Just a big up to Muc Off as I have finally got some and boy does it save a lot of back ache! Spray it on with the super cool pressure bottle and spray it off with water in 5 minutes! Winner!

Why have I been wasting my time with soap and water…..

It's the best and it's British too!

Made just down the road from me in Poole.

Well, at least soap and water doesn't cost a bomb, strip off anodising, melt logos on your tyres and flush the grease out of your bearings…..

I wouldn't use it all the time if I were you. I only use it on my drivetrain occasionally or when I'm out in the car with the dirtworker. 🙂

Happy for you

Strip off anodising? I doubt that!

Muc Off is a relatively weak biological degreasant. Very good stuff too in my experience.

Never had any problems with it stripping anything personally.

I use Fenwicks now though, because it's 1/10th of the cost.

I think it's ace, just don't leave it on to long or it does your paint work no good (dunno about stripping anodising but it's faded my m8 paint work for sure [he does leave it on to long IMO], though his bike is now 5 years old).
Rince/damp bike first, spray it on, then clean off for best effect's IMO

Strip off anodising? I doubt that!

Well, it can fade it at the very least, and it can do a decent job of taking the shine off your paintwork too. I do use it, but not very often. Well, Fenwicks anyway.

Rince/damp bike first, spray it on, then clean off for best effect's IMO

Just the same as soap and water then?

I can recommend a good degrease for your chaincleaner though – Diesel! 🙂

Sorry, I'm playing the devils advocate here, but it really isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Compared to the rubbish I usually leave on the bike cos I give up trying to fish it out, it's not gonna be that bad. Just re-grease and lube the bike and I'm sure it will be fine.

If I have to replace and component a month before cos I use the stuff so be it cos I can't be arsed with the time it takes to get the crap out manually with soap and water. Time is money….. 😉

Just the same as soap and water then?

Hardly I mentioned that as my friend insist on just spraying it onto dry mud, but I do believe is is all it's cracked up to be. Haven't tried fenwick and don't feel the need to wash the bike until it's mid winter or covered in poo of some sort.

I remember when Muc Off first came about. It was mental stuff that would get shot of your anodising and generally mess things up, but it did a reasonable job of cleaning your bike with minimal effort.

After several years not touching it, I tried it again.

Have to say, it cleans much better than v.1, and hasn't had any detrimental effects on my bearings.

You do have to degrease the drivetrain with something though, as it doesn't touch a mucky chain.

overall, not bad at all. Bit pricey to use all the time though.

Andituk – Member
Never had any problems with it stripping anything personally.

I use Fenwicks now though, because it's 1/10th of the cost.

I use Fenwicks as well now as it seems to do the same thing and costs loads less. Buy a concentrate bottle, dilute down into an old Muc Off spray bottle (other spray bottle's are available) and off you go!
It's good because you can use it neat to degrease the chain too.

I use caravan cleaner from Aldi – works very very well indeed, and half the price of muc-off. I use it neat on drivetrain & agitate with a brush and/or sponge, then a capful in a bucket of warm water is also a great mix to just go at the whole bike with a sponge.

Muc-Off I've used in the past does indeed fade anodising, stain polished/bare alu e.g. crank arms & rims and stickers drop off as soon as they get a sniff of it.

Yeah, chain cleaner.

Also – being as how I'm a lazy sod and will leave cleaning the bathroom and kitchen lino floor until they're both absolutely grim, Mucoff is the only thing that'll shift the grime. It looks exactly like that "Flash" advert where the stripe of cleanliness follows the mop through the clag.

Unlike "Flash".

I like it – got a few of their products and my bikes stay pretty spangly clean.

Not good for anodising, seals or bearings. As are all these type cleaners. I've seen anodised motor cycle parts with warning decals saying not to use them or with fade the anodising. Dont use on suspension parts or it will cost you if you not servicing them regular.

Use Jizer to degrease chains and sprockets, body fluids etc, rinse immediately with water, then wash with "wash and wax". Leaves a fairly robust shine which makes the next lot of dirt come off easier.
Aerosol the chain with proper motorbike chain lube, wipe off excess.
Then with a light oil like Duck oil squirt pretty much anything that moves, including shocks.
There you are, ready for next time.
Like a horse, do it before you clean yourself.

It's the best and it's British too!
Made just down the road from me in Poole.

Actually it's marketed and distributed down the road in Poole, it's made in Lancashire. 🙂

I used Muc-Off to pretreat a manky carpet before attacking it with a rug doctor.

It worked.

Well, at least soap and water doesn't cost a bomb, strip off anodising, melt logos on your tyres and flush the grease out of your bearings…..

Yep my black Chris King hubs are now purple thanks to Muc-off, I stopped using it and now my newer hubs are pure sparkling black

yeah I use Fenwicks, both water down for gen bike and concentrate for the drive chain, which I thought was good. I have just started useing JUICE LUBES, very impressed! concentrate stuff I say is better than fenwick, cleaned my drive chain nicly, spray stuff good as well.

+1 for juice lube makes yer bike smell nice & fruity to! Especially the fork juice 😆

If it's a range of cleaning and lubing products you're after, then Finesse is the brand to look out for. Manufactured in Yorkshire and specifically formulated for MTBs (not as a caravan cleaner, like Fenwicks was originally developed for).

To clean off mud water is as good as anything. To get the oil and muck off your drivetrain Finish Line EcoTech is by far and away superior to all the pink products usually recommended. It also smells nice.

I stopped using Muc Off many years ago when it was horrible stuff and would alter paint colour and strip the finish off v brakes etc.

Maybe it has changed since then, but I have never found a problem with slightly soapy water and a sponge.

Diesel is great for cleaning drive train though, leaves stuff looking like new + lubricates it at the same time!

I guess it all depends on how and when you use it to clean your bike.

I was always a 'soap and water' bike washer, but my bike riding changed as my family grew and now I find myself up at 5:30-6am to get a ride in before work as evening time is more 'family' time. This leaves little time for me to clean the bike properly before having to get breakfast/school stuff/kids bikes etc ready.

Winter is actually better, as its always a bit wet and goopy, I can get in from a ride and hose the bike down immediately. I only need to give the chain a once over with the chain cleaner every week.

summer can be more difficult as the trails vary in wetness, the bike is more likely to dry out through the ride. This means that a simple wash down with the hose doesn't work very well and the bike needs a bit more attention. this is especially true if it's been dusty, the bike doesn't get touched for weeks until it's overdue.

For me, Muc-Off removes the requirement to get bucket into kitchen, make sure the dog doesn't escape, fill bucket with soapy water, get back outside, get cleaning sponges, make sure dog doesn't escape/knock over water/try to eat the sponge/chase jets of water…at 8am.

get stuff out of shed, keep dog inside, wet bike, squirt with muc-off, clean chain with degreaser and chain cleaner, rinse whole bike, job done.

all I need to do then is wipe it all down to dry it a bit, GT85 on anything that moves and chain lube on the chain.

sorted.

i've wasted cash on Muck off for years now and have had the realisation that soapy water is just as good. A little degreaser on the chainset and whip the chain off once every 6 weeks to soak in degreaser and bobs your unkle.

All the cleaners are a varient on traffic film remover or truck wash, caravan wash as mentioned etc this is no bad thing. I've used most of them but stick to fenwicks now as it's cheaper than muc-off, Proclean (that's the one made in Poole.) I would buy non caustic TFR from ebay as it's much cheaper (Caustic is the stuff that damages anodising) as plently of lads on a UK motocross forum swear by it but it's very concentratd (200:1) so if you mess up diluting it it could go badly wrong. People who say it doesn't work well are you putting it on dry? I use about half a litre a week on the mx bike and mtb, always go through the same procedure wet the bike down, cleaner on, leave for a bit then wash off it even gets off burnt 2-stroke oil. I simply couldn't get the mx bike clean enough with pressure washer and fairy alone. For the mtb and road bike though sponge and fairy usually suffice unless it's been really muddy.

Iain

I would just get some bio washing powder and dissolve that in water.

Should have the same effect as muc-off. Muc-off is slightly alkaline as well, but not sure the effect that would have on the enzymes in the biopowder, presume none so chuck in a little bit of caustic or baking powder to the solution.

Are these bikes for riding down fun technical trails or looking at in the Garage?

It's like me not riding the bike in case it gets scratched….. It's gonna get scratched! If it saves me the boring job or scrubbing the bike, then so be it. By the time the paint my be affected I will have scratched most of it off having fun on the thing! Then I buy a new one and the process starts again 🙂

If it clears out the crap from the bits I cant reach without taking it apart then its a winner cos I can get on with drinking beer and knocking up a curry 🙂

If it clears out the crap from the bits I cant reach without taking it apart then its a winner cos I can get on with drinking beer and knocking up a curry

That's what it does do.

quite nice being able to see my rear hub again…

she looks pretty clean to me 🙂 Two years old and been to NZ for 18 months on some pretty unforgiving trails 🙂

Ya can keep your fairy liquid 😉

Strip off anodising? I doubt that!

Muc Off is a relatively weak biological degreasant. Very good stuff too in my experience.

It can strip anodising, look at my rear hub.
There is nothing "biological" about Sodium Hydroxide, it is simply chemistry.

It is watered-down drain cleaner.

bugga, I thought it was magic juice 😉