One of my other hobbies is gunsmithing. Two years ago a senior gunsmith introduced me to a product called Simple Green, a biodegradable degreaser used in the auto industry that has recently been adopted by gunsmiths.

Recently, I started work on a kit with parts drenched in a thick, greasy mold-release agent. I sprayed on a liberal coat of Simple Green — you can buy it in a spray bottle, or in larger bottles and dilute it yourself  — and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then, I dropped the trees into a pan of cold water and gave them a light scrubbing with an old toothbrush. Zowie! The parts were squeaky clean and ready to be assembled.

Tip submitted by:
Walter JacqueSilverdale, Washington