B1KE

Hey everyone, I know lots of people here recommend using Dawn dish soap but I`m wondering if a specialty bike wash product might be better? Specifically I don't want any harsh chemicals and maybe the Dish soap has some of them? The bike wash I'm currently looking at is listed as;

Contains no lye, phosphates, bleach, dyes, brighteners,

Which is better to use and which will results in a clean shiny new bike?

TobinH

This is not a question that has ever occured to me, but I've been using dish soap for many years with no apparent ill effects. Are you concerned about rubber seals on bearings maybe?

Dave Cutter

I've been using Dawn on my bikes for the last five years. I've [also] used it on automobiles as well. And for many, many years.... I've used Dawn on dishes. Dawn seems to cut grease and grim quickly and leave a shiny residue-free surface.... that is clean enough to eat off of.

gregf83 

It's not great for cars if you wax them as it will remove wax, but who waxes their bike?

UnfilteredDregs

Don't use dish soap, it displaces grease. Your bearings will love you.

Dave Cutter

Well... actually I do. A little wax goes a long way towards protecting my bikes from sweat and road tar (that can get flecked up on the bike from newish hot asphalt). And I like to use a scratch remover/polish... followed by a wax on old vintage paint restorations.

gregf83 

Well if you're going to wax your bike it will last longer if you don't use Dawn and use a milder car wash instead. Mind you it probably doesn't take long to wax a bike. I used to use some fancy car wax products from Zaino that would take over an hour to apply. Haven't done it for quite a few years though.

cashmonee

Dawn, or any dish soap is basically a degreaser. On the frame? Not a problem. Just be careful in other areas. I use a rinseless car wash (same as the one I use on my car), and I occasionally wax with either a car wax or furniture wax, such as Pledge. The results look great, and as mentioned above, with the wax on there, most stuff just wipes off with a rag in between any wash.

Lazyass

I wax my bikes. Why would someone not? Paint is paint, car or bike doesn't matter. Wax protects it and makes it shine. But yeah, don't use dish soap.

Jeremy_S

Good grief I'm glad there are other ocd folks here who think it's fine to wax your bike. I thought I was the only one.

I use a spray called "Honda polish" from the bike shop (motorcycle bikes) to clean my bikes between good scrubbings, some times I use Lucas Slick Mist which I always used on my bass boats.

Waxing toys is good, my trek fuel is going on 3 years old, thousands of miles on some nasty hill country trails, and still looks great.



My road bikes usually look even cleaner. These things cost too much to buy, even more to upgrade, and I like to keep them nice.

Pirkaus

I wash mine with Turtle Wax Car Wash, and use Lucas showroom spray wax, the road dirt whips off with a damp cloth between washings.

kbarch

Seems to me regardless of what you use, if you're concerned about harshness, it's really a question of dilution and method of application, and I have to imagine dish detergent is relatively mild to begin with. You'd think car and bike wash products would be relatively cheap by comparison, since they don't have to worry about purity, toxicity, or whether the residue is palatable.

Speaking of palatable, I got some Finish Line Super Bike Wash a while back, but it smells atrocious, so I just use Ajax dish detergent instead. And I often finish the job by wiping the bike down with a cloth sprayed with Pledge or store brand equivalent.

Sy Reene

I've been using White Lightning Wash & Shine.. seems to work well, and perhaps unlike using soap, there's not a requirement to rinse off after use.. which is a nice benefit if you're an apartment dweller with uneasy access to a garden hose.

OldsCOOL

I only use dish soap when buying a used bike (I like vintage bikes). If any are worried about harsh chemicals just dont use so much soap.

Looigi

Dish detergent. You can soak your hands in it.

Marcus_Ti

Paper towel and some water. Titanium is easy to clean.

GlennR

I use a spray bottle of with a mixture 20% Simple Green and 80% water with paper towels to clean the bike. The finish is matte black so no wax.

Remember, a clean bike is faster due to less aero drag.

indyfabz

My bike builder recommends Pledge.

As for waxing, Brazilian is the only way to go.

indyfabz

Madge!

Hiro11

I never ride in the rain and ride in generally clean circumstances. I'll still wipe my bike down with a rag and water after most every ride. About three times a year, I'll degrease all of the mechanicals with a little cup of mineral spirits and a piantbrush. I'll fill the shifters with WD40 a few times and let it drain out. I'll then wash the entire bike with a bucket of very diluted Simple Green and a garden hose. I'll then relube everything. I stay away from hubs and my bottom bracket with the hose. Note that I specifically bought a frame with really good drainage holes.

If I'm feeling saucy I might hit my brushed Ti frame with a little Pledge, but that's rare.

eyewannabike

There used to be a commercial showing that though you can do it at home. Put a bunch of greasy dishes in water in the sink. Drop in a drop of dish detergeant and watch the great on the surface part like the red sea.

MileHighMark

At one of SRAM's recent press camps, the mechanics/support staff were using plain ol' Dawn dish soap on the bikes.

B1KE

Looks like it doesn't matter too much judging by everyone's experience. My bike is aluminum but it's matted a bit, I doubt it would have any negative effect if I used dish soap?

MagicHour

I like Pledge Multi-Surface Natural Cleaner. Read about it on a similar thread on here awhile ago. Puts a nice shine on bike and can remove minor grease/oil smudges. I'm skeptical that the $15 dedicated bike wash products work any better than this stuff, which can be found at any grocery store or big box.

seymour1910

It wont hurt as long as you don't let the soap dry on the bike. Also for me, I use a stiff brush to clean my cassette instead of using string or cloth and doing the floss method. I follow this method of cleaning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf80DnCgHRQ then apply a coat of wax.