Bike washing – what do you use?

Having just finished my last bottle of Muc Off cleaner and Muc Off wet lube – I need to replace them…but with what? I have no issues with either of these but wondered if there is anything better/cheaper out there.

So what’s in your bike cleaning/maintenance kit?

Water from a hose. Brush. 2 min job after riding, then a light spray over gears with FS365 and put bike away. Bike is always gleaming, minimal effort.

Rainwater butt water, brush, then either squirt or green oil.

Never heard of FS365 – is it this stuff?

Bucket of cold water with a soft brush after every ride, Lube chain when dry. Every so often clean drive train with toothbrush and a bit of degreaser then relube.
Other than that, nothing.

Fairy liquid, brush, sponge.

Dry off with a towel, spray chain and gears with lube.

Simple, no extra cost neithers..

I usually wait for it to dry then brush/wipe off.

If immediately after a ride I’ll use water from a hose on low pressure.

If really mucky, I use Rhino Goo which works better than mucoff in my experience

I just let it dry then knock/brush the worst of it off. Ride and repeat!

I find it much quicker to wash the bike in the car park while it’s still wet, rather than wait till I get home when it its had chance to dry (or even days later). All it takes is a quick spray down with the mini washer thingy.

For bigger jobs I’ve been using Brill Cleaner – worth a look as it works out really cheap once diluted.

liberal spraying with mucoff…. then jetwash at the garage..

Hose pipe with a variable spray/jet nozzle to get the bulk of the mud off. Spray with MuckOff or similar. Run over everything with a brush. Hose pipe to wash off. Spray chain with light lube or water displacing lube like wd40 or similar. Lube chain properly before riding next time. Bike always goes back into the shed clean so that it’s ready to go next time I want it.

Hose down and cheap car wash stuff from the pound shop or the like. Dry then lub.

Fairy liquid, brush, sponge.

Fairy liquid has salts in it which isn’t ideal. Can lead to corrosion.

Stardrops, better than muc off and safe on rubber and plastics.

I use TFR (Traffic Film Remover) its really designed for proper car washers but at 15 to 20 quid for 25 litres it makes an excellent substitute for muc off and so much cheaper.

I buy it from a local TMS car parts supplier.

Fenwicks concentrate way cheaper than muc off. Just mix it to the level required. Works well on the entire bike, drivetrain included

Exactly the same as bikebouy.

depite the salts things in Fairy, TBH, it’s not long enough on the bike to do any damage, and I’ve been using it for ever, and never seen any corrosion.

+1 Fenwicks, diluted to taste.

Duck Smart as its skin friendly and doesn’t set off my dermatitis like Muc Off does!

Don’t get muc off. Spray with hose, wash with hot water and fairy liquid and then use gt85 for chain.

Mobi Pressure Washer after each ride

Clean chain and relube

That’s it & that’s more than what I can be arsed to do at the moment in these dire damp filthy conditions.

Hate it when I can’t be arsed to use the pressure washer straight after the ride and put the bike away filthy. It’s so much harder to clean if its been left for days. If I finish a ride and it’s dark this usually happens.

Hose pipe with a variable spray/jet nozzle to get the bulk of the mud off. Spray with MuckOff or similar. Run over everything with a brush. Hose pipe to wash off.

Works for me as well 🙂

I use car shampoo with a dash of washing up liquid.

Seems to work pretty well enough.

Fenwicks concentrate way cheaper than muc off. Just mix it to the level required. Works well on the entire bike, drivetrain included

This ^^^^^^^^

£1 more than 1l of muckoff, but makes 10l, also great concentrated for drivetrain.

Ducksmark mudslider(????) stops the s***t sticking in the first place. No scrubbing required.

just water and a brush to get the worst off, occasionally I blob a tiny bit of carwash

I don’t use anything strong on the drivetrain either, just get it clean with an old rag and toothbrush and apply lube (this is what KMC et al recommend)

nickc – Member
Exactly the same as bikebouy.

+1

I had heard that Fenwicks bike cleaner is the same as the caravan cleaner, which is cheaper again.

Water from a hose. Brush. 2 min job after riding, then a light spray over gears with FS365 and put bike away. Bike is always gleaming, minimal effort.

Waste of time. I just take a slash on mine.

Procrastination. And foresight.

Though I do keep the chain and stanchions pretty spotless.

Fairy liquid has salts in it which isn’t ideal. Can lead to corrosion.

I’ve never got this, surely you’re going to rinse the bike down after getting it soapy.. Then lube the bits which need it anyway?

In 20 years I’ve not had a problem using fairy/washing up liquid

Pressure washer. Blast the hell out of it after every ride.
Buy my bearings 2 sets at a time.
Reckon it’s quicker to change bearings once in a while than wash the bike carefully. 😀

P.S. Buy the cheapest BB’s, chains etc that I can find.

I’ve been using the Shimano stuff and it is verynice but now finished so I may scoot along to see what my local auto store has. Never have got on well with MucOff, doesn’t seem to do anything for me. Chain gets painted with degreaser using a brush first

I garden hose off the worst then put a brush atatchment on the end of the hose and go over everything.

Anyone that uses Muck Off etc. must be from surrey.

We use Aldi/LIDL “Fairy Liquid” on all the hire fleet and they are washed and serviced after every hire. That’s more cleaning than most bikes get. We have no corrosion issues (though the bikes are replaced at the end of every year).

At home, I tend to adopt the “wait ’til it dries and brush it off” approach with a proper wash only every 2/3 months. Winter riding is great as it’s just a question of letting the snow and ice melt off, leaving a clean bike 🙂

I use Meguiar’s car shampoo as I’ve always got some in the garage. Shampoo, hot water, dish brush, rinse with a hose pipe, wipe off excess water with a microfibre then leave to dry. Every so often, I also apply Meguiar’s car wax and polish to the frame.

Autosmart GS101 cleaner then Pressure wash it once a week

Doesn’t get washed much TBH. Just knock the worst of last rides mud off before heading out. When it does get cleaned it’s a hose down then a going over with some brushes, sponge and a bucket of hot water with a splash of fenwicks. Another quick hose. Chain usually comes off and gets a shake in some white spirits, a wash, a dry in the oven, then back on and lube (currently with Fenwicks stealth mtb lube.)

Usually just a hose down. If it’s been left I’ll give it a careful pressure wash.

I sometimes carry a couple of two litre pop bottles with sports caps fitted in the back of my car, can get the bike pretty clean before the muck dries on.

fairy liquid every couple of rides on a big soft muc off brush. neat on a washing up brush and spin the cranks back to do the chain and cassette. rinse well and relube with that all weather teflon stuff.

mrblobby – Member
Doesn’t get washed much TBH. Just knock the worst of last rides mud off before heading out. When it does get cleaned it’s a hose down then a going over with some brushes, sponge and a bucket of hot water with a splash of fenwicks. Another quick hose. Chain usually comes off and gets a shake in some white spirits, a wash, a dry in the oven, then back on and lube (currently with Fenwicks stealth mtb lube.)

If you lightly spray the chain after each wash with fs365 or ubs you won’t have to ever take it off to get it gleaming. Really useful stuff. You can add a drop of chain oil after spraying on the stuff if you like.

What is this bike washing of which you speak? Ride, put in garage, repeat 😀