Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

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ndwgolf
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Joined: 2 Sep 2018, 2:50am

Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by ndwgolf »

Sorry for the possible stupid question. Is it okay to use washing up liquor to clean your gear set and chain or is there something else more professional.
Neil


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Brucey
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by Brucey »

it kind of depends what lube is on the chain and sprockets as to what will shift the residue most efficiently.

If you are cleaning the chain etc in situ, what you definitely don't want to do is to use a cleaner that will strip the lube out of the seals, because this will cause the bearings to fail in pretty short order.

Quite a lot of riders clean the sprockets etc in situ but remove the chain (using a quicklink, which may or may not be fitted to your chain already) for cleaning. Once you are removing the chain to clean it, it makes sense to rotate chains, i.e. use two or three chains, swapping between them every few hundred miles.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
thirdcrank
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by thirdcrank »

MickF should be along anytime soon
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Mick F
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by Mick F »

:lol:

I've tried it. It've tried most things over the years, though WU liquid is a good finishing stage.

Find a good degreaser. Gunk is my favourite, though white sprit is good. Don't be tempted to try Clean Spirit as it's rubbish. (tried it!)
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/engin ... er-1-litre
You can find it cheaper than this if you shop around.

Pour the Gunk into a jar and half fill it maybe a little less.
Drop your manky chain into it and tighten the lid.
Shake the jar for all you are worth, and until you get tired, swapping arms and maybe giving it to someone else to shake it untill they get tired.
Fish it out and let it drain as you do so.
Wash it in clean fresh water. Bucket maybe?

Take it into the kitchen and put it in the sink with nice hot soapy water. Your favourite washing up liquid - nice strong solution - and shoogle it about in the sink.
Drain and fill with hot fresh water and rinse thoroughly, repeat as necessary.
When you've finished, you should be able to eat your dinner with the chain.
If not, repeat the whole thing until you can.

You can do all this with sprockets and stripped down gear mechs too. Make sure you don't lose any of the smaller bits though.
Mick F. Cornwall
Bonefishblues
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by Bonefishblues »

Screwfix's econo-degreaser's good, too.
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foxyrider
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by foxyrider »

WUL generally has salt as the active cleaning agent - not great on delicate bike components. If you do use it make sure you do a thorough rinse afterwards.

There are plenty of dedicated cleaning materials about from the likes of Finish Line and Muc Off (there are other brands too). Talk to your bike shop, they should be able to supply and suggest appropriate materials.

I know Brucey and Mick F mean well but they often make things seem like a black art. Don't over think it, if you have the knowledge to strip and clean stuff that's great but many people are not competent to do so (not suggesting that's the OP but others will read this too).
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
thelawnet
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by thelawnet »

It depends how dirty it is, to an extent. Diesel works, for example. (Petrol does too, but diesel is a bit less explosive)

If you want things super clean then remove cassette and chain, chuck them in a jar with some diesel and give it a good shake.

A toothbrush is quite a good cleaning tool, especially if you dip it in diesel.

If you're not that dirty then a cloth works well.

I have also been known to take the bike into the bathroom and clean it with the shower (only recommended for Asian tiled bathroom with floor drains, not for European houses with carpets and baths and floor boards and what not.) Pressure washers can be used with care, but only if you do it yourself, if you let someone else do it they are likely to blast dirty water into your search.
ndwgolf
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by ndwgolf »

I can get this locally..........anyone else tried this??

Screenshot 2019-01-29 07.17.00.png
Screenshot 2019-01-29 07.17.00.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 7192 times


Neil
Debs
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by Debs »

Image

I highly recommend Fuze Bike Degreaser for chains/mechs/cogs - fantastic product! :D

Drivetrain/ chain degreaser that rapidly cuts through dirt and grime
Spray on, agitate then rinse off
Safe on paintwork, rubber, seals, brake pads etc
Non flammable - can be ued in confined areas such as workshops and garages
Fully biodegradable - water based
5 Litre = £14.95

https://fuze-products.co.uk/shop/bikedeg-5-litre


I use Muc-off spray for generally all over the dirty bike,
sponge off with bucket of warm water + car shampoo - rinse off with garden hose-water [not pressure washer]
flat tyre
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by flat tyre »

For a general, weekly or so clean I use white spirit and a toothbrush on the chain, cassette, jokey wheels etc.
Every now and then I do a major strip down and clean, i.e remove the chain, chain wheels, cassette. For this I soak everything in water with WUL liquid for 24 hours, then I find the muck comes off quite easily.
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Mick F
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by Mick F »

foxyrider wrote:I know Brucey and Mick F mean well but they often make things seem like a black art.
No black art in the slightest.
Simple in the extreme, so long as you can remove your chain etc.

If you don't want to remove anything, you will never clean it properly. Maybe that's fine for people, and maybe it's not. Take your choice if you do it or not.
Mick F. Cornwall
Bonefishblues
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Location: Near Bicester Oxon

Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by Bonefishblues »

Of course black art - at least it is when I clean mine. Get covered in the stuff :)
Bonefishblues
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by Bonefishblues »

Debs wrote:
I highly recommend Fuze Bike Degreaser for chains/mechs/cogs - fantastic product! :D


https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense- ... lsrc=aw.ds

Nine squid. Good.
maxglide
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by maxglide »

I'm just about to, the frame though. Well diluted Fairy Liquid: Refreshes the parts other liquids cannot reach.

After the frame wash, kerosene liberally sprayed on chain, sprockets, mech. This washes oil & grease away. Wait 1 hour to evaporate, then generous squirts of WD-40 on same. Never had a squeak. Might try diesel or petrol instead of kerosene (paraffin.) to see if it's as effective.
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Mick F
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Re: Using washing up liquid to clean your chain and gears

Post by Mick F »

Bonefishblues wrote:
Debs wrote:
I highly recommend Fuze Bike Degreaser for chains/mechs/cogs - fantastic product! :D


https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense- ... lsrc=aw.ds

Nine squid. Good.
Noted!
Thanks.
Mick F. Cornwall
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