A splice or termination is only as good as the surface it goes on. Grease, silicone, semi-con residue, and transformer oil all have to come off before tape, a cold shrink body, or a connector goes on, and the cleaner you pick matters. Polywater makes three that cover most of what a utility crew deals with: Type HP, Type RP, and Grime-Away. They are not interchangeable, and each one is built for a different job.
| Cleaner | Best For | Flash Point | Evaporation | Key Part Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type HP | Splice prep, terminations, apparatus cleaning | Above 140°F (60°C) | Medium | HP-1, HP-P158ID, HP-D72, HP-T369/S-D, HPY-12, HP-128 |
| Type RP | Fast cable prep when crews cannot wait on drying time | 19°F (-7°C), flammable | Fast, similar to alcohol | RP-1, RP-1L, RP-16, RP-35LF |
| Grime-Away | Hands, tools, transformers, vehicles, equipment | Water-based | Not a solvent | HTC-1, HTC-D72 |
The short version: HP is the all-purpose electrical cleaner, RP is the fast one, and Grime-Away is for people and tools rather than cable.
Type HP is Polywater's most popular electrical cleaner. It is a high-purity, dearomatized aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent with a cyclic terpene, and it is positioned as a replacement for chlorinated electrical cleaners. It contains no carcinogenic or chlorinated solvents.
| Part Number | Package |
|---|---|
| HP-1 | Single saturated wipe, 8 x 12 in |
| HP-P158ID | Tandem Pack: saturated wet wipe plus lint-free dry wipe, 5 x 8 in |
| HP-D72 | Dispenser, 72 wipes, 10 x 12 in |
| HP-3PS | PEL-PAC kit: 3 wet/dry wipes and a strip of 120-grit non-conductive sanding cloth |
| HP-P63 | PEL-PAC kit: 6 wet/dry wipes, 3 sanding cloth strips, and an instruction card |
| HP-T369/S-D | Tin of 3 saturated 6 x 9 in wipes with sanding cloth and a dry towel. The HP-T369 and HP-T369/S versions omit the dry towel and, for the base kit, the sanding cloth. |
| HPY-12 | 16 oz aerosol can |
| HP-16LF, HP-35LF | 1 pint and 1 quart flip-top bottles |
| HP-128, HP-640, HP-DRUM | 1 gallon, 5 gallon, and 55 gallon bulk |
Shop all Polywater Type HP cleaners in the Powertech store.
Type RP (Rapid Power) is for the jobs where waiting on a cleaner to flash off costs you time. It evaporates at a rate similar to alcohol, leaves less than 100 ppm residue, and is positioned by Polywater as an alternative to brominated and chlorinated solvents and other volatile cable cleaners. It is approved by medium voltage cable manufacturers and meets utility test requirements based on the IEEE 1493 cable cleaning standard.
Polywater's data shows EPDM hardened and changed weight in a seven day soak test with Type RP, so wipe cleaning is recommended to limit exposure. The same guidance applies to any solvent: too much cleaner can pool, and pooling may lead to tracking failure. Wipe the surface, do not flood it.
| Part Number | Package |
|---|---|
| RP-1 | Presaturated lint-free wipe, 5 x 8 in |
| RP-1L | Presaturated lint-free wipe, 8 x 12 in. Sized for tool bags and splicer buckets. |
| RP-P63 | Kit: 6 RP-1 wipes, 3 sanding cloth strips, and an instruction sheet |
| RP-16 | 16 oz aerosol can for spraying busbars, switchgear, meters, motors, and transformer oil residue |
| RP-35LF, RP-128, RP-640 | 1 quart bottle, 1 gallon bottle, 5 gallon can |
Shop all Polywater Type RP cleaners in the Powertech store.
Grime-Away is a water-based, heavy-duty cleaner for hands and tools. It is not a cable cleaner. It cuts hydraulic fluid, silicone grease, anti-oxidant compound, gels, and drill rod grease, and it works on transformers, vehicles, heavy machinery, and tools. It also moisturizes skin while it cleans.
Each wipe has a rough side for scrubbing and a smooth side for wiping, on a heavy-duty meltblown polypropylene towel.
Salisbury by Honeywell approves Grime-Away for cleaning hands that contact insulating gloves. It is not approved for use on the gloves themselves. Many other hand and tool cleaners contain petroleum, which can damage rubber goods, so this is worth knowing before a crew standardizes on a product.
| Part Number | Package |
|---|---|
| HTC-1 | Single saturated wipe, 8 x 12 in |
| HTC-D72 | Dispenser, 72 wipes, 10 x 12 in |
| HTC-D35 | Dispenser, 35 wipes, 6 x 9 in |
Shop Polywater Grime-Away wipes in the Powertech store.
This video explains the importance of cleaning your protective gear to avoid electrical tracking and shows how it is easier to spot defects and potential failures when hot sticks, line hoses, grounds, blankets, and gloves are properly cleaned. Always follow the product instructions and check the safety data sheet before use.
Both clean cable and electrical equipment and both leave under 100 ppm residue. Type HP has a flash point above 140°F and a medium evaporation rate, and it is sold in the widest range of packages including splice prep kits. Type RP evaporates much faster, similar to alcohol, but it is flammable with a 19°F flash point.
Either one. Type HP is the more common choice and comes in PEL-PAC kits with sanding cloth (HP-3PS, HP-P63) and Tandem Packs with a wet and dry wipe (HP-P158ID). Type RP is the choice when fast drying matters, and it also comes in a kit (RP-P63).
Polywater reports that Type HP passes IEEE 1493 compatibility testing on XLPE, EPDM, and silicone rubber, and that cable shield resistivity returns to control levels after exposure. Some other rubbers, such as SBR, swell during soak testing and recover after the solvent evaporates.
Yes. Type HP is available as a 16 oz aerosol (HPY-12) and Type RP as a 16 oz aerosol (RP-16).
No. Salisbury by Honeywell approves Grime-Away for cleaning hands that contact insulating gloves, not for cleaning the gloves themselves.
Type HP wipes come in 8 x 12 in (HP-1), 5 x 8 in Tandem Packs (HP-P158ID), and 10 x 12 in dispensers (HP-D72). Type RP wipes come in 5 x 8 in (RP-1) and 8 x 12 in (RP-1L). Grime-Away comes in 8 x 12 in single wipes (HTC-1), 10 x 12 in dispensers (HTC-D72), and 6 x 9 in dispensers.
Type RP is flammable with a 19°F flash point. Type HP is combustible with a flash point above 140°F. Keep both away from flame and ignition sources, and check the safety data sheet before storing or shipping. Grime-Away is water-based.
Powertech Associates supplies Polywater products to electric utilities, line contractors, and municipal crews. You can shop Type HP, Type RP, and Grime-Away cleaners online. For bulk quantities, kits, or help choosing the right cleaner for your crews, contact Powertech Associates.
Explore the full line of Polywater products for product details and technical documentation.
