• This topic has 51 replies, 41 voices, and was last updated 9 years ago by Jamie.
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  • Bike cleaning products
  • fervouredimage
    Free Member

    I’ve never really bothered with any of these bike cleaning sprays. Does anyone here actually use them? Just wondered if they are actually better than a bit of warm soapy water and elbow grease. I was looking at Muc Off but it’s bloomin’ expensive.

    Yak
    Full Member

    No. Nothing wrong with a bit of water/ cheap car shampoo, elbow grease and a rinse off after.

    nealy
    Free Member

    I just use a caravan cleaning hose brush and water. Fenwicks FS1 works well but it’s not needed really and muc off has been know to cause damage. I’d rather just use water than wash grease and lube out with a chemical cleaner

    fervouredimage
    Free Member

    Yeah, that’s what I thought. They all make claims about protective properties but i’m a bit dubious about if they actually cause damage to some materials. I found the hard way that MRP chain guides don’t like GT85 very much.

    Saying that, anyone tried – http://ride.io/reviews/ducksmart-cleaning-products-review/

    jaffejoffer
    Free Member

    I blast off any clumps with hose then spray over with mucoff
    then go and get a bowl of warm water and give it a once over with a sponge. bit of lube on the seals and job done. comes up a right treat.

    patriotpro
    Free Member

    Does anyone here actually use them?

    Yes but no the bike specific ones cos they a too dear.

    I use http://www.screwfix.com/p/swarfega-oil-grease-remover-5ltr/20817

    Check out the dilution ratio… 8)

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    This seems to work as well anything else.

    But

    Yak – Member

    No. Nothing wrong with a bit of water/ cheap car shampoo, elbow grease and a rinse off after.
    Probably 🙂

    Makes it easier and less messy though. Seem to spend less time on the drivetrain after a quick spray with one of these, so I’m more likely to do it properly.

    downhilldave
    Full Member

    Similar to jaffejoffer, but give it a wash with a little car shampoo in warm water after the Muc Off. Dry it off,lube the forks shock and dropper with Fork Juice. Leave it by the radiator in the kitchen to dry then clean and lube the chain. No damage to any of my previous bikes, been using it for years, sometimes three times a week.

    binners
    Full Member

    ….. and so’s your paint!

    D0NK
    Full Member

    fenwicks concentrate for cleaning chains (shake the chain in a bottle)
    water and a brush for the bike normally, occasionally use dilute fenwicks if I want to get it properly clean

    edit but I think I may be swapping to swarfega thanks patriotpro

    tazzymtb
    Full Member

    Got given some muck muncher to try…..really rather jolly good. Certainly as good a the pink mucc off and the sh1t shifter

    jaymoid
    Full Member

    Yes but no the bike specific ones cos they are too dear.
    I use http://www.screwfix.com/p/swarfega-oil-grease-remover-5ltr/20817
    Check out the dilution ratio…

    Wow, 1:50… Homeopathic bike wash?

    (I don’t doubt it, I use swarfega handwash, great stuff)

    iffoverload
    Free Member

    I use golden ale or something similar

    after a bottle or two the bike looks clean enough 🙂

    wonderchump
    Free Member

    I use Hope Sh1t shifter when the bike really needs it with just warm water and a sponge in between.

    Our bikes get stripped and lubed regularly so I get chance to clean them up as I go.

    granny_ring
    Full Member

    patriot, does that swarfega stuff work well on chain etc and what ratio do you use?
    One of the reviews says it was no good at removing the grease even when used neat.

    patriotpro
    Free Member

    It’s ok if your bike cleaning/maintenance is regular but then I use a proper degreaser for the chain.

    The swarfega stuff stuck in an old fenwicks bottle at the recommended dilution is sound for cosmetic cleaning.

    makecoldplayhistory
    Free Member

    I’m a tart so car shampoo / polish on the Inbred – regularly.

    I’m nervous about chemicals on carbon so just water.

    I use Park Tools lemon degreaser for the chainset.

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    Awesome stuff, and a quid a bottle.

    mindmap3
    Free Member

    Car shampoo and warm water normally for me, but I do use Fenwicks too (especially away from home). Always use a proper degreaser and chain cleaner for the drivetrain.

    I’ve got to admit that I give it a wipe down with Bike Spray afterwards. The bike is also bought in the house afterwards to try and dry out any water sitting in places that it shouldn’t.

    nikk
    Free Member

    Hope Sh%t Shifter works well. One bottle at a fiver lasts a year.

    Don’t see the point fannying about trying to save £2.50 a year on a multi thousand pound bike by covering it in cheaper stuff that may or may not be suitable.

    hooli
    Full Member

    For the MTB, I hose it off when I get back so the mud doesn’t dry. Then dry off the chain and lube so it doesn’t rust. Every few weeks I will give the chain a decent clean and lube. Other that that, it generally gets neglected.

    Road bike seems to get an oily film on it, I put some chain degreaser on a rag and give the worst bits of the frame a wipe before hosing it off. Chain gets a quick dry/lube.

    Neither bikes look showroom but generally all the bits work silently which is all I want.

    rocketman
    Free Member

    Let the dirt dry then vacuum it off

    ThePinkster
    Full Member

    Big fan of FS1 neat for cleaning chain & cassette and it watered down to FS10 for the rest of the bike.

    Having used Muc Off & Sh!tShifter as well, along with car cleaners & even Fairy liquid I’d say Fenwicks is by far the superior cleaner. Juar wet the bike, spray it on, come back a minute later and hose it off again.

    Bike comes up gleaming for very little effort.

    mduncombe
    Free Member

    I have gone full circle

    Car shampoo -> Muc off -> Fenwicks -> car shampoo

    Muc off and Fenwicks work, spray on, agitate with brush rinse off. If I had to choose I would say the Fenwicks gave better results.

    However a bucket of warm soapy water and a sponge does just as well. I spent a rainy afternoon washing my bikes, cleaning every bit of mud an grease off them before treating the frames with Armourall Shield Wax. It works on the car so thought it might help with the bikes. You can treat a whole bike frame with a thimble full. Now after every ride a quick rinse with the hose has the mud falling of and the water rolling off nicely. Then once a month a wash with car shampoo, a sponge and a bucket of warm water. When away from home one of those hand pump pressure washer things does a decent job rinsing the mud off.

    The Fenwicks FS1 does a great job on the chain

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    I remember some in MBUK yeeears ago about bike cleaners. Started off saying “You may think fairy liquid is just the job, but ingredients can damage your paint and other components. Here we look at some specialist bike products… Make sure you don’t leave the Muc-Off on too long, or it can damage you paint and other components…”

    M’kay.

    hose down and leave for a bit so the mud gets mobile, couple of caps of Flash in mop bucket and have at it with a dustpan-and-brush brush.

    Best bike cleany tip I got from here was baby wipes for the drivetrain, quick and easy to use, check your progress by the colour of the wipe. I’ve also started using them as a final wipe of the paint after cleaning. It’s alwasys disappointing to do the final rinse and have it gleaming, look back when it’s dry and there’s a dull coat of fine swirly muck on the paint.

    Makes me sound anal on cleaning. I hardly ever do more than a quick hose off and a wipe of the drivey bits. If there’s a perfect storm of perceived need of a proper clean, nice weather and sufficient enthusiasm, I do like to get into it, man, properly dig the process.

    creamegg
    Free Member

    baby wipes on your bike? ffs 😆

    don’t forget to moisturise it too

    packer
    Free Member

    Baby wipes are awesome. You can literally clean anything off with them, and they work out much cheaper than any other types of cleaning wipes.

    cardo
    Full Member

    Used to use Muc Off but wasn’t convinced it was very effective, so now use the hose to remove the big stuff, warm water and a little Auto Glym Car shampoo , rinse and leather dry. I’ve been using dry lubes for the last 18 months so chain degreasing is very rare nowadays but when required the old jar of petrol and a rag works a treat.

    nealglover
    Free Member

    Under £20 for 1000 litres (once diluted to correct level)

    http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/110657541799

    (You can buy smaller quantities obviously.)

    Basically what MucOff/Fenwicks is but for 1% of the price.

    patriotpro
    Free Member

    Hope Sh%t Shifter works well. One bottle at a fiver lasts a year.

    How often are you washing your bike?

    Don’t see the point fannying about trying to save £2.50 a year on a multi thousand pound bike by covering it in cheaper stuff that may or may not be suitable.

    £2.50 a year?

    rocketman – Member
    Let the dirt dry then vacuum it off

    For the really stubborn bits, you can use a hammer n chisel too 😆

    nikk
    Free Member

    How often are you washing your bike?

    About once a week.

    £2.50 a year?

    1 bottle of Hope = about a fiver.

    1 bottle of whatever car / hair shampoo you think will save you money, may be about two fifty.

    It’s just approximate mind.

    patriotpro
    Free Member

    About once a week.

    On a turbo-trainer?

    1 bottle of whatever car / hair shampoo you think will save you money, may be about two fifty.

    The Swarfega stuff is £8.09 for 5 litres with a dilution rate of 1:50…

    PS – tempted to give stardrops a go for retro-value alone 8)

    nikk
    Free Member

    On a turbo-trainer?

    No, outside 5 days a week, was 200 miles last week, mostly off road. Drivechain gets wipe down and lube every day. Bike gets washed once a week.

    _tom_
    Free Member

    I just use car soap and hot water with a brush.

    njee20
    Free Member

    Zip Wax FTW, 5l bottle from Halfords has been doing me for years.

    Frankers
    Free Member

    Stardrops here as well, and Morgan blue on the chain every now and then

    convert
    Full Member

    Everyone should have a snow foam lance in their lives. Awesome on the car and great on the bike too. I try to combine doing them at the same time. It reduces the actual manual cleaning to a minimum reducing dragging around dirty and scratching the finish of painted surfaces (more car specific I guess).

    I’m not longer a fan of the complete dunking degrease of the chain if at all possible – just strips too much out of the internals. Best thing for the keeping the drivetrain clean is to take care what you put on it in the first place.

    philwarren11
    Free Member

    Rhino goo. Wouldn’t use anything else.

    smatkins1
    Free Member

    I stopped using car shampoo. I found there was a suspicious drop in braking performance, and increase in brake squeal after using it.

    I’m interested to know how washing up liquid is bad for paint. I always wash my bike with washing up liquid… 😕

    jameso
    Full Member

    Warm water in a bucket and a brush. No hose / pressure. ie not a lot different to what happens when riding. Citrus degreaser on the chain/cassette if it really needs it in winter to get rid of oil clag.
    Anything that’s designed to clean faster and penetrate under dirt that contains degreasers, salt or whatever is in those spray-ons can also wash into the edges of seals, onto brakes etc isn’t so good imo. It’s no prob if used sparingly but bearings can wear fast enough as it is without adding that stuff to the mix. A bit grubby on top but mechanically 100% underneath seems to work for me.

    Best thing for the keeping the drivetrain clean is to take care what you put on it in the first place.

    Good advice.

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