Barco ICP-D issues

[Dave Macaulay]

I've tried the official Barco filter cleaning procedure, and it does work. But washing soda (sodium carbonate) is not always easy to find, you need super hot water to dissolve it (and even then it doesn't dissolve easily), then you need to soak the filter for quite a while to eat away popcorn smoke residue.
I've been using commercial grill/oven cleaner - Swish 5100 - just spray it on, wait a few minutes, and gently scrub with a dish brush while holding the filter against a flat surface.
This gets them totally clean, as does the washing soda soak. Just a lot faster. I have not had any issues with the B/C metal or 8s/10s paper(?) filters being damaged by this cleaner.
Domestic oven cleaner works too, but not as quickly. The Swish 5100 is very very strong, with choking fumes and you must wear rubber gloves if you like having skin on your hands. I recently found that the disposable "Covid" masks really help with the fumes.
Swish 5100 comes in a 2 pint spray bottle but there is also a concentrated 1gal jug to mix 3:1 with water, that comes out much cheaper if you use a lot of it.
Metal filters can be dried immediately by blotting with towel, dry enough to put back in service right away. The 8s/10s filters need many hours to completely dry after washing and rinsing.

[Steve Guttag]

Arm and Hammer's Super Washing Soda is readily available (even via Amazon) and does well. Palm full to a bucket of hot water. Often the filter is clen in less than a minute. Every once in a while there is a soot that it has a harder time with bu mostly, particually if kept up, it just works.

[Dave Macaulay]

Must be a Canada thing, washing soda is not so easy to find here. Pool supply stores do sell it as a pH adjuster. With a spray bottle/can I don't need a basin (and B filters need a BIG basin).

[Gordon McLeod]

Washing soda is usually available in local grocery stores in the laundry section in many Toronto locations

[Carsten Kurz]

Same in Europe. It may be an unusual buy for many people (most people buy standard composite household cleaners nowadays), but, you can find it in every drugstore or larger supermarket here.

[Leo Enticknap]

Not easy to find around here. I find that just warm water (if in a powerful enough jet) will get most crud off; citrus degreaser spray, leave it on for 30-60 seconds, then wash off with warm water, if there is gross and disgusting popcorn oil involved.

[Steve Guttag]

Seriously...even Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Arm-Hammer-Su.../dp/B0029XNTEU

[Marcel Birgelen]

If you really can't find any Sodium Carbonate around you, but baking soda is plenty available, you can easily convert your baking soda into washing soda:

- Put some baking soda into a container that's suitable for your oven, spread it out evenly over the container.
- Put your oven on 400F/200C and let it "cook" for about two hours, give it a few stirs in between

Once the powder turned yellowish all through, your washing soda is complete. Store in an air-tight container.