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Safe on Lineman's Gloves!

Polywater®
Rubber Goods
Cleaner

A specially formulated water-based cleaner for removing dirt, grease, and grime from lineman’s gloves, sleeves, jumper cables, and other rubber goods.



Cleaning Video for American Polywater® Products

Description

Polywater® Rubber Goods Cleaner is a specially formulated water-based cleaner for removing grease, dirt, carbon, creosote, and other grimes from insulating blankets, lineman’s gloves, rubber sleeves, jumper cables, hot jumpers, and line-hose.   Rubber Goods Cleaner is safe for use on all natural and synthetic rubbers.   Unlike other water-based rubber cleaners, Rubber Goods Cleaner contains no hazardous ingredients and is pH neutral, making it safe for use on skin.   Rubber Goods Cleaner is also completely biodegradable and safe for the environment.

TESTIMONIAL:   "Great product.   Works better than the cleaner we are currently using.   No harsh chemical to deal with."

Advantages

  • No mixing required
  • Excellent cleaning power
  • Harmless to all elastomers (rubbers)
  • Multiple package options
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Non-toxic and non-corrosive
  • Not an RCRA-regulated hazardous waste
  • Not listed as a toxic chemical by SARA 313
    (does not require reporting)

Physical Properties

Rubber Property-Effect of Liquids (ASTM D471):   Passes all tests
Specification for In-Service Care of Insulating
Gloves and Sleeves (ASTM F496):

  Passes all tests
Flashpoint (ASTM D 93):   No flash via TCC
Initial Boiling Point:   ~212°F/100°C
pH:   Neutral
Cleaning Strength:   Excellent

Usage Directions

Rubber Goods Cleaner LIQUID
Apply Polywater® Rubber Goods Cleaner by spraying, dipping, brushing, or wiping.   Evenly coat rubber surface with cleaner.   Leave Rubber Goods Cleaner on the surface of the material to be cleaned for 2 minutes or more to loosen and dissolve deposits.   Allow cleaner to soak material longer for more difficult grimes.   The longer Rubber Goods Cleaner is on the surface the more it penetrates and breaks loose the creosote, dirt, grease, oils and other grimes without harming the rubber surface.   Once material has soaked, wipe surface clean with a rag or towel.   A minimal amount of scrubbing may be required.   Rinse material with water and either dry, with a clean cloth or air dry before use.   Use Rubber Goods Cleaner daily to clean the rubbers surface for visual inspections to uncover burns, cuts, nicks, crush points, and abrasions on equipment and gloves.

Rubber Goods Cleaner WIPE
Pull Polywater® Rubber Goods Cleaning Wipe from canister, open the towel and use soft side to wipe down and fully wet surface of material. Leave Rubber Goods Cleaner on the surface of the material to be cleaned for 2 minutes or more to loosen and dissolve deposits.   Allow cleaner to soak material longer for more difficult grimes.   The longer Rubber Goods Cleaner is on the surface the more it penetrates and breaks loose the creosote, dirt, grease, oils and other grimes without harming the rubber surface.   Use the rough side of the wipe to scrub surface.   Wipe surface clean with another Rubber Goods Cleaner towelette.   Rinse material with water and either dry with a clean cloth or air dry before use.   Use Rubber Goods Cleaner daily to clean the rubber’s surface for visual inspections to uncover burns, cuts, nicks, crush points, and abrasions on equipment and gloves.

Watch Streaming Video on Rubber Goods Cleaner usage.

Safe LIVE-LINE Equipment Practices and Cleaning

Proper protection and performance of rubber protective equipment requires a detailed visual inspection before each use, careful handling of equipment during use, thorough cleaning, periodic electrical testing, and proper storage of equipment after use.

Visual inspection of rubber covers, line-hose, rubber gloves, rubber sleeves, insulating blankets, and jumper cables should be performed before each use in accordance with ASTM F1236 #8220;Standard Guide for Visual Inspection of Electrical Protective Rubber Products.#8221;   Rubber protective equipment should be checked for:
  • Abrasions, cuts, crush points, gouges, holes, punctures, and tears
  • Embedded foreign objects
  • Ozone cutting or ozone checking
  • Swelling, softening, hardening, stickiness, and inelasticity
  • Other defects that damage the rubber insulating properties
Cleaning of rubber protective equipment is necessary not only for visual inspections but to preserve the protective equipment’s electrical integrity, protection, and to add to the life of the equipment.   Creosote, dirt, grease, and other contaminants can be conductive, especially when combined with moisture from rain, snow, and fog.   Protective equipment should be cleaned daily and whenever it appears dirty with contaminants.   Strong industrial cleaners and solvents such as petroleum distillates and d-Limonene may cause permanent damage to the rubber protective equipment.   These products may cause rubbers to swell, soften, and lose electrical insulating properties.   EPDM rubber is used for protective equipment because it has excellent resistance to ultraviolet light, ozone, and oxidants, but it has poor solvent resistance, making it susceptible to chemical damage.   Rubber Goods Cleaner contains no solvents and is an ideal product to use because it is safe to use on all rubber products, including: covers, line-hose, gloves, sleeves, and insulating blankets.   Daily use of Rubber Goods Cleaner makes inspection of protective equipment easier and helps to maintain the electrical insulating properties of the equipment.

Safety

Polywater® Rubber Goods Cleaner has a low level of toxicity and is environmentally friendly.   Good industrial hygiene practice and appropriate precautions should be employed during use.   See MSDS for specific details.

Compatibility

Polywater® Rubber Goods Cleaner is compatible with plastics and elastomers.   Testing is based on soak test described in ASTM D471, Standard Test Method for Rubber Property-Effect of Liquids.   Immersion will affect sensitive materials more than incidental contact of a spray and wipe would.

IMMERSED 72 HOURS AT 122°F (50°C)
Elastomers (rubber) Polywater® RBG™
% Weight Change Appearance
EPDM NC NC
EPDM (type II) blanket NC NC
EPDM gloves NC NC
EPDM (type II) line hose NC NC
Natural rubber NC NC
Natural rubber (type I) blanket NC NC
Natural rubber (type I) gloves NC NC
SALCOR® (type II) blanket NC NC
Silicone NC NC
IMMERSED 28 DAYS AT 70°F (21°C)
Elastomers (rubber) Polywater® RBG™
% Weight Change Appearance
EPDM NC NC
EPDM (type II) blanket NC NC
EPDM gloves NC NC
EPDM (type II) line hose NC NC
Natural rubber NC NC
Natural rubber (type I) blanket NC NC
Natural rubber (type I) gloves NC NC
SALCOR® (type II) blanket NC NC
Silicone NC NC
KEY:
NC=NO CHANGE C=CRAZING SS=SLIGHT SWELLING
D=DISSOLVED S=SWELLING ES=EXTREME SOFTENING
SALCOR® is a trademark of W.H. Salisbury & Co

Protective Equipment Testing

Protective rubber gloves were exposed to Polywater® Rubber Goods Cleaner as described and sent to an independent NAIL® for PET (North American Independent Laboratories for Protective Equipment Testing) accredited laboratory for testing in accordance with ASTM F496 Standard Specification for In-Service Care of Insulating Gloves and Sleeves.   Gloves and sleeves are first washed and dried at the testing laboratory.   The items are then inflated and carefully inspected for cuts, tears, punctures, scratches, abrasions, or any other conditions that could adversely affect the dielectric integrity of the item.   If any of these conditions are present, the item fails the visual inspection and is rejected and immediately rendered unusable.   Gloves, sleeves, and blankets then undergo an electrical test as specified by the "class rating" of the item and the ASTM and OSHA Standards (maximum 40kv A.C.).   Again, any item that fails the electrical test is rejected.

ASTM F496-99 Test Results for Lineman's Gloves
Class Type Exposure Solvent Visual Check Electrical Test
(max 40kv A.C.)
00 1 Surface Wipe RBG Pass Pass
00 1     24-hour Soak     RBG Pass Pass
00 2 Surface Wipe RBG Pass Pass
00 2 24-hour Soak RBG Pass Pass
0 2 Surface Wipe RBG Pass Pass
0 2 5-minute Soak RBG Pass Pass
0 2 24-hour Soak RBG Pass Pass
1 1 Surface Wipe RBG Pass Pass
1 1 5-minute Soak RBG Pass Pass
1 1 24-hour Soak RBG Pass Pass
2 1 Surface Wipe RBG Pass Pass
2 1 24-hour Soak RBG Pass Pass


CATALOG NUMBERS
RBG Package Size® Units/CS Image
RBG-D72 72-count saturated wipe dispenser 6
RBG-1 Individual saturated wipe 144
RBG-35LR 1-quart (.95 liter) bottle with sprayer 12
RBG-128 1-gallon (3.8 liters) bottle 4
RBG-640 5-gallon (18.9 liters) pail 1

Important Notice: The statements and information here are made in good faith based on tests and observations we believe to be reliable. However, the completeness and accuracy of the information is not guaranteed. Before using, the end-user should conduct whatever evaluations are necessary to determine that the product is suitable for the intended use. The user assumes all risks and liability in connection with such use. The statements contained herein are made in lieu of all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, which warranties are hereby expressly disclaimed. American Polywater's only obligation shall be to replace such quantity of the product proven to be defective. Except for the replacement remedy, American Polywater shall not be liable for any loss, injury or damage, direct or indirect, arising from the use or the failure to properly use these products, regardless of the legal theory asserted. The foregoing may not be altered except by a written agreement by the officers of American Polywater Corporation.

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Click here to view a Streaming Video clip on this product

Click here for an RBG Product Approval from Salisbury by Honeywell

View the Visual Test Results from an Asian utility's evaluation of RBG

Read our article: "Cleaning Rubber Goods for Safety" from Incident Prevention Magazine

Click here to view the Technical Talk Newsletter article on live-line tool performance problems

View our other live-line safety products: Hotstick Treatments and Boom Truck Cleaners and Fiberglass Wax

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