Mechanics Hand Cleaner: A DIY Hand Cleaner for Mechanics That Works!

This recipe for mechanics’ hand cleaner gives mechanics a natural hand cleaner that’s free from all the harmful chemicals in commercial scrubs.

I had my car serviced recently and took notice of my mechanic’s hands. They were dry and cracked with dark grease stains and hard callouses. I thought: I bet I can fix that!

Identify what you’re trying to remove or improve

For Rob, my mechanic, this was easy. His hands see a lot of grease along with heat and friction. Frequent hand washing made his hands dry and cracked. So, for these, I set up a chart:

• remove grease
• exfoliate
• moisturize
• protect

It may seem simple to come up with a scrub to accomplish these things, but remember that you don’t want any lingering slick feeling as most lotions do. Tools slipping out of a mechanic’s hands is not a good thing! The scrub needs to work as a cleanser AND a degreaser.

Recipe #1: Mechanics Hand Cleaner Powdered Scrub

I’ve formulated this scrub in two ways: you can make it dry, or keep it as a cream and make it soft. The first recipe is the dry, powdered one.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soap flakes or shreds
• 1 cup pumice powder
• A Tablespoon of melted shea butter
• 1 cup coarse ground oats or cornmeal
• 25-30 drops orange essential oil

Instructions

Mix everything together and keep it in a wide-mouth container. I use an old gelato container as they are readily available and wide at the top. It’s easy to get your hands into.

Using Your Scrub

To use your mechanics’ hand cleaner paste, scoop a tablespoon or so into your palm. Add a bit of water and make a paste. Rub this all over your hands, back and front. Concentrate on really dirty areas. Leave on or scrub for a full minute. Rinse well.

The small amount of orange oil in this scrub is not enough to worry about citrus phototoxicity. It is also rinsed off and not left on the hands, which could constitute a problem.

Recipe #2: Mechanics Hand Cleaner Cream Scrub

For this variation, the ingredients are similar, but with an extra step.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soap flakes or shreds
• ¼ cup, maybe more, maybe less, hot distilled water
• 1 cup pumice powder
• 1 Tablespoon melted shea butter
• 25-30 drops orange essential oil
• 1 cup ground walnut shell or jojoba meal (you may need to grind finer than it normally comes)

Instructions

1. Place the soap flakes in a glass bowl and add enough water to cover, but just to the top of the soap. Too much will make it runny.
2. Let the soap soften to become a paste. You may need a little more water, depending on the soap itself and the humidity level in your area. If the paste is too runny, you may need to add more soap flakes and make a note that next time to use a bit less water.
3. Once you have a fairly thick paste, mix in the rest of the ingredients. Walnut shell tends to come pretty coarsely, so I grind mine a bit further so it’s not as scratchy on the skin.
4. The mechanic’s hand cleaner paste is naturally alkaline and shouldn’t need a preservative. If you feel that you need it, you can add a bit of Germaben™, Phenonip™, or Optiphen™. These are natural and work well. Without a preservative, the cream will last a few weeks, but chances are that you’ll need to make more by then!

Using Your Hand Scrub

To use your hand scrub cream, apply a small amount, like the size of a pearl, to your palm. Add a bit of water and scrub well. If you have large hands, you may need a bit more. If your hands are super dirty, use the scrub once, rinse well and then apply and scrub with a bit more. Rinse well and dry hands when finished.

Ingredients Used

The ingredients chosen for this mechanics hand cleaner scrub are all chosen for specific reasons. The oats, cornmeal, and walnut shell help to loosen up tough grease and dirt. Pumice makes a finer exfoliating element. Soap flakes or shreds lift dirt and grease away from the skin to keep it in suspension until it can be run down the drain by rinsing. Shea butter helps to moisturize and protect the skin. And orange essential oil helps to break up grease and oils. It can also help with pine sap and resins. Other citrus oils can work the same way, but orange is the most effective. And water in the cream base helps to make the powder into a cream. Distilled water is free of bacteria and chlorine. Filtered water can work as well.

Other Automotive Tips

• Make Homemade Windshield Washer Fluid
• Get rid of Foggy Windows in your vehicle.

Surprise your favorite mechanic with a jar of this DIY mechanics’ hand cleaner, but keep some for yourself for working in the yard!

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