Chain cleaning device and degreaser

smoggysteve

Why do so many people come out with elaborate ways of cleaning a bit of metal? F@cking about with solvents and flammable/toxic liquids. There are plenty of chain cleaning specific cleaners out there that last for ages so long as you just use it sparingly. I have a chain cleaner full of muc off degreaser. 1 bottle has lasted well over a year. No risk playing with chemicals that have no place being near a bike.

Just a reminder - it is a chain. Metal links and rollers. They will not prematurely die just from giving it a rinse in proper chain cleaner once a week.

Someone uses diesel - spends 1000's on a bike yet will use car fuel cleaning it!! WTF? Another uses harsh kitchen chemicals. Mmm. Please do remember that this stuff goes deep into the chain and guess what? When you spin that chain up riding that sh!t comes right back out. All over the frame. You think diesel or kitchen oven cleaner will be kind to your paint or lacquer? Bear in mind diesel can damage car paint then don't expect it do be any less nasty on your shiny carbon frame.

londoncommuter

SmoggySteve wrote:

You think diesel or kitchen oven cleaner will be kind to your paint or lacquer? Bear in mind diesel can damage car paint then don't expect it do be any less nasty on your shiny carbon frame.

Fair point although I think a lot of us are in the middle ground where we're not so tight as to resort to white spirit/diesel/nail brushes but at the same recognise that bike specific stuff is probably the same as other degreaser just at five times the price.

As an aside, I was in one of the pound shops yesterday and they had pink bike cleaner in a spray for (unsurprisingly) £1. Again, same as Muc-off without the brand premium or napalm? Who's to know.

dannbodge

londoncommuter wrote:

SmoggySteve wrote:

You think diesel or kitchen oven cleaner will be kind to your paint or lacquer? Bear in mind diesel can damage car paint then don't expect it do be any less nasty on your shiny carbon frame.

Fair point although I think a lot of us are in the middle ground where we're not so tight as to resort to white spirit/diesel/nail brushes but at the same recognise that bike specific stuff is probably the same as other degreaser just at five times the price.

As an aside, I was in one of the pound shops yesterday and they had pink bike cleaner in a spray for (unsurprisingly) £1. Again, same as Muc-off without the brand premium or napalm? Who's to know.

There's several videos on youTube showing how the cheap bike cleaner strips aluminium and the branded pink cleaning liquid doesn't.
If it's true it's quite scary.

smoggysteve

londoncommuter wrote:

SmoggySteve wrote:

You think diesel or kitchen oven cleaner will be kind to your paint or lacquer? Bear in mind diesel can damage car paint then don't expect it do be any less nasty on your shiny carbon frame.

Fair point although I think a lot of us are in the middle ground where we're not so tight as to resort to white spirit/diesel/nail brushes but at the same recognise that bike specific stuff is probably the same as other degreaser just at five times the price.

As an aside, I was in one of the pound shops yesterday and they had pink bike cleaner in a spray for (unsurprisingly) £1. Again, same as Muc-off without the brand premium or napalm? Who's to know.

I appreciate that maybe some of the big brands are atca premium but I like to think that said big name got big by reputation. If its can damage your bike in any way im sure they wouldn't market it or at least give a warning.

Scenario 1 - 'I used Muc Off and it damaged my frame"

Muc off -' sorry to hear that, maybe we can compensate you or at let take advice on board'

Scernario 2. ' I used cheap'n'cheerful poundland spray and it damaged my frame"

Cheap'n'cheerful - "Ah well, what you want for a quid"??

Plodder82

/\/\/\tbh,whatever you use if it isn't used appropriately it could quickly damage paintwork.Bare aluminium is very easily damaged with any number of domestic cleaners.Carbon fibre,even more easily damaged,certainly wouldn't use oven cleaner,even if I knew the paint was 1000% perfect.Carbon fibre is so delicate (water/solvent based paints/lacquer ain't that tough either,they are all permeable).
Paraffin DOES melt plastic yogurt pots,diesel would be worse.But again,only use it on the chain and for sure,don't soak your painted/lacquered, carbon framed/plastic mudguard bike in it for 24 hrs.

wilks321

londoncommuter wrote:

Has anyone melted a bike with the stuff for £9 for 5l from Screwfix?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-h ... 5ltr/88668

I use this on my Dolan carbon as a chain cleaner and is very good it feels like a very strong soap to be honest just put it through my park tool chain bath for 1 min then rinse well. Paintwork fine up to now.

tincaman

londoncommuter wrote:

Has anyone melted a bike with the stuff for £9 for 5l from Screwfix?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-h ... 5ltr/88668

Yes, been using it diluted for a while now, its fine

capt_slog

I use white spirit. I take the chain off, wipe off the excess dirt and give it a gentle shake in a plastic container I have for the purpose. I do a couple of rinses in white spirit, run it through some kitchen roll and then hang it up to dry. The white spirit I've used goes into a container where it settles and I decant it off to use as first wash next time.

WD40 is just a mix of light paraffins if I remember correctly, I ran some through mass spectrometer some years ago to find out.

Comment above about marks on doors from mucky handprints:- Swarfega works well for most of these types of accidents, saved my bacon several times when I'd managed to tramp in large lumps of oil into my mums carpets from trying to mend my motorbikes

stoveman

Vince133 wrote:

Hi All

Thanks for your replies. Think I will try some of the cheaper degreaser as suggested as I agree bike specific degreasers seems very expensive.

Any thoughts on devices muc off Pedro etc. I was thinking of purchasing one as my bike stays in a large porch which now doubles as my workshop and I could degrease without needing to brave the elements. A couple of you have suggested muc off x 3 any others to consider? Thanks again.

Vince

Got the Pedros Pig machine and can recommend it for cleaning without taking the chain off the bike.
Handy when you want a good quick clean without a full strip down.

Nick Payne

I use the Park Tool chain cleaner with mineral turps. I get 12000-15000km out of a chain before it's at 0.5% wear and a cassette lasts two or three chains.