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View Full Version : some questions about cleaning pens with ammonia



ndw76
July 22nd, 2013, 02:42 AM
I recently used a sample of some ammonia bases pen cleaning fluid and found that it worked great. I was thinking of buying some but it was just water and ammonia so I figure it would be cheaper and easier to make my own solution. I asked at the Pharmacy today if they had any ammonia and they gave me a small bottle of aromatic ammonia spirit or ammonia bicarbonate. This bottle has ammonia bicarb, strong ammonia solution, nutmeg oil, lemon oil, 90% alcohol, and purified water.

My questions are is this stuff suitable for cleaning pens?
If so what ratio to mix it?
And what pens can or can not be cleaned in this way?
Thanks for any help you can give me.

Cheers,
Nathan.

jde
July 22nd, 2013, 05:53 AM
Hi Nathan,
That mix is not suitable for your pens.

What you want is a plain non-sudsing ammonia. Then you mix a batch containing 9 parts water and 1 part ammonia.

In the US we find this ammonia at the grocery store. In some parts of the world, though, it is tough if not impossible to find.

Here's Richard Binder's article on pen cleaning, (http://www.richardspens.com/?care=care) and he gives a ratio of ammonia to water.

Cheers,
Julie

P.S. One of the cautions: Great for pen flushing, but don't soak your pens in the solution.

ndw76
July 22nd, 2013, 06:15 AM
Thanks for the advice.

Jeph
July 22nd, 2013, 09:05 AM
And, for the love of God do not try to buy it at a German pharmacy.
My girlfriend was out shopping in the town center, so I called her and asked her to go to the pharmacy and pick me up some pure, uncented ammonia.
No problem, right?
She walks in (she is German) and asks for "reinem Ammoniak" like it was aspirin. The lady there went immediately from freindly to downright hostile. She went to the back and brought out the head pharmacist. He then demanded what she wanted the ammonia for. She explained that I wanted it for cleaning fountain pens and then everything was OK. He explained that pure ammonia is used to make bombs or drugs and in Germany only businesses with the proper certificate are allowed to purchase it. He suggested that I try to get some online. Needless to say, I got in big trouble for making her look like a drug making terrorist. I probably have the BKA sitting outside my house right now.

Thankfully, she picked me up a fountain pen from the antique store BEFORE she stopped by the pharmacy.

cwent2
July 22nd, 2013, 09:53 AM
@Jeph - I guess that should be funny now

mmahany
July 22nd, 2013, 09:57 AM
As said, ammonia is great for flushing pens, but it should be used with more caution and respect than most give it.

Ammonia in high concentration can cause "crazing" in certain types of plastic. Crazing is a word used to describe very fine microcracks. Generally, ammonia by itself won't cause crazing, but it can make pre-existing cracks more pronounced.

Again as said, use a very diluted amount of ammonia. 90% water/10% ammonia is generally considered safe. If the pen is very old and/or you see noticeable microcracks already, I would avoid using any ammonia at all. Don't let the pen sit in ammonia unless absolutely necessary, and never for long periods of time.

I use water as a first resort, water/soap as the second, and ammonia/water as a second to last resort for cleaning my pens. Anything further requires someone with more advanced knowledge than me.

whych
July 22nd, 2013, 02:53 PM
You should be able to but it from a hardware store in Europe.
Just dilute it with water and don't sniff it.

cedargirl
July 22nd, 2013, 04:40 PM
It's seems to be impossible to buy it in Australia (love to be proven wrong ... anyone?).

I can only get cloudy ammonia which has: ammonia <5%, EDTA tetrasodium salt <1%, other ingredients <1% and additives nonhazardous, including water > 60%.
It's a pain in the butt because importing it is fine but the postage kills it.

AndyT
July 22nd, 2013, 05:03 PM
The path of least resistance in the UK seems to be buying it online, unless you're blessed with an old fashioned ironmonger locally. Whatever you do, for heaven's sake don't get .880 ammonia - it's fearsome stuff.