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[Closed] Cheap alternative to muc off?

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[#1105178]

In these condition, i wash mine and my sons bike after every ride

Muc off aint exactly cheap (unless you buy the 25 litre container)

Is there a cheaper alternative

Homemade even?

Tried soap and water and it just doesn't cut it.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 1:15 pm
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Buy a bigger range of brushes, brush crud off with water, then use less muc off. I only use it for the last bit on the moving parts. A bottle lasts ages that way. Also, buy the concentrate and make it up yourself.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 1:24 pm
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Fenwicks concentrate - about a tenner for a bottle that will make about 10 refills of your muc-off spray bottle.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 1:27 pm
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+1 for the Feniwicks. 10 times the value.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 1:31 pm
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The wife! I cheat and use TFR from the valeting bay at work. Its free!


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 1:32 pm
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m8 was telling me he reckoned Gunk looked to be pretty much the same stuff...


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 1:33 pm
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Fenwicks is better value for money. Dilute it down or use it neat as a degreaser.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 1:51 pm
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Be careful. My dad got me some stuff from a garage somewhere. If you dilute it about 1:30 it's great but get the dilution wrong and it marks the anodising.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 1:54 pm
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Fenwicks caravan cleaner. £6 for 2.5 litres. 1 cap to a bucketful of water. Lasts for ages


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 1:58 pm
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There's a bottle of blue liquid you can get off Wiggle - can't remember the name. But a small capfull goes a long way and it works a treat - far better VMF than Muc Off.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 2:00 pm
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dilute muc off by 50% still works well.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 2:32 pm
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fenwicks is good, however, have a look at this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/20L-TFR-car-truck-wash-strong-cleaner-BEST-SELLER_W0QQitemZ280434169181QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item414b2dd55d. Haven't used it myself but this question pops up on Motocross forums a lot http://forums.mxtrax.co.uk/showthread.php?t=252927&highlight=bike+cleaner

Iain


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 2:48 pm
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another +1 for fenwicks.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 2:48 pm
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Have a look at dbc9mx dirt bike cleaner on ebay.
It a guy that developed it himself for cleaning his crosser.
Works a treat, its cheap and last for ages


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 2:51 pm
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I used to use muc off and I'm currently trying fenwicks concentrate. Fenwicks recommnd a 1:10 dilution but as I have an old 5 litre muc off container the maths were easier to make a 1:9 dilution. At this strength I reckon it's not quite as effective as muc off (though still works) so my next batch will be 1:8. Quite a bit cheaper than muc off.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 3:53 pm
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fenwicks is good, however, have a look at this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/20L-TFR-car-truck-wash-strong-cleaner-BEST-SELLER_W0QQitemZ280434169181QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item414b2dd55d.

Wow - it would be a long time before you needed to buy anything else.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 3:56 pm
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Fairy liquid*, and a sponge, a brush, a hosepipe, and some elbow grease

* any minute some-one will come on and say "Ahh, but it's got salt in it" or some other such nonsense. Well, the minute any of my bikes fall apart underneath me because I've used washing up liquid, you'll be the first to know, OK?


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 4:10 pm
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I can't believe noone's recommended Elbow Grease...


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 4:11 pm
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Just MTFU and scrub a bit 😉 Car shampoo for me, with no ill effects.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 4:50 pm
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What a total gimmick that stuff is....I ride my bike every day for work and get in at least 3 big rides a week.

Seeing as though I've ridden my 1996 Kona Kilauea since new....and just use a squirt of washing up liquid in warm water.....

I feel authorised to say that you just do not need it!


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 4:52 pm
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+1 for washing upliquid! +1 for nickc's comment. And, do we not rinse? then this gets rid of any salt in the water anyway. 20 years worth so far and no signs of my bikes failing due to saline treatment.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 4:56 pm
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washing up liquid is more expensive than TFR (check my post above) just thought I'd add abit to it: mucoff/proclean etc £5.99 per litre, fairy liquid £3.00-£4.00 per litre, fenwicks £1.00 per litre, TFR £0.20 per litre.

Iain


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 5:43 pm
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Fairy is good but any decent wash/wax car stuff is better!


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 5:55 pm
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I use washing up liquid or nothing at all but then I'm not fussed if my bike is not perfectly clean, I'm past all that.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 6:00 pm
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Doesn't the wash n wax stuff contaminate brake pads/rotors?

Brush, warm water and a bit of fairy does for me!


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 6:00 pm
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Be careful with car cleaner and TFR it can have rust inhibiters that will knacker your disc brake pads and the next set if you don’t degrease the rotors. Thats why I use water and a sponge.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 6:07 pm
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the autoglym engine de-greaser works for me for when I've got to clean the drivetrain. About £6 a spray bottle and it lasts for ages.

It's water based and paint friendly - recommended by the Condor Racing team mechanic no less...


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 6:08 pm
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Slightly strong mixed Fenwicks here. I just hose the bike down, spray on all over (I do use loads though) and then hose off and its perfectly clean.

Not as good as Muc Off on tyres though.


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 6:13 pm
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I have used tfr on my stumpjumper for the last 3 years and i have always been a bit worried about it, and after reading up on it, you are advised not to use it on anodised alaminium surfaces, thats maybe why the stanchions are donald ducked on my forks. fairy liquid and elbow grease on the new bike me thinks


 
Posted : 06/12/2009 6:16 pm