What cleaning product do you use to wash your bike?

[MichaelW2]

Oh yes with rim brakes wipe the rims with white spirit. In winter I do this after every ride at the same time as I wipe the chain with an oily wrag.

White spirits leave a residue. Meths is a better solvent that dries leaving only traces of purple dye.

 

[Distorted Vision]

This takes bike cleaning to another level:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6Gz4_2a_T4

 

[mustang1]

Actually today I learned that many products, not just washing up liquid, contain salt and that's not the reason to not use washing up liquid but i cannot recall the reason why you shouldn't, so i don't. I hope that long convoluted sentence made sense, I'm not gonna write it again.

Anyway, what do I use? Uhm, I have various Muc Off products. TBH IDK what's what any more, i just plonk some stuff on and then rinse it off. Sometimes I even use a sponge on the frame but that's rare these days. I havent ridden my good bikes for a long time and of course they will get better treatment.

What I do rather enjoy is taking my filthy mud and crap MTB to the gas station and using their jet wash. It has a lance and a foam brush and a bunch of different buttons such as Foam Wash, Pressure Wax, Rinse the Wax, Pressure Wash, Final Rinse. I just whack in a couple of quid and go through the buttons starting at the top. Just ensure no water is sprayed directly into the parts where the bearings are. Then I get home and put on some chain lube.

 

[Mo1959]

Just had this delivered. Not a bad little set of brushes for cheap Chinese stuff. A big pack of microfibre cloths from ebay too that I thought might be thin rubbish but seem surprisingly decent quality.

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07C96GX65/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Trickedem]

I normally give my bikes a hose off when I first get back. I then use this mixed 40:60 with water in a spray dispenser. Leave it on for 5 minutes or so, then hose off. This really gets the worst dirt off, although I will do a more thorough clean if I am cycling with @ianrauk

 

[screenman]

White spirits leave a residue. Meths is a better solvent that dries leaving only traces of purple dye.

Brake cleaner is designed for cleaning braking surface, not for warming the kettle when on tour.

 

[Blue Hills]

I may well look for an old shirt.

doesn't gave to be yours.
old underwear (anyones) also good - it's best as I say if you have a hem - stops the material fraying/catching - slot it between each pair of cogs - back and forth - the hub "ratchet" does the moving around for you - takes no time at all. gets any bits out.

(such is bike marketing I did see some enterprising company selling "bike floss" for something between a fiver and a tenner - maybe someone else had the old underpants/old shirts brandings globally registered)

 

[Blue Hills]

White spirits leave a residue. Meths is a better solvent that dries leaving only traces of purple dye.

ah, if so I could always finish off with my customary toothbrush and washing up liquid.

 

[Blue Hills]

Just had this delivered. Not a bad little set of brushes for cheap Chinese stuff. A big pack of microfibre cloths from ebay too that I thought might be thin rubbish but seem surprisingly decent quality.

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07C96GX65/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

you can buy the red and blue things separately from china - I have one of each - blue one kept clean for final brushing of cleaned chain as it hangs on the washing line.

 

[slowmotion]

Do you have a link/source for a cheap supply of that alcohol for the rims?
I use washing up liquid but might be faster with that - i have to do several passes.
I assume it doesn't do the brake pads any harm?
As for washing the bike, haven't done it for years. Wipe with an oily rag if needed. I ride mostly roads, no MTBing.

Pretty much all the electronic suppliers stock it because it's used for cleaning circuit boards. The cheapest place to buy modest quantities is eBay....about £6-7 per litre including postage. Lookee here....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Isopropyl-Alcohol-Isopropanol-IPA-99-9-Pure-1L-1-Litre-Cleaner-UK/133504451669?epid=2312415516&_trkparms=ispr=1&hash=item1f157c4455:g:YxEAAOSwwL5fkrr3&amdata=enc:AQAFAAACcBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%2Fn%2BzU5L90Z278x5ickkBUIiHwYv5YgVss0WaiENz0Zhy%2Bb2kVqbZq2pSBQrEgmbNamW1FoQwZprUY%2BwA9rYIluUc6zuRARJi9g7xIkKdw6GLcb5GsHGe6ilGuVyxSXSGAD1KZOczQNfD4lWj0yPOWvfcrUl6h9n0LI7OC7hHnspyj9CzJ3%2BsJh2MJl8e%2BkzaCPO4xtsJ6KL9dKDfdK0TcMIaEeZdj1P3emLH3F%2B5YkauzIMicYzQRCwftAZZZgGyIOVU%2BafVubyLKhM0oOj8Zq3MLK7YJu7H3GBkq1V%2F0LCdztE05K5%2FoBapNfx28%2Bdqh4QHSVyHQ%2BEMXvPCW8mjLBbYsCUNBQtU9jG4PEJvTuWkO0IDWQSC4J58wEdvHR0XiA9eqAkTN2ZittJvtpPKWx1a7hMdfZrWNT8Z3Oea623SU8JIH3orQamBytoiLnyAJBsMSrRLJ1H6KofAVSoVkndjeTeP5qSIuldtBvisev4cXIbpIwjWSezYzUFaugozq7Y7IPPFcrNhPDCPBVwCFOIHSZmDA5iSrlxQekhJIO90k4NFLIO5XDMWMRrP6OW9ifGjN%2FUdnxUgRNewDTb5MqSGRzyC2oGAjPyw0NiKbFuF1ACVxjYk8ZcJMuzuGcB78QtOMQ52BKBjaGicfpQk%2FmKfUNZZhJ5d4rQ%2BIxeyy0qIgKSg3LW5R09q4zk1YKBPNMoayI7zS8c9vFKVYtwWgekb8Q1iaICKCP%2F3Fwe5%2Fcu1IkoiSECHtB3XyBn5WJ8hvfXN6Y6Ag9Qrb7e9J6UaODBdEqxNX6tpVU%2BnfaSGQ%3D%3D|cksum:13350445166906cc1f925812498692628e3b05a5498b|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2334524

EDIT: Many apologies to @Mo1959. I was beaten to it!

 

[postman]

Clean it why it never gets really mucky.Swipe over with gt 85 I love the smell.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I would like somebody to tell me the difference between that and expensive bike cleaner.

The difference between TFR and stuff like Muc-off is marketing, but it must work because you've got people on here saying they use it! I also use commercial TFR, I can scrounge it from work FOC, so even better!

 

[Tripster]

Used Muc-off for years on motorbikes and now cycles. Brings them up well. Always polished motorbikes with Mr Sheen afterwards.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Actually today I learned that many products, not just washing up liquid, contain salt and that's not the reason to not use washing up liquid but i cannot recall the reason why you shouldn't, so i don't. I hope that long convoluted sentence made sense, I'm not gonna write it again.

Anyway, what do I use? Uhm, I have various Muc Off products. TBH IDK what's what any more, i just plonk some stuff on and then rinse it off. Sometimes I even use a sponge on the frame but that's rare these days. I havent ridden my good bikes for a long time and of course they will get better treatment.

What I do rather enjoy is taking my filthy mud and crap MTB to the gas station and using their jet wash. It has a lance and a foam brush and a bunch of different buttons such as Foam Wash, Pressure Wax, Rinse the Wax, Pressure Wash, Final Rinse. I just whack in a couple of quid and go through the buttons starting at the top. Just ensure no water is sprayed directly into the parts where the bearings are. Then I get home and put on some chain lube.

Muc-off also contains salt

 

[PaulSB]

you can buy the red and blue things separately from china - I have one of each - blue one kept clean for final brushing of cleaned chain as it hangs on the washing line.

.........and my wife says I'm obsessed!! 😂