How to clean your bike

We know the feeling: you’ve just made it back after a tough slog over the hills and all you want to do is grab some food and jump in the shower. But in the hurry for freshness and sustenance, it's important not to neglect cleaning your bike.

If it's not done immediately, chances are you won’t get round to it before the next time you head out for a ride – and so will begin a vicious cycle that’ll only build into a crescendo of seized components, un-cooperative gears and squeaky brakes. 

Fortunately, cleaning your bike properly can be done in just a handful of minutes – once you have a clear idea of the procedure and the right equipment. So, without further ado, let’s get into how to clean your bike.

How to clean your bike: step by step guide

1. Rinse the frame down

Start by giving the frame a basic wipe. This can be with a sponge and bucket of water or a hose – just don't use a high pressure washer as this will force water into the bearings.

Spray the bike with a bike cleaning product, and then, with more clean water, use a soft bristled brush to give the bike a scrub.

Don't be tempted to substitute the bike cleaning product and soft brush with washing up liquid and a kitchen sponge – this can result in a scratched or even colour faded frame.

2. Use degreaser on the derailleurs and chain

Next, spray the derailleurs and chain with a degreasing agent and give them a good (but gentle) scrub. You might find this easiest with the wheel still in the bike or, as you'll need to take the wheels out later anyway, a chain-keeper will help to keep tension in the chain.

3. Use degreaser on the cassette and chainrings

Spray more degreaser over the chainrings and cassette and give them a scrub. Using a gear brush really helps you to get into the cassette cogs.

If the chain still looks grimy, you can use a chain cleaner: simply fill the unit with a degreaser, snap it on and rotate the pedal backwards to feed the chain through. Dispose of the degreaser safely when you're done.

4. Clean the braking surface and pads

You should still clean the rims of your bike whatever braking system you're using. But for rim brakes, it is particularly important to give the braking surface a good wash and wipe – and then repeat for the pads, checking for any debris that might have wedged itself in.

For disc brakes, make sure the cleaning product you're using is suitable to use on disc brakes. Some general purpose bike cleaners are, but if yours isn't, make sure to use a dedicated brake cleaner or some isopropyl alcohol to wipe down the rotors and spray onto the brake pads.

5. Rinse the frame, dry and lube the chain

Rinse the soap suds off the bike, dry the chain with an old rag and apply chain lube to the chain and the pivot points on the derailleurs

What you need for cleaning your bike

To clean your bike effectively, there's essentially six broad categories of equipment you'll need. The good news is, you'll likely already have half of them around at home and everything else can be found quite cheaply if you shop around. 

1. Brushes
2. Cleaning fluid
3. Degreaser
4. Lube
5. Towel
6. Bucket

But if you're time-pressed – or simply prefer simplicity – there is always the option to go in for a bike cleaning bundle from brands such as Muc Off, Bike Hut or Weldtite. These kits include everything you need in one easy package.

Bike cleaning brushes

To really clean out all the nooks and crannies of a bike, specialist brushes do make the job a lot easier – whether that’s getting in between the cassette sprockets, around the jockey wheels or any parts of the frame prone to collecting dirt. Larger, softer brushes really help with quickly cleaning down large areas of the frame without causing scratches. 

Cheaper brushes are, of course, kinder on the wallet initially. But investing a little more can get you a higher build quality which will see the brushes last for longer

Bike cleaning fluid

There’s a whole range of bike cleaners out there which promise many, many different things. One point we like to check is whether the product is safe to use on disc brakes – there’s nothing wrong with having multiple products for multiple purposes, but cutting down on clutter does make things easier.

Likewise, some concentrated bike cleaners can double up as degreasers in their undiluted form – saving yet another cleaning product there. Buying concentrates tends to be easier on the wallet and on the environment too, as it significantly reduces the volumes of water being needlessly shipped around when you’re adding it yourself at home from the tap.

Sticking with environmental concerns, another quality we like to look for is how friendly the cleaning product is to wildlife. As there is the choice, it’s always better to go with cleaners which are specifically formulated not to poison water ways.

Bike degreaser

To cut through the grime of a chain, a dedicated degreaser is often needed. It’s typically cheaper and more environmentally friendly to get refills and use a squirty bottle, but aerosols do make it much easier to reach those hard-to-get-at places – just make sure not to get it in your bearings.

As with general purpose cleaners, there is often the option to go for a product specifically formulated to minimise the ecological impact, which is always a good thing. 

Chain lubricant

After stripping all the gunk off your chain, the next step is to add some chain
lubrication to keep it running smoothly, efficiently, and to protect against rust. Depending on the conditions, you’ll either want to use a wet lube or a dry lube.

Wet lubes, as their name suggests, are best for wet conditions. They cling tendanciously to the chain and are much more resistant to being washed off than a dry lube. The downside is, in dry conditions, they also have a tendency to collect dust and debris, making a gritty paste that’s no good for the longevity of your drivetrain and is a bit of a pain to clean.

Dry lubes, on the other hand, are best used in dry conditions. A good quality one will repel dust, keeping your drivetrain squeaky clean. They also tend to be slightly more efficient than wet lubes, saving you a few watts. The downside for dry lubes is that they can be quickly washed off in wet conditions, leaving you with an unprotected chain.

Towel

If you don’t dry your bike after cleaning, you risk leaving streaky water marks all over it. A microfibre cleaning towel will avoid this and not leave any lint on your pride and joy.

The final step to cleaning your bike is drying it off, removing any water that might cause streaky marks or corrode parts of your bike. A microfibre cleaning cloth is the best tool for this job, as they don’t leave any unsightly lint in their wake. You can get ‘bike-specific’ ones, but you’ll save a lot of money simply going for an automotive or general cleaning set – they are essentially the same thing.

Bucket

You probably already have a bucket you can use, but more is always helpful. You could have one for soapy water, one for plain water and use another as simply a handy way of carrying around your cleaning supplies. 

The bucket doesn’t have to be anything fancy and between 5 and 10 litres is a good volume to aim for.

Bike cleaning FAQs