Washing Carbon Bikes

gb155

Ermmmmm, Can I use Muck-Off ?

Is there anything thats a total No-No?

Thanks

crankycrank

Muc-Off is fine. My rule would be to stay away from anything that is harmful to plastics and paint such as automotive brake cleaner and some automotive wheel cleaners can be fairly caustic. Also acetone and abrasive type metal cleaners are a no no for any bike. Dishsoap, carwash solutions, etc., should all be OK.

Mr Plum

Get some of the Pledge wax based polish spray. Your carbon beast will love it.

stuaff

Car shampoo's your best bet for washing, Gets the job done well, much cheaper than Muc-Off etc (and a little goes a long way), and no salt etc, unlike washing-up liquid.

SimonAH

I put a squirt of shampoo in the bucket. Seems to work pretty well (doesn't fix split ends on cables though unfortunately)

fenboy369

WTF! Everybody knows you cant get a carbon bike wet, it will melt! You have to buy a new one if it gets mucky and anyway, why are you riding it if its not perfectly sunny and dry? Muppet.....

Kieran_Burns

I used distilled spring water, warmed to 25C, poured gently over the frame. Then I use a non-soap based organic cleaner made from an infusion of nettles, dock leaves and elderberry, gently wiping in a single downward motion using an organic hemp cloth which is disposed of after every wipe.

Once clean I protect the frame using beeswax made in my own apiary from free-range bees applied with a lint-free non-woven hydro-entangled chemical free material which again is disposed of after every wipe.

Is this too much?

bails87

I use Cillit Bang, vigourously rubbed into every nook and cranny with a power sander. It's how I clean my car too.

bails87

I obviously don't get my bike wet though, because that would melt the carbon.


Serious time: I use car shampoo. When the bike's dry I occasionally give it a bit of a polish with either car polish or ordinary household stuff out of a spray can. It makes the bike smell nice, plus it makes it shiny and helps the dirt to slip off.

Kieran_Burns

bails87 wrote:

I obviously don't get my bike wet though, because that would melt the carbon.


Serious time: I use car shampoo. When the bike's dry I occasionally give it a bit of a polish with either car polish or ordinary household stuff out of a spray can. It makes the bike smell nice, plus it makes it shiny and helps the dirt to slip off.

You smell your bike?

You're weird you are.

UndercoverElephant

A while back I bought a five-litre bottle of a mixture of car wax and shampoo, in the misguided thought that I might, occasionally, wash the car. It was about £6 from Aldi in one of their specials.

Naturally after a couple of years, the bottle is still almost full, but it does a fantastic job when I use it to lovingly clean and polish my fleet of bikes every week without fail.

bails87

Kieran_Burns wrote:

bails87 wrote:

I obviously don't get my bike wet though, because that would melt the carbon.


Serious time: I use car shampoo. When the bike's dry I occasionally give it a bit of a polish with either car polish or ordinary household stuff out of a spray can. It makes the bike smell nice, plus it makes it shiny and helps the dirt to slip off.

You smell your bike?

You're weird you are.

Yes I smell my bike. But I prefer the smell of other people's. Especially the saddles.

essex-commuter

Kieran_Burns wrote:

I used distilled spring water, warmed to 25C, poured gently over the frame. Then I use a non-soap based organic cleaner made from an infusion of nettles, dock leaves and elderberry, gently wiping in a single downward motion using an organic hemp cloth which is disposed of after every wipe.

Once clean I protect the frame using beeswax made in my own apiary from free-range bees applied with a lint-free non-woven hydro-entangled chemical free material which again is disposed of after every wipe.

Is this too much?

I can't believe you don't do it in a sterile environment. Shame on you.

davis

essex-commuter wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

I used distilled spring water, warmed to 25C, poured gently over the frame. Then I use a non-soap based organic cleaner made from an infusion of nettles, dock leaves and elderberry, gently wiping in a single downward motion using an organic hemp cloth which is disposed of after every wipe.

Once clean I protect the frame using beeswax made in my own apiary from free-range bees applied with a lint-free non-woven hydro-entangled chemical free material which again is disposed of after every wipe.

Is this too much?

I can't believe you don't do it in a sterile environment. Shame on you.

I don't think the elderberries agreed to be in the cleaning solution in the first place, either. You monster, KB

sketchley

bails87 wrote:

I use Cillit Bang, vigourously rubbed into every nook and cranny with a power sander. It's how I clean my car too.

You just reminded me of this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2UY_3RNggU