So last Sunday I opened my gun cleaning kit after like... two months? Holy crap it looked like a junk drawer exploded in there. Grease blobs everywhere, old patches stuck to stuff, even some grit in the corners. Total mess. Figured it was way past time to clean the dang box itself. No point cleaning a gun only to put it back in a dirty case, right?

The Big Empty Out

First thing, I hauled the whole thing outside onto my workbench. Didn't wanna get oil on the kitchen table again – learned that lesson the hard way!

• Grabbed every single item out – rods, brushes, bottles, patches, little screwdrivers, all of it.
• Piled it all up nearby. It's crazy how much stuff piles up inside over time.
• Turned the empty box upside down and gave it a good shake. Dust bunnies, lint flakes, and those tiny brass shavings nobody knows how they got there fell out. Sneaky little things.

Getting Down and Dirty

Okay, empty box staring at me. Time for the deep clean.

• Grabbed some old towels I keep in the garage just for messy jobs. Laid one down underneath.
• My go-to cleaner? Simple Green. That stuff cuts through CLP gunk like butter. Mixed a little with warm water in a spray bottle.
• Sprayed the whole inside – top, bottom, sides, those foam dividers – everything. Let it sit for a few minutes to work its magic on the old grease and grime.
• Got an old toothbrush I saved for this kinda crap and went to town. Scrubbed the corners hard, scraped off stubborn sludge bits stuck to the bottom with a plastic scraper (not metal!), rubbed down the foam dividers gently so I didn't tear them.
• Dumped out the dirty water mess. Rinsed it all out super good with plain water from the hose. Couldn't have any cleaner residue left behind. Shook it like crazy to get most water out, then wiped down the inside again with a clean rag.

Stuff Goes Back In (The Right Way!)

Now for the puzzle – putting it all back neatly.

• Laid everything out. Threw away dried-up useless patches and weird old plastic bags cluttering it up.
• Wiped down every tool and bottle individually with a slightly oily rag to protect the metal.
• Sorted everything again logically. Rods together? Check. Bottles upright? Yep. Brushes grouped? Done. Tied bundles of patches with rubber bands so they stop unrolling everywhere.
• Placed it all back carefully in the cleaned and dried compartments. Made sure the lids were screwed on tight on the solvent and oil bottles – double-checked that!

The Result? Satisfying!

Honestly? Took maybe an hour tops. It's not exactly perfect like store-bought-new, but it looks a million times better. No more sticky goo grabbing my tools. No surprise dirt getting onto a clean bore brush. Feels organized, clean, ready for the next time I need it. Feels good knowing my cleaning tools are... well, clean themselves now. Should do this more often, seriously.