Washing bikes with a hosepipe

rumbataz

A few days ago I walked past a neighbour's house and he had been washing his cars and then just continued with the soapy water and hosepipe to wash his three bikes. He had them turned upside down fro stability, and just used car washing brushes and sponges, and car shampoo. He then rinsed everything with a hosepipe (not a pressure washer) and left the bikes to dry.

It took him about 2 minutes to wash three bikes. It takes me around an hour to do one!

Is using a soapy sponge and a hosepipe a safe way to wash a bike?

The reason I ask is that I'm into car detailing so have lots of car detailing products, including many brushes, sponges, shampoos, etc., and wouldn't mind spending two minutes to clean a bike rather than an hour.

NeXXus

If you're not transferring grit onto paintwork and waxes onto wheel rims etc and still cleaning chain/cassette/chainrings properly, why not?

imposter2.0

rumbataz wrote:

Is using a soapy sponge and a hosepipe a safe way to wash a bike?

Not sure if you are trying to be deliberately absurd or not, but of course it is a safe way to wash a bike.

NeXXus

Imposter wrote:

rumbataz wrote:

Is using a soapy sponge and a hosepipe a safe way to wash a bike?

Not sure if you are trying to be deliberately absurd or not, but of course it is a safe way to wash a bike.

It'll melt if it's carbon though

imposter2.0

aye...it will...

pblakeney

I didn't think there was an alternative other than the annual strip down and re-build.

Edit - The derailleur sprockets need to be de-grimed on a regular basis during the winter though.

bendertherobot

It's perfectly safe. And, of course, most of us CX'ers just pop to the jetwash on the way home.

veronese68

Why wouldn't it be?

sungod

been doing mine with a hose for years, it's the easiest way after a wet/dirty ride

just spray off the cack then wipe dry

mrb123

The question is, if you're not using a soapy sponge or a hosepipe, exactly how are you cleaning your bike at the moment?

Rev0Knuckle

Never used anything other than a hose, much-off and a bucket/sponge followed by a going over with a wash leather. Though I have since bought one of these: http://www.motohaus.com/acatalog/Bruhl- ... ryers.html

Cannot recommend it highly enough if -like me- you hate the drying part and want to go straight to the polishing stage!

chrisaonabike

The problem with the OP isn't that a hose pipe is being used.

It is the contravention of Rule 49.

mamba80

Imposter wrote:

rumbataz wrote:

Is using a soapy sponge and a hosepipe a safe way to wash a bike?

Not sure if you are trying to be deliberately absurd or not, but of course it is a safe way to wash a bike.

i guess the OP is meaning a hose with a bit of pressure and washing grease out off or dirt into bearings etc rather than the bike dissolving under 3 bar of water or he is being absurd

rumbataz

MrB123 wrote:

The question is, if you're not using a soapy sponge or a hosepipe, exactly how are you cleaning your bike at the moment?

Different cleaners for different parts of the bike, all cleaned individually. I've got one of those 5L garden pressure sprayers for water as I tend to use as little as possible to rinse the degreaser out with.

webboo

Given that it's taken a months training for you to develop the strength just to hang from a pull up bar for 20 secs. You will probably need someone to hold up the hose pipe for you, waters heavy you know. I'm not sure how you are going to manage to turn your bike over though.

morstar

I'm a bit confused. You're into car detailing, i.e. Being obsessive about keeping a car spotless but want your bike to scrub up in moments.
I'd have thought the person who is patient enough to be into car detailing would be similarly attentive to other cleaning.

dennisn

NeXXus wrote:

Imposter wrote:

rumbataz wrote:

Is using a soapy sponge and a hosepipe a safe way to wash a bike?

Not sure if you are trying to be deliberately absurd or not, but of course it is a safe way to wash a bike.

It'll melt if it's carbon though

Especially carbon crank arms. They can get very droopy when wet.

rumbataz

Webboo wrote:

Given that it's taken a months training for you to develop the strength just to hang from a pull up bar for 20 secs. You will probably need someone to hold up the hose pipe for you, waters heavy you know. I'm not sure how you are going to manage to turn your bike over though.

Are you willing to hold my hosepipe for me?

rumbataz

morstar wrote:

I'm a bit confused. You're into car detailing, i.e. Being obsessive about keeping a car spotless but want your bike to scrub up in moments.
I'd have thought the person who is patient enough to be into car detailing would be similarly attentive to other cleaning.

It was an observation I made on my neighbour, who is also into car detailing. All I wanted to know was whether there could be any issues with using car shampoo and rinsing off with a hosepipe. From the responses, it looks like it should be fine.

I have 5L containers of many different car cleaning products that are all fairly high-end products and thought I could save some money by not having to buy dedicated bike cleaning products that are ridiculously expensive for what you get (drivetrain cleaner, chain cleaner, bike cleaner, etc, etc).

noodleman

Its a bike! Bikes get ridden through puddles full of gravel and ridden on roads covered in salt. Don't get too hung up on all the bike specific products that are so say carbon specific etc. Its just a painted surface and as for the rest of it, washing down with a hose wont do any damage at all. The only way of causing any problems is to use a pressure washer in close proximity to BB or headset bearings. Big brush, fairy liquid, hose it off, dry it and give it a bit of GT85 and chain lube. Job done

homers_double

I love cleaning my MTB after a real muddy wet ride, two minutes with the hose, a dry off and squirt of lube and it's spotless!

Road bike needs a bit more though as the grime sets in after a few rides and needs some hot water and car soap.

p.s, don't use fairly liquid as its designed to remove grease wheras car stuff leaves a bit of a waxy residue on things like your chain etc.

keef66

homers double wrote:

I love cleaning my MTB after a real muddy wet ride, two minutes with the hose, a dry off and squirt of lube and it's spotless!

Road bike needs a bit more though as the grime sets in after a few rides and needs some hot water and car soap.

p.s, don't use fairly liquid as its designed to remove grease wheras car stuff leaves a bit of a waxy residue on things like your chain etc.

But there are some parts of your bike you wouldn't want a waxy residue. Braking surfaces for instance...

noodleman

homers double wrote:

I love cleaning my MTB after a real muddy wet ride, two minutes with the hose, a dry off and squirt of lube and it's spotless!

Road bike needs a bit more though as the grime sets in after a few rides and needs some hot water and car soap.

p.s, don't use fairly liquid as its designed to remove grease wheras car stuff leaves a bit of a waxy residue on things like your chain etc.

Been using fairy liquid for ever and never once had an issue. You should be drying and lubing your chain etc after every wash anyway?

homers_double

A bit of lube, yes.

fenix

I normally hose it down - bit of mucoff on the mucky bits - another hose and maybe a going over with a sponge or brush and a bit of GT85 for most washes.

If you watch the pro mechanics jetwashing their bikes it's impressive to see - they do a bike in a minute or so. They never use the jet washers side on though and I guesst they turn the pressure down. I'm sure theres a vid on youtube.

dee4life2005

I used to be into car detailing myself, and have used some of the stuff on the bike before. A nicely polished bike frame with a couple of coats of Dodo Juice Supernatural doesn't have stay clean for a while as the dirt just runs off. I'd be careful with the car shampoo though, as lots seem to contain at least some wax product to give you the shine and I can't imagine this would be too great to get on your brakes. Other than that, crack on I say ... although I wouldn't dream of using any brushes on the car again after they've been used on the bike though - too much chance of oil / grease contamination.

dee4life2005

Fenix wrote:

If you watch the pro mechanics jetwashing their bikes it's impressive to see - they do a bike in a minute or so. They never use the jet washers side on though and I guesst they turn the pressure down. I'm sure theres a vid on youtube.

Yeah but they wont have to worry quite so much about getting water into the bearings etc. as they'll be servicing hubs / headsets and changing parts long before that ever becomes a problem I suspect.

fenix

True but they never spray the bike side on. I guess they don't want to make any extra work for themselves. They've no time for servicing hubs on tour.

step83

dee4life2005 wrote:

I used to be into car detailing myself, and have used some of the stuff on the bike before. A nicely polished bike frame with a couple of coats of Dodo Juice Supernatural doesn't have stay clean for a while as the dirt just runs off. I'd be careful with the car shampoo though, as lots seem to contain at least some wax product to give you the shine and I can't imagine this would be too great to get on your brakes. Other than that, crack on I say ... although I wouldn't dream of using any brushes on the car again after they've been used on the bike though - too much chance of oil / grease contamination.

A proper polish then wax is always good nice layer of protection. I generally keep on top of the grime using a bottle of speed detailer, OK not what its intended for but works an absolute treat, plus the Meguiars one has a lovely cherry smell to it

rumbataz

My shampoo of choice is Duragloss 901 - it does contain 'gloss enhancers' though. I already use my hybrid QD/sealant on both bikes and they hardly get dirty. The QD is Chemical Guys Hybrid V7 which gives several weeks of paint protection and dirt resistance.

fenix

I'm loving the bike smelling of cherries...