What Degreaser do we all like?

[bikerboy337]

We have lots of threads about grease... couldn't find any about degreasers. I'd love to find a cheaper alternative to my degreasers... I've used a few different onces over the years (pedros, finishline, park), typicllay they run about $10 a bottle and last a month or two...

anyone have any good alternatives to the "bike specific" degreasers?

[oldguy00]

We have lots of threads about grease... couldn't find any about degreasers. I'd love to find a cheaper alternative to my degreasers... I've used a few different onces over the years (pedros, finishline, park), typicllay they run about $10 a bottle and last a month or two...

anyone have any good alternatives to the "bike specific" degreasers?

Simple Green, or anything similar that you can buy in bulk size from places like Sams or Costco. Bike specific degreasers are just normal off the shelf degreasers with nice smells and colors added. :)

[oldpotatoe]

We have lots of threads about grease... couldn't find any about degreasers. I'd love to find a cheaper alternative to my degreasers... I've used a few different onces over the years (pedros, finishline, park), typicllay they run about $10 a bottle and last a month or two...

anyone have any good alternatives to the "bike specific" degreasers?

what oldguy said...I use simple green in the shop, a gallon is about $12..cut half and half with water...spray bottle..

Most bike specific 'stuff' is expensive when compared to a non bike specific thing...like grease.

[William]

Another Simple Green fan here. Buy it by the gallon at Home Despot.





William

[nighthawk]

+1 on simple green. I keep a couple spray bottles diluted to different concentrations for different levels of gunk.

[AngryScientist]

i buy whatever citrus based degreaser lowes or home depot has on sale by the gallon. they all pretty much seem to work the same in my experience.

[christian]

I use an citrus-based one I get at Home Depot.

[bikerboy337]

I figures as much, but I thought years ago i had heard of issues with simple green, etc.... with plastic, something like that... but I figured I was wrong... off to home depot this weekend to grab a gallon of stuff...

[christian]

All citrus degreasers can discolor and damage aluminum (un-anodized, mostly, I think.) Wash off all citrus degreasers from aluminum parts with water. This assumes you're using them as concentrated sprays.

[Bob Ross]

I thought years ago i had heard of issues with simple green, etc.... with plastic, something like that...

Only thing I recall hearing was that some metals -- aluminum perhaps? -- would react with Simple Green if you left them soaking in it for several days.

Hence the introduction of Simple Green "Aircraft Edition", for those folks that actually do want to soak their parts for several days.
http://industrial.simplegreen.com/ind_products_extreme.php

But yeah, I just use the regular Simple Green.

[William]

No issues with Simple Green on any of my bikes or parts, aluminum, steel, or plastic.





William

[velobran]

Constant use of Simple Green (in full form) for cleaning chains will lead to chain breakage. A few PT mechanics have said such and two friends have experienced first hand.

I'm not referring to soaking either - but liberal saturation will lead to premature death of your chain. Not sure about other parts.

That extreme stuff looks interesting though.

[William]

Constant use of Simple Green (in full form) for cleaning chains will lead to chain breakage. A few PT mechanics have said such and two friends have experienced first hand.

I'm not referring to soaking either - but liberal saturation will lead to premature death of your chain. Not sure about other parts.

That extreme stuff looks interesting though.

Interesting. Not saying it isn't true, but I've never had a chain break since I've been using it since around the mid 90's (and I can lay down more force than most).




William

[Tony T]

.

Pedro's Oranj Peelz

.

[cachagua]

An old T-shirt.

[jchasse]

It depends on exactly what I'm doing, but I've been using Oil-Flo Safety Solvent for car and bike stuff for years.

[biker72]

ZEP Big Orange on cassettes and chain.
Simple Green everywhere else.

[rePhil]

Odorless mineral spirits. Sometimes followed up by Brakeclean.

[norcalbiker]

Can't go wrong with "Simple Green". They work and it's cheap.

[BdaGhisallo]

Odorless mineral spirits. Sometimes followed up by Brakeclean.

Hear, hear! This is what works. I have only ever needed Brakeclean once for bike related cleaning, but OMS is my go to solvent.

[palincss]

I like odorless mineral spirits.

[rnhood]

Chalk up another one for mineral spirits also. The others like SG work Ok but when I need to degrease, MS does the job effectively and efficiently.

[Ti Designs]

Beer.


Nothing chases a greasy burger like a beer...


I'll take a burger and a beer over cleaning my bike any day.

[SoCalSteve]

Beer.


Nothing chases a greasy burger like a beer...


I'll take a burger and a beer over cleaning my bike any day.

Post of the day!!!

[fuzzalow]

Kerosene.

Is there nobody who uses this stuff anymore except me? It's not like I have it sitting in open pans or in soaked rags in my garage. Been using it for years. Ain't none been done blown'd up yet.

[ClutchCargo]

I use an citrus-based one I get at Home Depot.

+1
Zep citrus degreaser at Homey's is cheap by the gallon.

[oldpotatoe]

Kerosene.

Is there nobody who uses this stuff anymore except me? It's not like I have it sitting in open pans or in soaked rags in my garage. Been using it for years. Ain't none been done blown'd up yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ktTXjSqvJc

Stencil brush, pan of diesel.

[victoryfactory]

Finish Line Citrus Bike Degreaser Spray*

Expensive...check
Hard to find....check
Toxic....check

Best stuff I've used. When I run out, I jones like a junkie
until I get more.

VF

*Not the instant dry stuff, the regular old school stuff.

[Wilkinson4]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ktTXjSqvJc

Stencil brush, pan of diesel.

+1, the old school way. I remember a thread on SG many years ago. Peter maybe be you can confirm? But, I heard that SG is banned by the military.

Can't use it to clean alum airplane parts for risk of failure. I use Miracle Red

mIKE

[Ti Designs]

Kerosene.

I use kerosene to clean files, but for washing down a burger I gotta stick with beer.

[toosahn]

mineral spirits.

soap and water.

citris degreaser (very rarely use this one)

[bart998]

I always use GUm-Out Carb cleaner on greasy bearings and such... dissolves the mess and then evaporates away so you don't have a drop of left over solvent hiding in a bearing race to dilute the fresh grease. Never any problems and I can usually find it on sale for $3. WD-40 for cleaning grease, dried drinks and sweat off painted (or plastic) surfaces... then wax.

[toosahn]

Carb cleaner is nasty stuff!

[bluesea]

An old T-shirt.

That's what I use. Grease wipes off easily from the cassette, and the chain gets wiped clean before every re-lube (Prolink chain lube stays on the chain without fail). The only grease that might build up (lightly) is on the chainrings, and for that a light application every 3 mo of whatever's handy (Simple Green, Joy, Pine Sol) does the trick.

[palincss]

Kerosene.

Is there nobody who uses this stuff anymore except me? It's not like I have it sitting in open pans or in soaked rags in my garage. Been using it for years. Ain't none been done blown'd up yet.

I'm sure it works fine, but my lord, the stink! How can you stand it?

[learningtoride]

=

[HenryA]

Oil-eater is incredible.
Just add water.
Auto parts stores carry it.
Wash it off well.

[oldguy00]

Kerosene.

Is there nobody who uses this stuff anymore except me? It's not like I have it sitting in open pans or in soaked rags in my garage. Been using it for years. Ain't none been done blown'd up yet.

But how do you dispose of it?

[Unpredictable]

My favorite is Simple Green Aircraft. Will not corrode any metals. I have seen Original Simple Green cause spider looking cracks on chains left soaking too long.
However for simple wash and rinse applications the Original formula is just fine.
When we clean really trashed chains, I just perfer Mineral Spirits.






http://gsa.simplegreen.com/gsa_products_extreme.php

[fuzzalow]

I'm sure it works fine, but my lord, the stink! How can you stand it?
This is white kerosene from the paint aisle in the same borg where many of you get your simple green or citrus cleaner. So it does smell like petro distillates but not like a chemical refinery. When I'm done, I hang the chain and the chainrings with a coathanger wire and leave it outside. IMO the odor from Prolink is much stronger and stinky(er).

But how do you dispose of it?

I don't, i pour it back into a spaghetti sauce jar and the dirty stuff settles to the bottom of the jar after a while. Pour slowly into the cleaning pan next time I use it. Kind of like decanting wine. I reuse the same 6 ozs. for some time.

[palincss]

But how do you dispose of it?

I can' say for kerosene, as I don't use it, but I don't dispose of mineral spirits. I let it settle in a container, pour off the clear for use, and every so often strain the sediment-laden dregs through a coffee filter to get rid of the sediment. A little get lost every time you clean a chain, but it's only a very little.

[Elefantino]

Ah, kerosene. What we used to use in the old days before Simple Green.

And yes, some lubes smell worse than kerosene. ProLink ... pew. Dumonde Tech Lite ... even worse.

[CaptStash]

I have a plastic paint bucket with about a half gallon of WD40 in it. Dump the tuff in, come back the next day, and wash clean with soap and water. We used it as a parts cleaner solvent on the ships for years.

CaptStash....

[Hartlin]

Another vote for Simple Green, usually quite diluted. I'm a Pedro's Ice Wax guy and I can usually get away with a good dish soap and water as it doesn't gunk up much and washes easily.

Interestingly enough I always used Kerosene for motorcycle chain cleaning applications, but haven't used it for bicycle related.

Prolink does stink, and it doesn't clean well at all.

[classtimesailer]

kerosene as used above. I understand that it leaves a "clean" slipperiness in the parts which is nice.

[oldguy00]

Another vote for Simple Green, usually quite diluted. I'm a Pedro's Ice Wax guy and I can usually get away with a good dish soap and water as it doesn't gunk up much and washes easily.

Interestingly enough I always used Kerosene for motorcycle chain cleaning applications, but haven't used it for bicycle related.

Prolink does stink, and it doesn't clean well at all.

How long does the ice wax work for you? I tried it, and found that after only a couple of rides my chain would start squeaking..

[William]

Simple Green to clean, ATB to lube.






William

[apeescape]

I've been using this Yelo Velo degreaser stuff that seems to work pretty well.

[Hartlin]

How long does the ice wax work for you? I tried it, and found that after only a couple of rides my chain would start squeaking..

Depends on the weather, but I usually get about 3 rides out of it before reapplying.

I usually give the chain a quick cleaning with a rag and simple green, and put new lube on every few days between proper washes.

[bluesea]

Another vote for Simple Green, usually quite diluted. I'm a Pedro's Ice Wax guy and I can usually get away with a good dish soap and water as it doesn't gunk up much and washes easily.

Interestingly enough I always used Kerosene for motorcycle chain cleaning applications, but haven't used it for bicycle related.

Prolink does stink, and it doesn't clean well at all.



Roger that on Prolink--it gunks and chunks between the plates. In use does Ice Wax hold fast onto the chain?