not too bad. Almost like soap in your eye. i always wear glasses when i'm spraying that stuff, because it comes out of the can quick and goes everywhere once it hits a corner.

[pharkwar]

BTDT

Hurt like shit!

[Alejandro__]

ya,
it was one of those things that afterwards... I should have known. I was cleaning the schmutz out from inside the 6mm allen bolt. I've got my carrier swung out to the side so I wasn't right in front, but it bounced off funny.

Glad it all ended well.

[ddillenger]

DO NOT VAPORIZE BRAKE FLUID under any circumstances, don't use it around heat. It will kill you.

Just a psa.

[salvaged]

funny, same thing happened to me tonight. I was cleaning some pistons tho for a peice of furniture im building. its happened to me a few times tho, ya know you would think i would learn to wear safety glasses.

[Alejandro__]

What does that mean? Do not vaporize?

[salvaged]

Out of all the things i've gotten in my eyes metal is by far the worst.

[ddillenger]

Don't spray it on something really hot.

http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

[Alejandro__]

second hand of course, but my brother got a some grit from the bbq in his eye while he was cleaning it. That took a long time to heal... but the worst I've seen is from my friends husband... he got water in his eye while dragon boat racing in Toronto. Took months for his eye to reach the proper ph again (or so I'm told)

[Alejandro__]

ah, gotcha.
I'm safe right now. I've got my garage insulated and vapor barriered... But today's high was -16. So the parts were freezing!

But I'm gonna be safer now for sure. I wear my nitrile gloves all the time... glasses going forward.

[themadscientist]

Brake cleaner isn't what it used to be...

[A62TURBO]

Brake cleaner isn't what it used to be...

That goes for most of the things in this world today.

[DiscoPotato]

I got freon directly into my eyes once.. (An AC compressor blew up in my face)

Burnt like a bitch and had blurry vision for a few hours.

None the less, I lived and I still have vision.

[howardfootball]

I've had PB blaster get in my eyes and it was horrible and I had nearly zero vision for almost 8 hours. I honestly thought I was going to go blind. Scary stuff.

[MDJ]

Be glad it wasn't brake fluid. I had a leaking slave cylinder in the drums of my old Westfalia...had a friend push the pedal a tad to see where it was leaking and a perfect stream came out of the boot into my open eye. HORRIBLE. I couldn't see for a day or so after washing my eye out for 45 minutes.

Don't spray it on something really hot.

http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

I read that. That's pretty scary...

[somebody5788]

I'm not sure that there is a shop fluid that I haven't got in my eyes....

[ChrisGS4]

111 Trichlorethane electric motor cleaner in the eyes once. One of my most painful memories, right up there with spilling gas on my sack once. When stupid hurts that much you only do it once.