Clean your bike properly – 7 steps to a clean bike

Those who ride a bike must also clean it. Especially in spring, autumn, and winter, the bike doesn't always stay clean during tours, but even a bike tour in summer rain can result in an extensive wash.

A bit of dirt doesn't hurt the fun of cycling, but it does harm your bike! Especially the drivetrain of a bike suffers from abrasive particles, so you should wash your bike regularly. With our tips, you can get a clean bike in 7 steps.

Bike cleaners are available from various brands such as Muc-Off, F-100, or Neatflow. When purchasing, make sure to buy environmentally friendly cleaning agents to avoid harming the environment while cleaning your bike.

These products are useful for bike cleaning

• A bike stand helps you keep your hands free while washing. Your bike is held securely, allowing you to focus on cleaning. A simple bike stand will also do.
• For any decent bike cleaning, you need water. A garden hose is ideal for this, but especially in winter, they are often stored away due to the risk of freezing. In that case, a bucket or watering can will suffice.
• Different brushes, cloths, and sponges are of course also indispensable when cleaning your bike. Here, too, you should pay attention to biodegradable materials.
• When cleaning your bike, water alone is not enough, as the dirt often sticks firmly. Special bike cleaners for the frame, chain, drivetrain, and brakes ensure better dirt removal. But please make sure to use biodegradable products!

Use only biodegradable bike cleaners for cleaning your bike and avoid aggressive, acid-containing household cleaners.

Products for bike cleaning

Bike stand | Bike pressure washer | Bike cleaner | Bike care

Can you clean your bike with household products?

The question often arises whether you can clean bikes simply with household products  can. Because dish soap also degreases, vinegar cleaner dissolves dirt, and so on. Clear answer:

It is not advisable to clean a bicycle with household cleaners or homemade mixtures. From rust or ruined paint to seized brakes, the consequences can be really annoying!

Special case carbon bicycle? 

Your expensive carbon racing bike, gravel bike, or MTB also needs a wash from time to time. 

1. In this case, you can study the descriptions of your bicycle cleaners and care products, where you often find a note whether the product is also suitable for carbon . 
2. We particularly recommend using a work stand for carbon bicycles so that the bicycle does not fall over while cleaning. 

Where is the best place to wash your bicycle?

It is definitely advisable to wash the bicycle in a place where the wash water drains into the sewer system.

In the wash water – even if you use environmentally friendly cleaners – there are chemicals, lubricants, and so on. They are better off in the sewage treatment plant than on a meadow!

Cleaning your bicycle in 7 steps

Cleaning your bike is not really difficult, but we have put together a step-by-step guide.

So – how do you clean your bicycle properly?

Step 1: Preparing the bicycle

It's actually logical: Remove all parts that cannot tolerate water. You should remove bicycle bags, battery lights, or the bike computer before washing. You can wrap contact points with some cling film. You can also pack parts like leather saddles.

Step 2: To make washing easier – soak the bicycle

You should definitely wet your bicycle before cleaning, i.e., soak it. It is best to rinse off the coarse dirt with a garden hose before you go into detail during cleaning. Alternatively, you can of course soak the bicycle with a watering can or a bucket and a sponge.

The dirt must go! A clean and properly cleaned bicycle not only looks better but also contributes to flawless and long-term good function. Before you start cleaning, you should definitely rinse your bicycle.

Step 3: Cleaning the bicycle drivetrain

In the second step, you take care of your drivetrain – that is, the chain, chainrings, crank, front derailleur, and rear derailleur. Since the dirt in these areas is often stubborn and mixed with oil or grease, it is worth spraying a special chain cleaner. A chain cleaner or drivetrain cleaner dissolves the dirt, allowing you to remove it much more easily after a short exposure time.

Our tip: To get between the chainrings, special sprocket brushes are suitable. Once the dirt is loosened with the brush, it can be easily rinsed off with water.

A special cleaner is particularly good for cleaning the bike drivetrain to loosen stubborn dirt.

Step 4: Clean the bike frame

Next, you should take care of the frame and all other attachments. Applying special bike cleaners greatly simplifies cleaning here as well, as stubborn dirt is loosened and can be easily rinsed off.

• Spray the bike cleaner on the wet bike, wait a few minutes until the cleaner has loosened the dirt.
• Then rinse it off with clear water.
• For stubborn dirt, you can use a soft brush or sponge before rinsing and assist the bike cleaner. 

Important! Do not scrub or scour if there are still particles, sand, or coarse dust on the bike.

 

Most bike cleaners must be sprayed onto the wet bike to allow a few minutes to work before you can remove the dirt with a soft brush or sponge and plenty of water.

Step 5: Does your bike have dampers?

In this step, it depends on which bike you ride. This is about dampers, and they are only found on certain bikes, such as mountain bikes, trekking bikes, and some city bikes. If you have them, your suspension fork and damper should receive special treatment, as both are significantly more sensitive than the rest of the bike. Therefore, use only a soft and clean sponge for cleaning the stanchions and seals to avoid scratches. You should be very careful with the pressure washer here (even if it's for bikes) because the pressure can flush particles under the seal. The stanchion must be dried with a soft cloth, and afterward, some damper care is recommended to prevent rust and keep the seal supple.

Step 6: After cleaning comes the rinse

Once you have cleaned all the components of your bike with the brush and/or sponge, you can rinse off the bike cleaner along with the dirt with clear water and roughly dry the bike with a microfiber cloth.

After that, it can simply (with a few exceptions) air dry before you apply bike care, chain grease, and so on.

Step 7: After cleaning, let the bike dry...

... and you can put your feet up. You can let the air dry the bike. But there are exceptions.

• The bike should not stand around wet for too long. In very cold weather, you can help with a soft cloth. Also, make sure that the wash water does not freeze.
• Compressed air can speed up the drying process, and you can also use it to blow water out of hard-to-reach corners. 
• You should dry contact points with a soft cloth. For example, the contacts between the e-bike and the battery or between the mount and the bike computer remain rust-free this way.
• The chain also tends to rust, so dry it with a soft cloth.

Step 8: Bike protection and care

After thoroughly washing your bike, it should now be dirt-free, but you're not quite done yet, because you should not neglect the subsequent care.

> In our blog, we also show you, how to properly care for your bike.

Here is a video guide

When cleaning your bike, please avoid:

• In frost, you need a place with positive temperatures to let your bike dry. The wash water should not freeze.
• A high-pressure cleaner is still often used when cleaning bikes. This is not fundamentally bad, but you should never aim the high-pressure jet at suspension forks, dampers, or any kind of bearings. The high water pressure can push dirt into the bearings and seals, causing significant damage over time. For cleaning the frame, tires, or other parts without bearings and seals, it is fine to use.
• There are now high-pressure cleaners specifically designed for bikes or sensitive items. They work with less pressure and can at least remove coarse dirt from the frame or wheels.
• Avoid aggressive and non- biodegradable bike cleaners at all costs! Think of the environment and that you want to enjoy its beautiful trails for a long time.
• The wash water belongs in the gully, not in the ground. 
• Most of your bike's attachments are made of aluminum or plastic, you can let them air dry. The chain tends to develop flash rust when moist. It should be immediately wiped with a lint-free cloth and then lubricated with suitable chain oil . The same applies to the contacts of the e-bike.
• After cleaning the bike, wrong lubricants are often used  applied. Products like WD-40 or universal oil are excellent products, but they have absolutely no place on the chain, the bearings of the full-suspension frame, or the seals of your suspension fork. You should only use special products for the care of bicycles.
• Quickly wiping off dirt from the bike while dry (e.g., with a glove) is not a good idea. Small stones in the dirt can very quickly cause unsightly scratches on the paint or on the attachments.

 

More bicycle care tips in the bike blog:

• Bicycle cleaning in winter
• Proper bicycle care
• What helps with frozen bicycle brakes?
• F100 Bike cleaner test
• Bicycle grease explained

Now you know how to clean your bike so that it lasts as long as possible - and always looks good. Feel free to leave your notes and comments below. We look forward to your feedback.