painters!!! rubbing alcohol as prep cleaner??

Alcohol really lacks strength to be an oil and wax remover, IMHO. It is supposed to be good for getting ink stains out of clothes.

Personally I use paint solvent, the main component of which is naptha. Naptha is highly flammable and some components of the fumes are known to be carcinogenic. The naptha I have used from the big box stores has been disappointing, not cleaning well and not dissipating well. The stuff I use is called "Virgin Paint Solvent" and I get it at my automotive paint supply store.

Naptha is also found in Fels Naptha Soap. It's fine for cleaning hands from ground-in grease.

Suggestions:

1. Use in well ventilated area.
2. Have a working fire plan. (If this thing catches fire, what do I plan to do?)
3. No smoking until job is finished and all rags are properly disposed.
4. No open flames.
5. When not in use, cap the container to reduce flame hazard and evaporation loss.
6. Wear nitrile gloves when using naptha.
7. Do not use on plastic. At the worst naptha will dissolve plastic, at best it will destroy the finish.
8. Naptha is used in dry cleaning fabrics. Test an inconspicuous spot first to determine if fabric is colorfast.