# best way to clean



## saliva2002 (Jun 14, 2010)

ok, so i'm new, and i took my bike to the kettle moraine state park mt bike trails and if rained and my bike is caked with mud. its the next day, but whats the best way to clean a bike top to bottom? i know i shouldn't use pressurized water, and i don't have access to special bike soap, but i thought maybe very dilluted car soap would be ok... right? and us a soft car brush once i wet everything down with the non pressure hose...... 

am i on the right track or am i gonna mess up my new bike?

(i'm ok with the lubing process, just the washing i'm really new at... i've never had a bike covered in mud)


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## Squash (Jul 20, 2003)

*You've pretty much got it....*

no high pressure, my preferece is for dish soap if I use soap at all, soft bristle brush where needed, and care around cable housing, bottom bracket, headset, and hubs. I usually pull the wheels and clean them seperately. I don't like using soap on disc brake rotors as it does leave a bit of a residue even after rinsing, and it makes cleaning the rest of the bike easier.

But you've pretty much got it.

Good Dirt


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## billee (Jul 31, 2004)

Squash said:


> no high pressure, my preferece is for dish soap if I use soap at all, soft bristle brush where needed, and care around cable housing, bottom bracket, headset, and hubs. I usually pull the wheels and clean them seperately. I don't like using soap on disc brake rotors as it does leave a bit of a residue even after rinsing, and it makes cleaning the rest of the bike easier.
> 
> But you've pretty much got it.
> 
> Good Dirt


Dish soap is formulated to dissolve grease and oil which is what you don't want.

I like car soap. It's formulated to minimize washing off any wax on the car so it's less aggressive.


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

I hit my bike with the host on the side of my house hooked up to a nozzle that gives it some pressure. Unless you're spraying the high pressure right at the bearings of the hubs, the bottom bracket or the headset, the likelihood of you doing damage is very low, and frankly, it's pretty low even if you do hit those areas directly.Just don't use some insane amount of pressure (like, don't power wash your bike...).

Always start any bike cleaning or maintenance by opening a beer. Then I usually use the water pressure to get all the chunks off, then go over the frame with a soft towel to get the dirt/mud residue and dry it. Then I let the bike air dry in the stand for a bit, or if I'm short on time I'll hit it with my compressor. Once it's dry, clean the chain by wiping it down with a few sides of a rag, oil the chain, spin the cranks a bit, shift a few gears, hit the brakes, etc and make sure those are working properly. Wipe the chain again (diff rag! or at least a clean side of the original one) and fix any issues you found, or if you found nothing, put the bike away and finish your beer (so that you can have another one).


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## Gasp4Air (Jun 5, 2009)

I sometimes use a hose, esp after a really muddy ride, but there's another common method I use more often. Let the bike dry, then brush off the dirt. I have a soft brush for the frame, various smaller, stiffer ones for the derailleurs and other mechanical bits, and a good size stiff one for the tires and wheels. If you have an air compressor, that's great for blowing crud out of hard to reach places, especially small gaps between moving parts. I might wipe it down with a damp rag afterward. I soak a small clean cloth with rubbing alcohol and turn the rotors while pinching them with the cloth. All of this is easier if you have a bike stand.


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## 450VoltsDC (Jul 5, 2010)

> or if I'm short on time I'll hit it with my compressor.


Bad idea. My experience as a machinist and furniture maker is that compressed air drives grit and gunk into the housings for bearings and other moving parts.


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## Bail_Monkey (May 8, 2007)

Bucket, water, brush... ride it down the street when finished to dry. Clean and lube chain and your done.


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## trboxman (Jul 7, 2010)

450VoltsDC said:


> Bad idea. My experience as a machinist and furniture maker is that compressed air drives grit and gunk into the housings for bearings and other moving parts.


Yup...like a pressure washer only drier...


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

450VoltsDC said:


> Bad idea. My experience as a machinist and furniture maker is that compressed air drives grit and gunk into the housings for bearings and other moving parts.


I'll make the mechanics at every shop I've visited aware of your experience.


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## TwinBlade (Jun 21, 2010)

I just take a garden hose and spray it all off. Then I turn it upside down and get the wheels spinning with the water pressure and it takes the mud right off. Dry it off with a towel, throw a little chain lube on, crack a beer. 

That's the short version. Every few rides, the chain and sprocket come off for a complete scrub down in mineral spirits and GOOP.


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## ducktape (May 21, 2007)

I've used both dish liquid and car wash. Actually I thought that dish liquid being designed to dissolve grease would be a good thing because after a good clean you would want to give your bike a good grease / lube again anyway.
Muddy rides I like to hose off as much of the mud straight away when I get home while it's still soft and the majority comes off, in an ideal world you'd wash it straight up too. But like someone said there is a benefit to leaving it and then just brushing the dry mud off....probably depends on the type of mud!

Don't worry when your bike isn't as new any more and has a few scratches etc, you won't be as worried about being so ginger with it.


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## Eric2.0 (Jun 26, 2010)

ducktape said:


> Don't worry when your bike isn't as new any more and has a few scratches etc, you won't be as worried about being so ginger with it.


 I agree lol:thumbsup: My pretty, yellow frame now has many chips in the paint, smudges on the forks, the grips have a couple of wear marks, the tires are half worn and don't smell new anymore and I have a bent spoke:madman: Oh and I busted a piece of plastic on my peddle.

The other day I decided to wash it so I put taper over all the vital parts like the crank bearings ect ect.. I mixed some car wash and sponged it on the entire bike making it soak the crap right off. I rinsed then applied some luster coat for bikes I got from Dicks. I did this wheels off, hit the sprokets with WD-40 then hit the chain with Pedros Syn Lube.

Did a quick bolt check(specially the head and stem, brakes then went on a nice road ride.


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