Practically, it’s sold all over self-repair shops in spray bottles, and doesn’t require the hassle of a basin to use like soap and water would. Spray, wipe, then IPA spray, wipe, job done.
Is there anything I should know before trying this on a build plate?
`I don’t know it’s called in your country but wiki knows.
edit Apparently there is some complication. “Sugar soap” refers to a differnt product in USA vs British Commonwealth. So I using the UK term, and the US version is probably TSP and NOT sugar soap.
Trisodium phosphate (Na₃PO₄) = inorganic compound made of sodium and phosphate ions. Depending on the dosage, sodium can range from gentle to aggressive on surfaces. To be precise, alkaline.
Sugar soap = Alkaline - It contains a small amount of sodium carbonate or, less commonly, sodium hydroxide.
So what does this tell us? It depends on the amount of sodium. It is not possible to make a blanket statement. While one product is gentle on surfaces, a similar product with a higher concentration can damage the print plate.
In short: Check the sodium percentage. Presumably, the repair shop will sell products with a higher concentration than, for example, those found in the mild cleaning products section?
The problem of the conventional method of cleaning a build plate (take it a basin, use soap and water and then somehow dry it) is very inconvenient. With careful application of a spray (e..g onto a cloth) I could clean a build plate in situ.
I would be very careful if the version you have has Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) in it. That is lye. it does ok with steel and iron but reacts with Aluminium, tin and zinc and will produce Hydrogen gas. In the states (USA) there is a product called draino (dry, crystal formulation) that has NaOH and Al particals in it that is used to clean drains.
Otherwise, I would be worried about spraying anything inside a printer area or chamber because you can’t control the overspray and may not be able to wipe everything down and if it conducts electricity and gets on a board it may cause other issues.
Possibly spraying on a cloth and wipeing down, then cleaning with another cloth would work but personally I would not be willing to do that experiment with that product.
Edit: or any product for that matter. Wiping dust or stray filament off is one thing, but with cleaning you maybe applying downward pressure on the bed, especially with a textured plate, that over time may cause issues.
I use that stuff to “acid etch” concrete. [yes i know its a base] It comes in an aqueous solution, light pink. Never seen the granules. Be careful handling it, in any case.
In the US I use Dawn clear, no preservatives no fragrance and have used it on all plates. I use Bounty paper towels to hold and clean and it does not leave a residue, or film. The UK versions would be Fairy and I believe they sell Bounty. It’s ready quick and the bounty will hold onto the plate even when it’s slippery. Plus, the stuff is not going to kill you
