Carbon frame friendly soaps

[FondTF2]

I have been using good old Sunlight dishwashing soap and warm water for years and have never had any issues.

[JBK]

I have been using good old Sunlight dishwashing soap and warm water for years and have never had any issues.

Eish... and I've been waiting for this one to come up... again... seriously..?

[JBK]

Gents, to quote from another previous thread

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 my 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.

And to be clear...

* Use at very low concentrations for general washing - rinse, wash, rinse, dry do not leave to stand in between.
* Use at mild concentrations for drivetrain - spray on cassette and chain whilst turning crank - enough to cover, don't drench such that it will settle into bearings - leave for a few minutes then clean with a small brush (I use a nail brush), rinse, done, dry, apply lube.
* You should never leave your bike standing with any cleaning agent applied
* Use also at mild concentrations to remove mud stains from your riding kit
* Use also at mild concentrations to clean and disinfect cycling shoes (with a soft brush). Once dry, spray with Viromist to freshen, fragrance and keep germ free.

Edited March 10, 2021 by JBK

[Vetseun]

I have been using good old Sunlight dishwashing soap and warm water for years and have never had any issues.

Me too.

Apparently some people spend more time washing their bikes than they do riding their bikes.

Sunlight liquid, warm water and a soft brush.

Wash . Rinse . Drip dry.

A light coat of Mr Min (must ve lavender )

[Steady Spin]

You know that Cleen Green is corrosive...!! Has Sodium Hydroxide, caustic soda, and another acid with a name to long to type...

 

Shouldn't be allowed within 10m of a bicycle...

 

Just like washing it with steel wool.

[Barry]

Gents, to quote from another previous thread

 

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 my 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.

 

And to be clear...

 

* Use at very low concentrations for general washing - rinse, wash, rinse, dry do not leave to stand in between.

* Use at mild concentrations for drivetrain - spray on cassette and chain whilst turning crank - enough to cover, don't drench such that it will settle into bearings - leave for a few minutes then clean with a small brush (I use a nail brush), rinse, done, dry, apply lube.

* You should never leave your bike standing with any cleaning agent applied

* Use also at mild concentrations to remove mud stains from your riding kit

* Use also at mild concentrations to clean and disinfect cycling shoes (with a soft brush). Once dry, spray with Viromist to freshen, fragrance and keep germ free.

That you Jack Frost?

[JBK]

That you Jack Frost?

 

Nope - I'm not Jack Frost - I'm JBK...

 

I do know JF but buy my Ecologic (and other stuff) from www.stealthhealth.co.za 

[Barry]

Nope - I'm not Jack Frost - I'm JBK...

 

I do know JF but buy my Ecologic (and other stuff) from www.stealthhealth.co.za

Cool guy and awesome product.

[Mark James]

Interesting chat, and I've been blushing about the Sunlight liquid, as I've used it to clean everything from running shoes, coffee spills on clothes, to cars and bikes... And sometimes even for dishes... lol 

 

Question: After the bike clean (with an environmentally responsible cleaner), do you guys just dry down the carbon frame, or ever put anything on it? I've recently started putting a light layer of beeswax based product on my frame, and it almost seems to "nourish" the carbon bits. 

 

Any thoughts? 

[TNT1]

 I've recently started putting a light layer of beeswax based product on my frame, and it almost seems to "nourish" the carbon bits. 

 

Any thoughts? 

Why? Any wax you put on is going to be stripped right off with the dishwashing liquid at the next wash.

 

Also, it can't be nourishing anything, the carbon layers are well sealed inside an impervious resin. If they are not, you have a bigger issue than a dirty bike.

 

But, like a car, a good polish with a proper product will make it look good and help keep the paint/finish in good condition. But don't use dishwashing liquid, it strips the polish off. It's why the taboo on sunlight being used on cars, it eventually strips everything away down to the bare paint and then the UV damage is horrid.

Edited March 10, 2021 by TNT1

[PhilipV]

Interesting chat, and I've been blushing about the Sunlight liquid, as I've used it to clean everything from running shoes, coffee spills on clothes, to cars and bikes... And sometimes even for dishes... lol

 

Question: After the bike clean (with an environmentally responsible cleaner), do you guys just dry down the carbon frame, or ever put anything on it? I've recently started putting a light layer of beeswax based product on my frame, and it almost seems to "nourish" the carbon bits.

 

Any thoughts?

It's carbon. Not wood.

You may be confusing a polished shine with it being "nourished."

[Hamstring]

Try A product called Dirt Eater its working for me, seems new and is environmentally friendly. 

[josh_whit]

Thanks for the responses!

 

turns out my frame is aluminium... so I've settled on an aluminium acid wash from powasol. The guys there say it works like a dream. Not as good as dishwashing liquid though.

 

Back to reality...

My frame is aluminium, but my girlfriends fathers frame is carbon, so I wanted to be certain. Ecologic looks great. Will start using that when the Dirt Nurse runs out.

[Darko]

I've been using Muc Off with much success. Eco friendly, smells great.

 

https://www.takealot.com/all?_sb=1&_r=1&_si=dcddd3dabb53b765f08d738c273714ed&qsearch=muc%20off

[EmptyB]

Never had a problem with Dirt Nurse....now use Ecologic.

 

Never had issues with Sunlight soap

[Baracuda]

I have been using good old Sunlight dishwashing soap and warm water for years and have never had any issues.

Went away for a weekend of gravel riding in the Karoo last weekend and somehow forgot my fancy chain cleaner and bike soap at home, thought "jeepers, how are we going to survive??"

 

The place we were staying at had good old sunlight in the kitchen. After a good ride with a gummy chain full of *##&, I took the risk of applying it directly to the chain, just a thin line / trickle in the same manner you apply lube. After one round of the trickle, I then back peddled a dozen or so times to get it all in there and it started to lather.

 

I then washed the rest of bike with diluted Sunlight and ended by hosing the whole lot off. The chain has never been happier or cleaner. It is all I am going to use from here on.

Edited March 10, 2021 by Baracuda