Bike washing...

[TNT1]

Do you wear gloves to protect your hands when using the steel wool with pool acid?

Nitrile examination gloves. I don't like the feel of latex.

[TNT1]

 

Sunlight? Ugh

Really brings out the finish. I use it on my cars as well.

[BaGearA]

Been using sunlight for the most and some degreaser on the drive and never had premature failure of parts in the years I've bicycled

 

. Maybe it's just how i use it but dish washing liquid has never killed anything on my bikes

[TNT1]

Been using sunlight for the most and some degreaser on the drive and never had premature failure of parts in the years I've bicycled

 

. Maybe it's just how i use it but dish washing liquid has never killed anything on my bikes

Been giving your bike a nice matt finish even before it became popular.

[The Ouzo]

Do you wear gloves to protect your hands when using the steel wool with pool acid?

we're hard on the east rand, we dont need gloves, plus it gets the grease out from under the finger nails and the fingerprints, so your hands come out clean afterwards too.

[JBK]

Been giving your bike a nice matt finish even before it became popular.

[emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787]

[TheoG]

https://avalonking.com/blog/breaking-down-the-car-wash-soap-vs-dish-soap-debate/

 

Keep using dishwashing liquid buddy... Enjoy...

 

I simply cannot understand this philosophy of "i can and will use dishwashing liquid for everything"... You're not doing yourself any favours not are your even saving money...

 

I dont and will not use it on my bike.  I was just curious about NaCl being in it or not since it make not sense to be washing something with salt ..  

[N1NO]

I have a routine

 

If necessary; spray down the bike right after a week ride,

but focus on keeping the drivetrain super clean and lubed!!

 

Then after the weekend rides are over, give it a proper clean and leave no dirt/grime on the bike. (For my drivetrain I use Wurth brake cleaner, works like a bomb and safe to spray on anything)

 

Always have a dry chain before lubing it. I like using a air compressor for this, those links are always wet after a wash and that’s the I’m only way to dry them 100%. Only lube ten minutes after drying.

 

And silicone spray is the best thing to put almost everywhere but the chain and brakes obviously. Besides that it help dirt and water to flow off instead of stick to the bike. I use it on my cassette too, will work wonders!

[Blokman]

I recalled seeing a video showing how Nino Shurter's bike gets washed. I remember the bloke using ordinary dishwash. 

I found this . Take a look at step two ,"This can simply be a cheap washing up liquid."

 

https://www.scott-sports.com/za/en/page/how-to-clean-an-mtb

 

The salt in the mix story is overrated IMHO. 10 Mills in a bucket of water is so diluted that the salt content is negligible.

After the wash I buff the bike up a bit, and I don't think anybody would spot the difference between a 10 year old bike washed with sunlight and those not.

 

Having said all that , I just went and bought some better stuff from Midas

Edited February 19, 2021 by Blokman

[coppi]

Paraffin to clean drivetrain

Spray Dirt Nurse on bike and leave it for 2 minutes, wash off with hose, dry and clean stubborn spots if needed..........

[JBK]

And silicone spray is the best thing to put almost everywhere but the chain and brakes obviously. Besides that it help dirt and water to flow off instead of stick to the bike. I use it on my cassette too, will work wonders!

 

Oh No... Not the Silicon Spray... This is like a magnet to dust that not only attracts it but makes it stick to your bike... It might very well cause water to run off, like a ducks back, but hey, who really worries about a bit of water... We all thought this was the best thing since 2x10 (yes that's how long ago we debunked this one) and all went out and bought Silicon Spray... We used it twice and never again... I've got a tin for you if you want - 98% full...

 

Maybe if you're going to be doing a wet muddy race - then apply before but not for anything even remotely dry...

[StevieG]

Amateurs! Everyone knows a little paint stripper will clean that muck right off your frame without any issues!

[Bub Marley]

https://avalonking.com/blog/breaking-down-the-car-wash-soap-vs-dish-soap-debate/

 

Keep using dishwashing liquid buddy... Enjoy...

 

I simply cannot understand this philosophy of "i can and will use dishwashing liquid for everything"... You're not doing yourself any favours not are your even saving money...

I’ve been using dishwashing liquid to clean my bikes for 20 years now. Not sure what the issue is.

[JBK]

Come on guys...

 

Seriously, why the hard headed approach for "Dishwashing Liquid for everything"..? I get it that we're all annoyed with Marketing mumbo jumbo, especially suppliers selling the same thing with different names for different pricing. But Dishwashing Liquid is exactly that.! Dish Washing Liquid.! That's what they call it and that's the purpose for which they market and sell it. They don't advertise it as a general purpose cleaner, do they.? So why use it as such.? 

 

We've moved on as a civilisation and have specific products that are better for some things than other things.

 

I also get the "I don't need to wash my bike" story but I don't really understand it.! Why have only an 80% clean bike.?

 

I confess that when I do a relatively short (mid week) ride where my bike gets only a bit dusty and one or two splashes of mud, I will come home and just gently spray it off with a gentle hose whilst rubbing the frame, rims, etc gently with the soft inside of my riding gloves. But I will always give the drivetrain a either a wipe down or a clean - with the cost of chains and 12 speed cassette's these days, you don't want to cause dirt to reduce your product lifespan by 50%.!

 

But this doesn't leave my pride and joy looking like it did when it was new.! Hence a proper wash after the weekend riding or at most every second week. Drive train gets wiped down with a diluted degreaser sprayed onto a cloth or when cleaned, sprayed directly onto the drivetrain.

 

I use ECOLOGIC and have been doing so for a few years already. It's cheap as chips, non-toxic, non-corrosive, non-abrasive and works a charm on everything bike, car and in and around the house.

 

Let's look at the numbers : ecoLogic is R230 for a very concentrated 5L bottle - I use a ratio of 1:100 for washing bikes, cars and floors in the house. So 30ml to 3L water in a bucket - so R 1.38 per wash cycle. I also premix into a spray bottle at a ratio of 1:6.5 (100ml to 650ml Water into a 750ml spray bottle), so R 4.60 and about 30-40ml of this to spray the drivetrain, so 25c per wash. With a total of R 1.63 to wash by bike and make it look like new. Is it really worth holding fast to dishwashing liquid.?

 

I do agree that other 'pre diluted' bike wash brands on the shelf are absurdly priced where the cost per wash will be about R30 - R40.

 

It works so well and is so cost effective and a registered disinfectant that ecoLogic has now replaced 90% of all other cleaning products in our home and we're saving a fortune.! Yes, we do still use dishwashing liquid for the dishes and Stasoft / Omo etc for the clothes but a tiny bit of ecoLogic also works wonders to clean soap-sud grime out the pipes of washing machines.

 

I've spoken to the guys at Stealth Health (my wife) who are a distributors of, amongst other things, ecoLogic and asked her to arrange free samples but this is too costly if she has to also cover delivery.

 

So she's agreed to offer 10% discount voucher to this group (& friends thereof) for all orders including 5L ecoLogic placed between now and the end of FEB.

 

She will also throw into each order the following (with a value of R124 - FREE) :

• 2 x sachets of Herbal Iceman to massage your aching muscles after a workout (as used by Chiro's),
• 2 x 15ml spray wands of Viromist+70 sanitiser that has 70% Alcohol, Chlorhexidene and Aloe Vera 
• 2 x 15ml spray wands of Viropet (with Chlorhexidene and Aloe Vera) but only 10% alcohol - ideal for allergies and skin irritations for pets and humans - helps immensely with the current grass allergies when mountain biking and to spray on cuts and scratches after a ride as an antiseptic. Also available as Viromist (Standard) at same pricing.

 

Visit www.stealthhealth.co.za and use coupon code BikehubFEB21 at checkout to get R50 voucher and the free goodies (you don't need to add these to your cart - they will be included with the delivery).

 

Enjoy.!

[Steady Spin]

Visit www.stealthhealth.co.za and use coupon code BikehubFEB21 at checkout to get R50 voucher and the free goodies (you don't need to add these to your cart - they will be included with the delivery).

 

Order placed. Thanks for the tip. 

 

I also forgot to use the coupon code.... grrrrr. I'm totally ok with that. I don't need to take 10% out of the pocket of hard working people. Especially not in this economic climate. Thank you for the kind offer though. 

[Butterbean]

So lemme jump in on this... Having been involved with the industrial cleaning chemical industry for the last decade.

 

There is a difference between neutral PH, and neutral chemical. Unfortunately, even chemical companies dont properly use this is marketing materials, hell, even reps who are seasoned get this wrong.

 

Neutral pH is neutral pH. Distilled water. No worries. What we are concerned with is neutral chemical. That means, if the surface you're cleaning wont be harmed by water, then it wont be harmed by the product. However, even if its classed as neutral, it doesn't mean it can't do other damage unintentionally.

 

A neutral degreaser is still a degreaser. So it will remove grease but not damage the surface youre cleaning. On a stove? Amazing. On a bike? Well, unless you can rinse it off quickly and completely, it'll break down the grease in bearings. May be quick, may be over time. But it'll do it.

 

The salt in dishwasher is correct. However, its mostly paint damage you're worried about as the salt will attack the clear coat. Underdiluted, it may take a LOT longer, but when you're chucking 50ml into 500ml water, you're asking for trouble.

 

Then we have to ask the question - why do you need ANYTHING in the wash liquor? Your bike will have picked up dust, dirt, and mud. Technically, the only thing a degreaser will do is move the dust faster, but it wont make a difference to the end result.

 

Best thing to do its wash the bike with clean water. Treat nicks and scratches with a spot polish. Greasy parts, ideally, are bettee cleaned by removing and wiping them clean with a rag. If you're not using chemistry, you're not stripping the grease each wash so relubing will have much longer intervals with better peace of mind.

 

A polish or paint finish is fine to make it shine. But really, you dont need to wash with soap!

 

Take it, leave it, do what you want. But just cause one application requires soap, doesn't mean it applies to everything.