Brake Cleaner Spray Bottles: The Refillable Alternative to Aerosol Cans
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Yes, you can put brake cleaner in a spray bottle, but only in a refillable pressure sprayer with solvent rated seals, such as VITON (FKM). A standard trigger bottle or garden sprayer has seals that swell and perish in brake cleaner, so it starts leaking within days. Buy the cleaner in bulk, decant it into the right bottle, and you take aerosol cans out of the workshop.
Why workshops are moving off aerosol cans
Mechanics go through a lot of brake cleaner because it does a lot of jobs. It flushes brake dust and fluid off calipers and rotors, degreases parts before assembly and flashes off without leaving a film. On a busy floor that is a carton of cans a week, and every can is used once and thrown out.
A refillable pressure spray bottle changes the sums. You buy brake cleaner in bulk drums, fill a 1.0 or 1.5 litre sprayer from it and pump it up by hand. The bottle, pump and seals are serviceable, so the same sprayer keeps working for years. Put your own price per litre for bulk cleaner next to the price per can and the gap is usually plain to see.
There are practical wins too. A pressure sprayer gives an even spray with no propellant, so you are not paying for gas or watching the spray fade as the can runs down. Add a 15, 30 or 50 cm extension lance and you can reach into a wheel well or behind a caliper without leaning over the job.
Pick the seal by what is in your brake cleaner
The bottle is rarely the weak point. The seals are. Brake cleaners are solvent blends, and the seal has to suit the solvents in your blend. Check section 3 of the SDS for the ingredients, then match it like this.
| What is in the blend | Seal | Klager sprayer |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum or hydrocarbon solvents, the most common brake cleaners | VITON (FKM) | 1.0L or 1.5L Solvent Resistant |
| Petroleum solvents, heavy daily use | FKM-80, a higher grade of VITON | 1.0L Superior |
| Acetone, or solvents mixed with acetone | A seal build rated for acetone mixtures | 1.2L Master Solve+ |
| Water based or alkaline parts cleaners and degreasers | EPDM | 1.2L Alkaline Resistant |
The acetone trap
Acetone is the ingredient that catches people out. It is a solvent, so a solvent rated VITON sprayer looks like the obvious choice, but acetone and other ketones attack VITON. Some non chlorinated brake cleaners include acetone in the blend, so read the ingredient list before you fill. If acetone is there, use the Klager Master Solve+, which is built to resist pure solvents, pure acetone and mixtures of both. If you are not sure, send us the SDS and we will tell you which unit suits it.
What a good brake cleaner spray bottle looks like
- Seals matched to your blend, as in the table above.
- A pressure relief valve, so the bottle cannot be over pumped. Klager bottles are limited to 3 or 4 bar depending on the model.
- A stainless spring. Klager solvent units use an INOX spring that does not rust out in workshop conditions.
- Nozzles and lances you can change, from Klager's assorted nozzles to 15, 30 and 50 cm extension lances.
- Spare parts. When a seal finally wears, a genuine VITON or FKM-80 seal kit puts the sprayer back in service.
- Clear labelling. A Klager colour coding cap marks which bottle holds which chemical, so nobody fills a VITON sprayer with an acetone blend by mistake.
How to fill and use one
- Release the pressure before you open the bottle.
- Fill to the scale mark only, leaving an air space above the liquid. The air is what holds the pressure.
- Screw the pump head down firmly and charge it with around 30 strokes.
- Spray, and pump again as the pressure drops.
- At the end of the day, release the pressure, decant leftover cleaner back into its drum and store the sprayer out of heat and direct sun.
Those fill and pressure figures are Klager's, for their own sprayers. Never fill with liquid hotter than 30 degrees C. The full routine is in our Refill and Repair Guide.
Where not to spray brake cleaner
Brake cleaner is strong stuff, whichever bottle it comes out of. Keep it off hot components and away from sparks and naked flames, because most blends are highly flammable. Keep it off painted panels, plastics and rubber parts you want to keep, as the solvents can soften or mark them. Never use it near welding, where chlorinated cleaners can break down into toxic gases. Work with good ventilation and follow the SDS for gloves and eye protection.
Degreasers and the rest of the workshop shelf
The same logic covers other workshop chemicals. Solvent degreasers and tyre shine run well in a VITON sprayer, which is what the Klager solvent units are rated for. Water based and alkaline degreasers, fibreglass cleaners and many paint prep agents suit EPDM, the Klager alkaline unit. Keep one labelled sprayer per chemical rather than swapping, because residue from one blend can attack the seals meant for another. Every bottle mentioned here is grouped under brake cleaner and workshop spray bottles, the wider range sits under solvent resistant sprayers, and the Klager range covers the whole family.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put brake cleaner in a spray bottle?
Yes, if the bottle is a pressure sprayer with seals rated for the solvents in your brake cleaner. VITON (FKM) suits most petroleum based blends. A standard trigger bottle or garden sprayer will leak.
What is the best spray bottle for brake cleaner?
A refillable pressure sprayer with solvent rated seals, a pressure relief valve and spare parts available. The Klager 1.0L and 1.5L Solvent Resistant units are built for brake cleaner, and the Klager Master Solve+ handles blends that contain acetone.
Where should you not spray brake cleaner?
On hot components, near sparks or flames, on paint, plastics or rubber you want to keep, and never near welding. Follow the SDS for ventilation and protective gear.
Does acetone in brake cleaner damage VITON seals?
Yes. Acetone and other ketones attack VITON. Check the ingredients on the SDS, and use a sprayer built for solvent and acetone mixtures, such as the Klager Master Solve+.
Why does my brake cleaner sprayer keep losing pressure?
Usually a seal has swollen or perished, often because it does not suit the chemical. Fit a genuine seal kit for your model, and check the blend against the seal type before you refill.
Workshops, auto parts resellers and chemical suppliers can request a quote for Klager brake cleaner sprayers in volume, or apply for a trade account. NORA PRO is the exclusive Australia and New Zealand distributor of Klager.