Quarterbore's Forums - Cleaning cosmo from an M9 sheath

I just got four of those LanCay M9’s from Pinto on AR15.com. I too wanted to avoid harsh products like brake cleaner. I used something called “Goo Gone”. It is a spray gel that is great for removing sticky, gummy & greasy problems. You can find it at just about any big store (Wally World, Kmart, Target). I may have been a little over zealous on the cleaning project…
First I removed the webbing back strap and top strap assemblies. Those were immersed in hot soapy water and scrubbed with a plastic stiff bristle brush (gun cleaning “Tooth Brush“). Then rinsed with clean water, and allowed to air dry.
I sprayed the “Goo Gone” on the blades and scabbards (inside and out). After a 10 minute contact time I wiped the surfaces with clean cotton rag. The cosmoline and paint came right off. I cleaned them again with hot soapy water and a stiff bristle brush, and a long, small diameter bottle brush to get inside the scabbards. After rinsing in clean hot water, I dried the surfaces with a clean, dry cotton rag, and allowed them to sit over night.
The next morning I reassembled the scabbards. I then applied a light thin coat of Break-Free CLP to all metallic surfaces. I retuned the bayonets to their scabbards and called the task completed. Anyways, I hope this is of some help.