Lets here what anyone is using to remove grease/wax from new or used traps. I used to use lye(potassium hydroxide) years ago, but it's becoming harder to find in store. Then I used Sani Flush (sodium hydroxide) and couldn't find any locally. How about some of the degreasers sold in the auto section? I've had a real hard time getting the manufacturing grease completely off #2 American chain sold thru most of the websites that many of us use. I see lye advertised when one Goggles it, but not always in the store. Terrorists might buy it.

Mainline liquid drain cleaner $10 a gallon at Wallmart. It is a blend of sodium and potassium if I remember correctly. Find it with the plumbing stuff. Red Devil pure lye at tru-valu hardware store. The mainline will make fifteen gallons of soultion easy. Must suc living in a place you can't even buy cleaning supplies.

If dish washer detergent works In a dish washer could It be added to boiling water In a barrel when doing traps?

When I do traps In the dish washer they come out clean.

I have been using super clean degreaser 1 gallon size and mixing it with 10 gallons of water. I bring it to a boil and let the traps sit in it for about 15 to 20 minutes and then pull them out and rinse right away. For waxed traps I do the same, but after 15 to 20 minutes I turn off the heat and let them sit until the wax that didn’t dissolve hardens at the top of the water. I was able to do about 5 dozen #3 and 4 traps before the solution started to look pretty bad. You can pick it up at Walmart for around $9 a gallon.

The thing you want to do Is put a hose in the barrel and flush out all the dirty water. All the oil and dirt rises to the top so you don't want to pull your traps up through It.

New traps get sprayed with Simple Green and hosed off a couple times. Then tossed in the rain barrel for a day or so.

Old traps get hosed off and tossed in the rain barrel...then re waxed.

I'm done boiling anything. Waste of time. Wish I would have realized that 40 years ago. I'm a slow learner.

As the Beav said all oil and wax is lighter than water and it all floats, period, it will float right off boiling water with no other additives at all, nothing is needed but hot water

Calvin's method is better than most I have read on here, at least he isn't corroding his traps with lye or vinegar or some other acid or caustic. Traps will last a long time done just he does.
A pressure washer or a car wash can clean a pile of traps fast.

Thanks guys, no dishwasher here. In fact I can't boil in town due to a no burn regulation so I haul everything (including water) to one of the farms I hunt on and do it there.
The Simple Green I thought of because way back we quit using low odor solvent in the test lab to clean guns during testing. I also looked at that Super Clean for getting the slimy oil off the #2 chain. I have done the car wash thing also on the chain before, seems to work pretty well.
Calvin, the no boil idea may just be a first choice after the car wash.
Thanks for the replies.

Does your NoBurn include BBQ grills and Turkey or Fish Fryers? A canning kettle will work on any of those, if I had to burn wood to cook traps I probably wouldn't; need a truckload of wood and all day the way I used to do it. Propane is GREAT!

Never tried the Super Clean on traps, but I recently discovered this product. So far I have used it for detailing the truck, cleaning the lawn tractor and the deep fryer, it has been amazing.

I don't boil either. Power wash to get any old dirt, mud, blood etc off. Then I run them through a cement miker with gravel. This will remove any old wax. Dip in FMJ and start catching critters. No more boiling or waxing for me. The only thing I do differently with new traps is buy them in the spring and leave them lay outside till fall. The good Lord gets 90 percent of the oil off them just due to the rain.

Orange Clean, or Citrus Cleaner works great, too. I finish them off with a pressure washer.

You can still get Sani Flush at Menards.

Lye

Not sure but I think It takes heat to melt wax.

Non polar organic solvents will dissolve wax.

Dawn dish soap here for me with new traps, then a light coat of flat black paint.

Gasoline or vegetable oil? (as preferred by experience)

Gas or vegetable oil will melt or remove wax??

I believe they are non polar organic solvents, Beav.
Many common solvents like alcohol or acetone aren't non polar. I'll probably keep using hot water, it's worked before.

Yep that's a sure thing.