Fancy degreaser was a total waste of $45 for my screens

I bought this special screen degreaser from a print supply shop online thinking it would make a difference. Cost me $45 with shipping for a quart. Used it exactly twice and my screens still had ghosting and ink residue. Tried plain Dawn dish soap next time on a whim, scrubbed it in warm water, and it worked better. The expensive stuff stripped my coating off too fast for my liking. Now I just use Dawn and a soft brush and save the cash. Anyone else find cheaper alternatives that work just as good?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles79812d ago

I'm gonna push back a little though, I've had the opposite experience where cheap dish soaps left a film that messed up my exposure times, and that fancy stuff actually saved me time in the long run. Could just be different water hardness or emulsion brands though.

laura9405d ago

Miles, you're probably right about water hardness playing a role, but I gotta call you out on "fancy stuff saved me time" - that's not really a thing. The expensive soaps just smell better and feel nicer. Unless you're scrubbing with something that has pumice in it, the cheap stuff should rinse off the same as the pricey stuff.

gavinh2612d agoMost Upvoted

Well, it's screen printing, not brain surgery. Pretty sure a little soap film isn't going to ruin your whole life.