I spotted the SchleTek Gun Cleaner for the first time at SHOT Show 2023. Imported from Germany and application-specific, the little SchleTek kit seemed to be the do-all solution for your gun cleaning needs. Their products included everything from an optics cleaner to their Suppressor Cleaner Evolution. An entire kit that promises to clean everything including my suppressor? This I had to try.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
SchleTek Chief Executive Officer Sven Tekath provided me with the above cleaning kit. The SchleTek soft black bag has MOLLE attachment points on the back. The little kit includes Gun Cleaner, Bore Cleaner, an Optic Cleaner, 2 in 1 Gun Tuning, and a small cleaning cloth. In addition, a bottle of their Carbon Cleaner and Suppressor Cleaner was also provided.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
From that moment I knew the perfect firearm that was in desperate need of a cleaning. Reviewed last year is the above B&T SPC9 PWD SD. This gun was caked in carbon after going past 3000 rounds with no malfunctions and no cleaning during this testing cycle.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
I want to note just how dirty this little PDW had become throughout my testing. It really was given zero help, and it shows with the amount of carbon that was almost baked onto the bolt.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
With the SPC broken down and photos of each component taken, it was time to get to work and see what the SchleTek cleaning products could do.
Suppressor Cleaner
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
The first thing that would need to be cleaned is the suppressor. The SPC9 PDW SD is an integrally suppressed 9mm with a ported barrel. Rendering ammo subsonic with these ports often leaves more carbon and unburnt powder further back in the barrel and suppressor.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
While a low backpressure design let most of the carbon through, the can was noticeably a tad heavier than when I first got it.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
Evidence of just how dirty it was was very apparent when I removed the handguard exposing the barrel. The SchleTek suppressor cleaner certainly had its work cut out for it.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
Rather than try and clean the carbon off the barrel, I went for the combo move and opted to try to clean both the barrel and suppressor simultaneously. I sealed off the end of the suppressor (per the instructions) as best I could with a rubber glove and some rubber bands. Using a small syringe-style irrigator, I then fed the Suppressor Cleaner Evolution down the barrel and into the suppressor.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
While my seal didn’t hold perfectly, the cleaner immediately started to bubble up and this thick brown gunk started leaking into this very tactical repurposed bread pan. Don’t worry I don’t bake bread so it’s fine. Clearly, this stuff was working.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
Instructions indicate to let the cleaner set for 20 to 30 min before pouring some out and sealing both ends. With both ends sealed, you shake the suppressor to help free any heavy carbon buildup.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
Once that’s complete, you open both seals and flush the suppressor with hot water. As I had to remove the suppressor from the gun, the carbon on the barrel wasn’t able to take advantage of this last shake, but both were rinsed thoroughly with hot water.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
Some of the heavier carbon deposits still remained, but the baffles at the end of the suppressor looked almost brand new. I ended up transferring the now dirty cleaner to a bottle in an effort to show just how much carbon this removed. Honestly, I’m amazed at how well this stuff works and I can’t wait to try it on my other suppressors.
Bore Cleaner
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
Next up and the first item out of the soft bag kit was this bore cleaner aerosol spray.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
I’ve used quite a few bore cleaners throughout the years and have always had the same problem. How do I evenly apply this throughout the barrel? Well, SchleTek thought of this and includes this small hose that evenly disperses the cleaner through the barrel.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
Directions for this one are simple enough. Attach the small tube to the bottle and push the button down while pulling the hose back. Well, I wasn’t ready for the amount of pressure this little bottle had, luckily I had a catch pan in place.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
Unlike most bore cleaners, this one doesn’t have any caustic ingredients. So I let this sit for the directed 5-10 minutes before I moved on to the next step.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
After letting it sit SchleTek recommends running a bore brush through to free up any heavy carbon. Just like you would during a normal cleaning session. Before then I had noticed large flakes coming out after just spraying on the product.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
After a couple of passes through with this bore brush (not included) and it was time to move on to step three.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
Normally this is where I end up using what seems to be an endless supply of cleaning patches. This time it didn’t take a lifetime to clean and after just four patches, the barrel looked ready to star in the intro credits of one of the next 007 movies. You’re still batting 1,000 at this point SchleTek, so color me impressed.
Carbon Cleaner
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
Next up was the Carbon Cleaner. While the kit does include a gun cleaner solution, the carbon cleaner is supposed to be for the heaviest of jobs. With the bolt thoroughly caked in carbon, this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
Normally, aerosol-based carbon cleaners are a game of cat and mouse where you’re trying to scrub before the product evaporates. Luckily this wasn’t the case. The solution itself is a bit heavier than I was expecting and actually stuck around rather than evaporating after I applied it.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
While the initial blast was enough to knock off some of the carbon, some additional scrubbing with a nylon brush was required.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
After about a few minutes of scrubbing and reapplying the carbon cleaner, the bolt looked pretty good. Still, I didn’t want to neglect the included gun cleaner and decided to give that a try as well.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
The gun cleaner was the perfect choice for the bolt and other parts like the carbon-coated lower receiver. This heavier detergent like spray goes on evenly and then wipes off evenly with a paper towel or included microfiber cloth. Perfect for safely cleaning plastic components that an aerosol-based product might damage.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
The last step in the cleaning process is always to reapply a lubricant, and that’s where the 2 in 1 Gun Tuning comes in.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
I generally have a hard time with general-purpose 2 in 1 products but I was very impressed with the 2 in 1 Gun Tuning. The viscosity of the oil isn’t too heavy and sticky but also isn’t too light where you need to re-apply the solution multiple times. For parts cleaned with the included gun cleaner, this brings them back to a like-new look while evenly oiling all the components. You can pick up any excess with a q-tip to apply to smaller parts as needed.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
Last up from the Soft Black Bag Kit was the optic cleaner solution.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
While the Aimpoint ACRO P2 wasn’t terribly dirty I decided to add a few fingerprints and smudges before I got started.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
A quick spray of the optic cleaner on the lens goes to show there’s an actual oil breakdown happening as the oil fizzes breaking down the oil from my fingerprints.
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner
After the solution stopped fizzing, I wiped away the solution with the included cloth. This is generally where I’d need to reapply to really get the oil and other contaminants off, but not this time. Nope, the lens was as good as new.
The Verdict
TFB Review: SchleTek Gun Cleaner — SPC9 PDW SD After Cleaning
My closet is full of cleaning kits from various companies, and these kits usually provide one or two products I continue to use. This small cleaning kit paired with the Carbon Cleaner and Suppressor Cleaner Evolution blows all of those kits out of the water. The Soft Black Bag Kit has an MSRP of $69.65 which I think is unheard of considering all this little kit has. Additionally, the Suppressor Cleaner Evolution starts at $26.14 for a 500ml bottle, and the Carbon Cleaner is just $16.19 for a 150ml bottle. Aside from very niche applications, I think these are the best gun cleaning products for the money on the market today, and if you have a suppressor you almost need the Suppressor Cleaner Evolution.
Special thank you to SchleTek for providing the cleaning supplies for this review. All the products in this review are available via the bt-parts.com website via the links below. Thanks for reading.
SchleTek Soft Black Bag Kit
- SKU: SCH-0062/4
- Price: $69.65
Suppressor Cleaner Evolution 500ml
- SKU: SCH-1986
- Price: $26.14
SchleTek Suppressor Cleaner Evolution 1000ml
- SKU: SCH-1986/1
- Price: $47.17
SchleTek Carbon Cleaner 150 ml Pump
- SKU: SCH-0009/150
- Price: $16.19
SchleTek Carbon Cleaner 500 ml Aerosol
- SKU: SCH-0009/500
- Price: $32.83