Spring Cleaning for Your Bicycle
05. Apr, 2010 
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It’s time for some spring-cleaning—even for your bike! Your bike may have spent the winter in the garage or it may have taken you on some winter rides, but now it needs a good cleaning. Think of it as some TLC, because a bike that is well taken care of will ride smoother and last longer for years to come. It really isn’t hard to do and most of your cleaning supplies can come from household products you already have: an old toothbrush, a potscrubber brush,a rag or two, dish soap and water. If you buy some chain cleaner, chain lube and a degreaser from the bike store, you are set. Lastly, I highly recommend a pair of gloves; it can be a dirty job for your hands.
If a bike is caked with dirt, you'll want to spray as much of that off as you can with water. (Do not use a high pressure hose, though.)
To make your bike cleaning even easier, we’ve made a handy bike-cleaning check list that you can print off for easy referral when you need. It will help you through the basic steps of bike maintenance and cleaning. To keep your bike riding smoothly and looking great, clean as often as needed during prime riding season.
Make an Inspection
If it has been a few months since you last rode your bike, you’ll want to check it out thoroughly and make sure everything on the bike from the shifting, to the brakes to the chain is in good working order. If there is a problem, you’ll want to get it fixed before your next ride. (For additional information about inspecting your bike–see another article here.)
Your old toothbrush can have a new use as a great little cleaning device for hard to reach areas on your bike.
There are several little spots on a bike that need extra attention as you clean and they are usually in the hard-to-get-to parts of your bike. A small little brush like an old toothbrush will make it easier to get those spots clean. A bike stand is very helpful to keep the bike up higher so you can see the dirty spots you might not normally see. But if you don’t have one, turn your bike upside-down on a towel or on your lawn. The very bottom of the bike gets dirt from the road, and if you are an endurance cyclist, it may also get sticky drips from your water bottles filled with Gatorade-type beverages. Be sure the base of the bike where the cables run is clean to avoid shifting problems. If you are cleaning the bike with dish soap and water, rinse it afterwords and carefully towel it dry.
An alternative to the soap & water method for cleaning the bike is a commercial bike cleaner. It is a little easier because it is made for breaking down the kind of dirt and grime a bike often gets--AND--it doesn't require rinsing.
It's a good idea to clean your chain after every 4-5 rides. Chain cleaning products such as "White Lightning will clean your chain in a couple minutes and are very easy to use.
I think one of the easiest maintenance jobs to do on your bicycle is cleaning and lubing the chain. It’s so-ooo easy but yet it often gets neglected and chains get full of grit, shifting is affected and sometimes chains will rust. This is one little job that you can do monthly to keep your bike in good working order. You’ll notice the shifting will be smoother and quieter and your chain will last longer.
After the chain is cleaned, you'll want to lube it. Generally, you'll put a tiny drop on each link. Just move the chain by rotating the pedal and lube a long segment of chain at a time.
It's easy to forget about how much dirt and sweat accumulates in a helmet. While you're cleaning the bike--don't forget to clean the helmet too!
Download a printable bike cleaning checklist
Perfect timing!
Love the checklist! Thanks, I’m bookmarking this!
Hi, I’m sorry but as cleaning instructions go, that was not much more than a list of motherhood statements, telling us to “ensure” things are cleaning, rather than telling us how to do that, quickly and effectively. Perhaps have a look at a few of the many youtube clips posted by bike mechanics.
Great list! Handy to keep posted on the garage wall!
I’m a fan of brushing off the heavy dirt rather than hosing it down. Straight after the event is better–dirt will have dried out but not be too hard. Prolube is great lubricant,to be used reasonably frequently. A great check-list to be followed regularly. Bike helmet strap gives me problems though. Haven’t found a way to deal easily with this smelly, often vile thing yet.
Very timely set of instructions. I was thinking of boiling my bike this weekend but I don’t have a water hose so instead would take a dish soap soaked sponge along with several filled water bottles. Hopefully it’ll work.
I have to clean my helmet straps too. They are grungy and vile. I purposely don’t think about it or else I wouldn’t wear it and I have a personal rule regarding always wearing my helmet.
My husband came up with the idea to use the leaf blower to dry it and it’s like a big hair dryer.
The dish brushes and toothbrushes do work well.
I’ve seen people use Simple Green. It works well too.
Make sure you hold the rag on the sides as well as top and bottom to get the whole chain greased.
Try VeloShine wipes. No need for cleaners, soap or water! Check the videos in YouTube.com/veloshine to see how it works!