Bike Cleaning

[Bowlo]

G'day peoples I did a search on this but found nothing other than rust cleaning so:

I was wondering what you all use to clean your bikes? Turps, water, metho? I'm not looking to spend much money. I've already got a chain cleaner so no-one please suggest that. What tools do you use? Special brushes? Most of the time I use an old toothbrush :D

Post your thoughts please :D

Bowlo

[leitch]

Armourall Car Wash, warm water, sponge.

[tinkerbell]

ok dont use any thing like turps or metho.
maby check out the MUCK OFF web site they make bike cleaner's .
but the good old hose and cloth work's fine.

[leitch]

metho rocks for cleaning shit off chains, cassettes and brake pads, just remember to lube your chain up afterwards.

[dain2772]

I use the handheld broom from a dustpan and broom set to brush off sand and dirt, and then a spray citrus cleaner that I got from a bike shop - just spray on and wipe off.

[Kirky]

A brush, soapy water and a high pressure hose dose it for me. Once a year i use Nu Finnish to give that extra shine.

[AngoXC]

Try and avoid high pressure hoses as this can force water into bearings and pivots. A normal hose should do.

Just standard car wash (think its called 'Turtle Wax' )does it for me. For the chain, I spray it with El-cheapo degreaser (maybe a dollar from SuperCheap Auto) and give it a scrub with a stiff brush before a relubing it with Finish Line Dry (dont forget to wipe of the excess following).
I find an old t-shirt soaked in a bit of degreaser is good enough to get into your cassette and chainrings although on several occations, Ive taken off my third ring to get in their properly. I guess a narrow brush would probably achieve the same thing. I also make it a point of pulling Matt/STPZERORIDAH's little disc brake cleaning procedure with metho as i imagine the rotors and pads would get a fair amount of crap in them from just the cleaning process.

Ive heard of people using Mr Sheen on their frames...im not sure how this would go as its designed for wood...

So yeah, I think the only tool as such you would need is a couple of stiff bushes...espeically useful for derailluers etc as well.

[Jeebus]

I use the handheld broom from a dustpan and broom set to brush off sand and dirt, and then a spray citrus cleaner that I got from a bike shop - just spray on and wipe off.

2nd that, when buying my bike last night the lad said the same thing to me.

[Foggy]

An old toothbrush is unbelievably handy for cleaning in those hard-to-reach areas without having to dismantle the bike. - Mike.

[spyder6052]

soapy water, hose that is all

[Bowlo]

I saw a piccy in AMB of a guy using a high pressure gurny(sp?) to hose down his bike... BAD?

[leitch]

I saw a piccy in AMB of a guy using a high pressure gurny(sp?) to hose down his bike... BAD?
high pressure hoses are fine as long as you dont aim them directly at bearings, bottom brackets, pivots or fork/shock seals.

[ozzy osbourne]

I used to hose my bike of then do a full drying and degreaser session. Is fine so long as you re-grease and dry everything really well and then leave in the sun for that little bit extra drying or things get surface rust.
Now the water restriction have come in Stage 4 almost 5 in a few months.
I use buckets and go for rides in the rain when we get it so not much


Gurnys can left stickes and sometimes paint
I found out the hard way with boats

[rgm]

My cleaning routine:

Hose bike with slight pressure, hose the shit out of the tyres with a bit more pressure, degrease chain, cassette then re-lube.

[matt06]

Yeah i rinse my bike with water the degrease all the chain and derailer (sp went blank) and scrub that with toilet cleaner thingy then hose it of. Then wash my bike with truck wash and it comes up great.

[Trevor_S]

I was wondering what you all use to clean your bikes?

Spray on truck wash, from a little hand pack spray bottle, (50c at junk shops) neat (ie don't mix it), leave it for 5 - 10 mins, rinse off with a hose, that's about it.. You can use it on your chain if it gets shitty (then lube it up when finished of course). Buy it at places like Supa-Cheap.

[roxy12]

Spray on truck wash, from a little hand pack spray bottle, (50c at junk shops) neat (ie don't mix it), leave it for 5 - 10 mins, rinse off with a hose, that's about it.. You can use it on your chain if it gets shitty (then lube it up when finished of course). Buy it at places like Supa-Cheap.

agreed, I use ct-18 truck wash, nothing better in my opinion, cleans chains to a perfect shine, makes your bike look spankers:)

[bitterbro]

http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=65440

it's all there. every idea you thaught you'de heard of

[Ocron Dercas]

Pressure cleaners are fine from a safe distance, >1m, although this actually makes it difficult to be thorough.

Citrus based degreasers are good though usually pricey.

My rule of thumb is to always use the weakest gentlest detergent needed.

Dishwashing liquid or commercial carwash solutions are the best, as their formulations are rubber/plastic and skin friendly. Anything harsher will contribute to drying and cracking seals and plastic components.

If you only use dry lubes, the above should be enough. If you you wet lubes, then your bike is probably a crap magnet and will require the use of harsher detergents/solvents to remove it regularly. For this, I use petrol (love th fumes), metho, isopropyl alcohol and occasionally a pressure pack degreaser if i'm being lazy.

Generally use petrol to degrease the drivetrain (disassembled), pressure pack (assembled) then completely wash with dishwashing detergent followed by dry lubing. Current favourite chain lube is that weldtite krytox dry wax stuff. Sorted.

[avablast]

The good ole hose and cloth method works fine for me. Spray her down, wipe her up, check the bolts, lube the chain. Than go ride. I like it because cleaning my bike is one of my most disliked procedures. If i could i would get the misses to do it, but im to much of a softy to make her.

[takai]

CT18 truck wash for the body, CT12 degreaser for the chain, then meguiars car wash all over, wash off and then relube with Finishline Wet or White Lightning.

[Bowlo]

Great fellas... Thanks alot, I'll have to pick up some Truck Wash and that CT-18 and CT-12 stuff.

Cheers
Bowlo

[A-line4lyf]

i use a 1200 psi pressure cleaner with normal tap water. it gets all the dirt and crap off my bike. i have sealed bearings so it doesnt really matter what happens. dont use soap as it could eventually leave ugly soap scum like on a shower window.

[DownhillerDeano]

dont use soap as it could eventually leave ugly soap scum like on a shower window.

I dont think it would providing it was wiped off properly?:rolleyes:

[R_D]

Because of the drought in brissie at the moment Ive havent really had to clean dust of my bike for a while now... A dry towel and a bit of effort does the trick:D

[joelhartley55]

iv got one tip kerosen it stop the rust from starting in the bolts and stuff, so bucket hot water 1 or 2 lids of kero, hose , sponge

[kushy]

Sup,

I tried this on my sisters old bike, and it went pretty good with some of this cleaning stuff (don't know name). I used steel wool thats something i do know. Just try using steel wool with some cleaning products and see what happens. Good Luck :D

Cheers
Kushy

[avablast]

I just turn my bke upside down and hose her off. Than wipe her down, and lube her up once she is dry. None of this fancy stuff like degreaser.

[BM Epic]

Car wash, followed by a bit of degreaser, slow running water, then dry off with a rag, lube up chain, touch of oil on derailleur hinges-pivots, and go baby,sometimes for good looks, tyre black on the tyres, then get it dirty for the whole process to start again.
YIPPEE!

[Bowlo]

Gravedig much?

Thanks for the ideas fellas but I think I will go buy a cleaning bucket!

[sajica]

When I clean my bike after a run, I will either just hose it off, and use a stiff brush to wash the tyres (because I store my bike indoors), I use my magwheel brush to clean my rims, between the spokes, and hubs. Once my bike is dry I then give it a go over with eagle 1 spray *Wax as you dry*. It keeps it shiny and next time you clean it, you only need to hose it off ;)


Occasionally I'll get my polyglaze out and my microfibre mitt to give her a good go over. Always feels weird caressing a bike with a mitt ;)

[primo_DHFR]

Hi,

i just cleaned my bike yesterday along with my brothers.

when i clean my bike (every 3 - 4 weeks depending on how dirty and more often during school holidays) i tend to take everything off my bike clean everything individually with warm soapy water and then as i go pt out everything back on, i grease, lube and give it a service etc...

it takes a few hours (im pretty pedantic about it) but when im finished it literally runs like a new bike and looks it to.

i sugest also that you clean your bike before a service at your lbs, this decreases the time take for your mechanic to service it and cuts the cost of the service. i do this because my lbs charges $75 per hour.

i hope you learnt something from my little essay..

Dan

[ando_freeagent]

a bit of metho on a rag then spray some cleaner stuff i got into hard places then high pressure air hose into those hard places blows all the dirt out and then wipe down with a wet sponge and then let it dry and then re grease everything

[Skywalker]

Furniture polish from the $2 shop. Spray it on over the dirt and wipe it off. Leaves a nice shine to your bike and makes it easy to clean next time. The froth from the polish helps lift the dirt too. Pffft to using a hose. :) After that, lube the chain, moving parts, and staunchens and give it a quick service.

[DeathByDownHill]

a bit of metho on a rag then spray some cleaner stuff i got into hard places then high pressure air hose into those hard places blows all the dirt out and then wipe down with a wet sponge and then let it dry and then re grease everything

When I 1st got my bike I started using this method until I was told using compressed air was a no-no because it can harm you fork seals etc.. Id imagine it could if you stuck the nozzle there all the time..? Is this a myth? because I havent use air since & its much easier/quicker to get you bike dry.
Also I bought some "bbq type" degreaser to clean mainly my chain & derauilers once they clog up with dirt & teflon, can this stuff do any harm, or should I get proper chain cleaner... more expense...:mad:

[Australia says no]

air is the go. you would have to try pretty hard to damage anything especially seals. and it saves water and a lot of mess.

be carefull with degreasers as they can do such a good job that they also degrease your cassette body and jocky wheels and the like. i use a product that i get from my local bike shop called clean steak. this stuff is so good it must be a carcinogen. as it cleans away everything and doesnt leave a residue like the un environmentally friendly kero does and doesn't over clean it. you can also get it in a pack with a chain cleaner that you just hold on your chain and backpedal, its also a disk brake cleaner again becasue it evaporates.

i would not recomend CT18 as a bike wash as it is a truck wash and is not for bikes as again it overcleans. it will also contaminate your brake pads, it doesnt do it do bad but reduces power a bitand tends to make them squiel a bit

[shiznik]

What? Bowlos bikes get dirt on them??

:p

On the rare occasion that I clean my bike, it is a tea towl, warm water, car wash, toothbrush, hose, and metho for the drive train.
Metho on the drivetrain works really well, gets all the dirt of, I then rinse it off.

[mitchy123]

truck wash. best cleaner ever.

[SHISH]

If its just giving the bike a bit of TLC after a weekends bash i use and recommend Furniture Polish!! You can buy it in cans from woolies and such... all you do is spray it on then wipe it off!

Otherwise if its covered in a thick layer of mud then on the way home from the ride stop in at your local car lovers(car wash) and put it through a rinse. If on the back of a ute it should have a pretty good blow dry by the time you get it home. Dry off the excess water, spray it with furniture polish, n give it a quick service to keep it running smooth!!!

[Harry B]

I just flip it upside down, fill a bucket with warm water, get a rag, wipe it down hard, dry it fully, lube it up with motorbike liquid (used once at a friends worked well) and your all good.

No fancy chemicals or materials.

[BOOTH2]

You can use a pressure cleaner, just dont use a really powerful and try to keep the nozzle of the cleaner a fair distance from the bike to avoid wrecking seals and stuff.
If you don't want to use a cleaner use a bucket of soapy water and a rag, also a toothbrush is handy as mentioned above

[old4dy]

dont forget the old tv ads

look in mummies cleaning cupboard you will find all kinds of really

good cleaning stuff

MR SHEEN

SPRAY AND WIPE

GUMPTION not many young riders have this


cheers:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rol leyes:

[NS_Suburban]

Its been said before, but i'll say it again: Truckwash! A toothbrush, one of the kitchen sponges that has a green scourer on the back and a towel or chamois to dry it off, thats all I ever use.

[xc_machine]

Bucket, Turtle wax n wash, water, rag.

1. Wash everything except grips.
2. Hose everything off.
3. Blow (with compressor) every small nook and crannie to rid of water.
3. Spray every bolt (except rotor bolts), and moving part with any rust prevention/lube spray (RP7 is sh*t, use penetrene). MAKE SURE NOT TO SPRAY ANYWHERE NEAR ROTORS OR PADS.
5. Ride.

Oh, and do not use a pressure cleaner.

[haroescape]

Bucket, Turtle wax n wash, water, rag.

1. Wash everything except grips.
2. Hose everything off.
3. Blow (with compressor) every small nook and crannie to rid of water.
3. Spray every bolt (except rotor bolts), and moving part with any rust prevention/lube spray (RP7 is sh*t, use penetrene). MAKE SURE NOT TO SPRAY ANYWHERE NEAR ROTORS OR PADS.
5. Ride.

Oh, and do not use a pressure cleaner.

I have been wondering about something to spray on the bolts etc because after washing my bike some water must have sat in the bolt heads and there is a little bit of rust.

I try to dry the bike as best I can but was wondering if there is something that wouldn't harm any components and would prevent/kill rust without being sticky?

Is this what Penetrene does?

I was reading a can of Inox (?) the other day and it seemed to meet all of my requirements.

What do you guys think of these or any other products?

Thanks

Craig

[TomT]

I put my bike in the middle of the yard, get a BIG hose, and soak the hell out of it. I then wipe it down with towl. Probably not the best way but meh. does the job! :)

Cheers,
Tom

[malt182]

Well, when i clean my bike, (depending if it is my huffy) I will simply throw it into a swimming pool, all huffy's should just die. But my avanti gets respect, i use a warm cloth, and clean it off, BUT, you have to dry it to prevent rust.

[RahXavi]

soapy water, hose that is all

This is the way to go!! nice and simple and a great result :) No high pressure from the hose though :)

[bitterbro]

soapy water, hose that is all

That stuff is only good for cleaning the nothingess of your bike! You need a tooth brush for the nooks and crannys, a sponge and warm car wash soap for the main parts, the garden hose on high pressure to rinse everything and then a whole bunch of chain lube.

[stumpy_dan]

Cool video tutorial here

http://ibikeride.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=191&Itemid=1

Here's one routine...

Rinse off the surface dirt from your bike. Don't use a high pressure hose as this can push dirt into your bearings. Although don't panic as most bikes these days have sealed bearing so becoming less of a problem but be careful either way. Main advantage of rinsing the dirt off is it avoids you scratching your frame when you scrub and we know how much you love your bike.

Degrease her with a degreasing solution. Cover the moving parts i.e. the chain, chain rings, rear cogs and so on (not the brakes). Brush whilst moving the chain. Change gears at front and back whilst doing this to get all the parts of the chain ring and rear cogdone.

Rinse off

Soap her up with a bike wash and use a big brush for the frame and a smaller one for the difficult to get to parts. Put the wash solution on the brushes too (avoid the brakes). Do scrub cables and try and get to every nook and cranny.

Rinse off

Leave to dry in the shade a bit and then dry the chain with a cloth. Pedal backwards with your hand with the cloth through the chain.

Re-lube the moving bits particularly the chain (and yes avoid the brake;)

Loads of other skills and tips at the site this is from. Might be worth checking out http://www.ibikeride.com