Bicycling Australia
A clean bike will not only look good; regular cleaning will also prolong the life of your drive chain and help you pick up any faults before they become a safety risk.
How to clean your Bike
Chemicals and Utensils
Here’s what you’ll need; a bucket, paint brush, scrubbing brush, a few soft cotton rags, kerosene (or citrus degreaser), chain lube, a spray bottle and truck wash such as ‘CT-18’ or a comparable product. Car polish is an optional extra if you want to get your bike really looking like new.
1. Start by cleaning the dirtiest bits of your bike—that usually means your drivechain. While you can use automotive or bicycle specific degreaser, kerosene is a good low cost (but smelly) alternative. It is commonly available at supermarkets and hardware stores and does a great job of dissolving chain grime. Unlike most citrus degreasers, it leaves a slightly oily film on your chain once it is washed off. Citrus and automotive degreasers really strip your chain and can leave it very dry. They will also repel chain lube if some degreaser residue remains on the drivechain. Apply the kerosene with a paint brush and catch any drips in a tray. Dispose of the used kerosene appropriately.
2. We used a bike stand to hold our bike but you can also hang the bike from a washing line or a tree in the garden. After the degreaser or kerosene has had time to loosen the chain grime, run a stiff brush over the chain and cogs. Hold the brush over the chain while turning the pedals around. Removing the wheels will make the job of scrubbing the rear cassette much easier. Most bike specific cleaning brushes have narrow extensions with plastic ‘teeth’ that will help you dislodge any grime build-up between the chainrings or rear cogs
3. Once you have loosened and dislodged the grime build up, use a length of soft absorbent rag to clean between the cogs—pull it taut and run it back and forth. This will remove any residual kerosene/degreaser and leave you with a nice shiny and professional looking finish.
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