ARGH. Need to clean a malt extract spill...

There is probably no "easy" way to do this, but I have a big mess to clean up so any suggestions would be very welcome. I just discovered that a container of malt extract (dark, of course) has been leaking. This extract was (of course) kept on the top shelf of my supply shelving, so it has slowly dripped down the shelving unit to pool at the bottom of the shelf. It also created smaller drip pools on the shelves along the way - it is a MESS. Ugh. The shelving unit i made of metal, with press board shelves so I'd like to NOT do anything that would cause rust or infuse the shelves with water.

Any suggestions?

BTW - this happened in a corner of the shelving unit behind a door so I did not see the spill until it reached the concrete basement floor. The liquid malt has become almost like a tacky glue. I am setting the shelving outside in the sun to see if I can "melt" some of it away... maybe I'll use a hairdryer on the metal shelving posts and wipe it away as it becomes more liquid-like? Argh...

Okay, sun is working really well to liquify the pieces of the unit I can get outside... hair dryer is not so great on the inside stuff...

Sounds like a nasty mess for sure......

Seems like your going to have to use some hot water to some extent to het it cleaned up. Even if its just on a wash rag of sorts.

Yes, it is awful and you were right about the hot water. I did figure out that drywall scrapers (the cheap plastic kind, not the metal ones) are great for scraping the largest parts off - I am using that first and then going back over it all with hot, soapy water. Seems to be working... just hard going... and I never thought I'd be so happy about a hot day but the sun is melting the stuff outside really well so it's easier to work with... live and learn... (sigh)...

Mess is GONE. This is what I have learned:
1) use liquid extract sooner and/or monitor for leakage
2) plastic drywall scrapers work GREAT for getting up the big glops
3) setting extract-coated things in the hot sun really loosens up the extract for easier clean-up
4) hot soapy water (the hotter the better) and elbow grease works gets rid of the last layer of stickiness
5) brew more often. I could really use a cold beer right now and I'm all out!

Good job!

Well at least next time you know when you need to use this stuff and its really hot outside you can just throw the container outside in the sun to get it to usable form instead of heating up some water or such.

Brewgrrrl said:

Mess is GONE. This is what I have learned:
1) use liquid extract sooner and/or monitor for leakage
2) plastic drywall scrapers work GREAT for getting up the big glops
3) setting extract-coated things in the hot sun really loosens up the extract for easier clean-up
4) hot soapy water (the hotter the better) and elbow grease works gets rid of the last layer of stickiness
5) brew more often. I could really use a cold beer right now and I'm all out!

Click to expand...

6) Store messy stuff in a pan or on lower shelves???
7) See #5

Thanks, guys! Wade - aha! Great idea. And Scott - yes on the #5...

+1 on #5!