You saying "the gunk that floated out was insane" really hits home. I always figured these were a gimmick for watches, not serious tools. I had a 50mm f/1.8 with grease so old it was like glue. A five minute dip in the bath and it flushed out this nasty brown sludge I could never reach by hand. Totally changed my mind on what these cleaners can do.

My backup plan is basically a digital junk drawer with old tax files from 2018. It works, but finding anything in there is its own kind of crisis. I guess any safety net is better than none, even a messy one.

Drop it and get clear fast.

Yeah, that "timeline contradictions" point is a real eye-opener once you see it.

My uncle's neighbor in Toledo tried that last year. I read the fire report said it overloaded a 15 amp circuit by like 300 percent. They had to replace the whole back wall of the garage.