When should you upgrade to a dip tank? How often will you need to refresh your dip tank chemicals? And what is the right soak time for your screens?
Whether you’re wondering if a dip tank is a good fit for your shop, or you’re looking for answers on the dip tank you already own, we’re here to answer your questions so you can make the most of your time, money, and sanity.
So, what are we waiting for? Let’s (ahem) dive right in.
Do I need a dip tank?
First, let’s tackle your most pressing question — do you even need to invest in a dip tank? And how do I know if a dip tank is the right fit for my shop?
In most cases, a dip tank will have more benefits to your business than drawbacks.
If you’re running a smaller operation but looking to grow, we have found that dip tanks are a one-time investment that pay off in the long run.
That said, if you only need to reclaim a few screens a week, you might stick with the standard spray-on process that includes a screen wash, an emulsion remover, a stain and haze remover, and a degreaser — at least until you begin to increase production.
Why should I switch from spray-on chemicals to a dip tank?
Spray, scrub, done. For some screen printers, spraying works great. For many others, there’s a better way to do things.
With spray-on chemicals, you will:
- Use more chemicals (and more money) to do the same job a dip tank can handle
- Clean fewer screens per hour
- Need to use a lot of guesswork, which makes training others difficult
Depending on the number of screens you’re cleaning each day, spraying can be a good stand-in for screen printers who regularly reclaim screens.
What do I need to set up a dip tank?
A dip tank only requires a few key items:
- A dip tank (of course)
- A one-step ink cleaner and emulsion remover (Our EasiStrip SUPRA uses 1 part chemicals to 7 parts water)
- Tap water
Dip tank set up is easy — fill the tank halfway with water, pour in your solution, then fill the remainder of the tank with water. This will help reduce the amount of foaming (which will go away shortly after mixing).
How to use a dip tank
Using a dip tank isn’t too far from your current process — but it will help cut back on time spent waiting and scrubbing. 
Let’s walk through the basics:
- Card off excess ink
- Place screen into your dip tank for soaking (1–2 minutes)
- Remove the screen and transfer it to your washout booth
From there, you’ll continue your standard cleaning steps:
- High pressure rinse the ink and emulsion from the screen
- Turn the screen to the opposite side and repeat
- Spray on a stain and haze remover to the ink side of the screen and then scrub with a scrub brush.
- Turn screen around and spray to the opposite side and scrub
- High pressure rinse until all suds appear to be dissolved.
- Use a low pressure, slow flood rinse to activate degreasing agents and to remove any contaminants that may have been reintroduced to the screen during the cleaning process.
- Set aside the screen until dry
How long will a dip tank last?
Like everything in your shop, the lifespan of your tank’s chemical solution will vary depending on how well it is maintained. But because you’ll need specifics to plan your budget, we tell most screen printers to plan for their dip tank to last around 6–12 months before it needs to be drained and cleaned. (Note: this includes small additions of chemicals — or “dosing” — each month.)
To better understand how long your tank will last your shop before a dump and clean, you’ll want to consider the following.
Soak times
While it might seem like soaking longer = a better soak and a more effortless clean, keep in mind that your tank is there to help you break down the gunk on your screen (not to clean your screen).
If left to soak too long, the ink and emulsion will fall into the bottom of the tank. This sludge makes your chemicals work harder and impacts how well they can tackle future screens. Remember: not all chemicals are created equal — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and processes to get the best results.
Number of screens cleaned
It probably goes without saying, but the more screens you clean, the more you’ll use your dip tank. Typically, you can clean 125–150 screens per gallon of Easiway chemical before you see the solution start to weaken.
Our standard tanks use anywhere from 3–5 gallons, which cleans about 375–625 before you’d see them start slowing down.
When your solution begins to react slower, add an additional gallon of chemical and top the rest of the tank off with water to recharge the system back to full strength.
Likewise, when the fluid level of your dip tank begins to drop lower than the screen mesh you can top the tank off with plain water to bring the levels back up to where they need to be.
Easy tip: The fluid that leaves the tank when you pull out a screen is called dragout — and dragout is one of the top culprits that drops your fluid level. One way to combat dragout is to let your screen hang on the ledge of the tank to allow the dragout to drain back into the tank.
Things that can affect the length and strength of your solution
Like every tool and piece of equipment in your shop, you’ll want to consider the following to keep your cleaning solution at full strength for as long as possible.
Contaminants in tank
If anything other than water or an Emulsion Remover, such as our EasiStrip SUPRA One Step Ink Cleaner, is introduced to your tank (e.g., a different chemical or a metal), the reactive chemical in the tank will immediately die.
A good indicator is that the solution will likely turn lighter in color and eventually change to black. Needless to say, the solution in your tank will no longer work.
Improper training
With reclaim being one of the least desirable parts of the screen-printing process, oftentimes “newbies” are handed the gold baton to the screen room with little training. The lack of education related to these new employees leads to overuse of chemicals, missed steps, and a messy screen room. Yuck.
Shop temperature
Temperature plays a big role in the strength of the solution. It’ll work better in warmer temperatures, so we tell printers to keep their shop temperature around comfortable room temperature.
If your shop's temperature is too cold, it will slow the tank. Too hot and it will speed things up. (Note: speedy soak times can be a bonus, but keep in mind it could shorten the lifespan of your solution.) And too much humidity will make the solution evaporate quicker.
That said, many shops see tanks weaken in winter, especially if they store their dip tanks on a concrete floor or leave them exposed to cold air.
Easy tip: Protect your tanks in an unheated shop
Have tanks in your garage or in an uncontrolled temp environment? Put your tank on cinder blocks so it's not exposed to the cold concrete.
How many screens can I clean in a dip tank at one time?
Even if you purchase a dip tank that can fit more than one screen, the best practice is to clean one screen at a time. If your washout booth can accommodate two screens, you might choose to pull double duty.
Keep in mind that if your screen sits in the tank for too long, the ink and emulsion will run off into the solution, creating sludge at the bottom. While this isn’t harmful, the sludge will weaken the reactive solution over time. (And we don’t want that.)
Easy tip: Establish a three-screen cleaning rhythm
To get into an effective cleaning rhythm, start with one screen soaking in your dip tank. At the same time, have a screen on the ledge allowing the dragout to drain back into the tank.
While these screens are working on their own, have a screen in the washout booth finishing the reclaim process (emulsion removal, stain/haze removal).
Once that screen is done you can rotate: The screen on the ledge goes into the booth, the screen in the tank goes to the ledge, and you can put another dirty screen in the tank.
How do I clean a dip tank?
The first step to cleaning your dip tank is understanding your municipality’s rules and regulations. Second, don’t assume that something marked “drain safe” can always be poured down the drain.
As soon as your screens are immersed in your product, the integrity of that solution — dare we say it — is down the drain. While Easiway’s products are drain-safe, the ink and emulsion that are removed may not be. Since all of these materials become one in a used solution, you will want to do your due diligence in disposing.
How to dispose of dip tank chemicals
Depending on where you’re located, disposal will differ. Most Easiway users can use a filtration system attached to their washout booth to catch any sludge (ink and emulsion solids) before sending the solution safely down the drain and onto your city’s water treatment facility or into a septic tank. Some of our customers must bring their chemicals to their local water treatment plant if municipal regulations prohibit the disposal. (Note: this might be the case even if you are using a filtration system.)
Any sludge that is caught in your filter bag or that remains in the bottom of your dip tank can be scraped out, dried and disposed of in the trash as a solid.
Can’t a garbage can work like a dip tank?
We get it — inflation is real, and wallets are tight. So, using something from a local hardware store like a large trash can might feel like a no-brainer as a quick and dirty dip tank substitution.
While some screen printers might be able to do just fine with a garbage-can-turned-dip-tank, it can be tricky to find a can that can fit your screens. Oftentimes, “garbage can users” have to flip their screen or end up spraying on additional solution, doubling their cleaning time because the screen wasn’t fully submerged in the solution OR they need to use far more chemical than they would in a standard tank due to the capacity. Plus, you’ll need to watch that any loose sludge that falls off inside your tank doesn’t layer the bottom of your garbage can, leaving your screens to sit in the gunk each time they’re submerged.
Just remember that authentic dip tanks are made from materials designed to hold up the chemicals you’ll use inside of your tank. Garbage cans? Unfortunately, they’re really only designed for trash. When it comes to where to put your money without spending more than you need, we’ve seen time and time again that a dip tank investment pays for itself in the long run.
Easiway makes dip tanks…well, easy
As a company specializing in screen printing cleaning solutions, it’s easy for us to tell you that you should invest in a dip tank. But we’re not just any company. Our team is made up of creatives like you, and we invest so much into what we know best [the cleaning process] because we want others in the industry to succeed.
We’re here to tell you that a dip tank is an easi way to simplify your process and give you back some time and money. If you’re cleaning multiple screens a day, we know you’ll see an improvement in your efficiency and overall life of your screens. And who doesn’t want that?