Five minutes, a dirty bike, and four ways to clean it
If you only have five minutes after a ride, scrub the drivetrain before you finish the frame, rinse gently, and put fresh lube on the chain. A quick wash done in that order beats the perfect wash you keep meaning to get around to.
We all love getting a little dirty on a ride, but very few of us have an hour to detail the bike afterward. So in December 2020 we put one question to the test on our YouTube channel: which quick wash, five minutes or less, actually gives you the best result?
What went into the test
Between the four methods we reached for a few things you would find on a bike shop wall and a few you would find under the kitchen sink.
From the bike side
The Park Tool BCB-4.2 brush set, Muc-Off Drivetrain Cleaner and Muc-Off Nano Tech Bike Cleaner.
From the house
Dish soap, WD-40 Multi-Use and Mothers California Gold Car Wash. We do not sell these, and nobody paid us to use them.
The verdict lives in the video, so we will let it speak for itself. What follows is the part that holds up no matter which bottle you grab.
Why the order matters more than the soap
Most of us have done this at some point: you wash the frame, it looks great, and then you hit the chain with a brush and fling black grime all over the tubes you just cleaned.
The fix is boring, but it works. Park Tool's own washing guide says to start with the dirtiest parts first, which is usually the chain and drivetrain. The grit in there is what you actually hear and feel on the next ride, while the frame is mostly cosmetic, so clean the part that matters while the mess still has somewhere to go.
The chain must be re-lubricated.Park Tool, on the step everybody skips after a wash.
Our five minute routine
- Rinse first, and go easyPark Tool says to use low pressure with a wide spray if you are using a hose. Muc-Off also says to rinse the bike before you put Nano Tech on it.
- Spray the frame cleaner and let it sitMuc-Off says to leave Nano Tech on for three to five minutes, and not to let it dry or put it on in direct sunlight. That is most of your budget, so spray it first.
- Do the drivetrain while it worksUse degreaser and a stiff brush on the chain, cassette and chainrings, which is where the brush set earns its keep.
- Agitate and rinse everythingA quick pass with a soft brush on anything stubborn, then rinse the whole bike with clean water.
- Dry it and lube the chainTowel it off, which Park Tool notes also catches leftover soap and gives you a look at the frame. Run the chain through a clean rag, then one drop of lube per link.
Disc brakes and anything oily
Muc-Off says Nano Tech will not harm brake pads or rotors, so the frame cleaner is not the thing to worry about, but oil is.
SRAM's own brake service manual is blunt that pads contaminated with brake fluid must be replaced. We treat any oil on a pad the same way. That is our rule, not a lab test: spray lubes and chain lube stay well away from rotors and pads, and the chain gets lubed after the wash, never before.
When five minutes will not cut it
A quick wash keeps a clean bike clean, but it will not rescue a drivetrain that has been ignored all winter. For that, the Muc-Off X-3 Dirty Chain Machine is the tool we suggested in the video description, and the Muc-Off Bike Care Kit puts the cleaning and lube side in one box. If you run a matte frame, Muc-Off makes a Matte Finish Detailer for exactly that.
If you want to hear us argue about which cleaners and lubes we actually reach for, the guys got into it on Dialed Podcast 350.
The drivetrain is the part you ride. Clean it first, while there is still a frame left to rinse.
The lube is the part you forget. A washed chain with nothing on it is a dry chain.
Five minutes is enough if you spend them in the right order.
Common questions
Can I wash my bike with dish soap?
Yes. Park Tool's washing guide says a quality dish washing soap is acceptable and suggests a biodegradable one mixed into warm water.
How hard should I spray my bike when I rinse it?
Gently. Park Tool recommends low pressure with a wide spray if you use a hose, and says not to blast bearings directly if you dry the bike with compressed air.
Do I need to lube my chain after washing?
Yes. Park Tool says the chain must be re-lubricated after a wash. Wipe it with a clean, dry rag first, then apply one drop of lube per link.
Stocking the wash bucket?
Brushes, frame cleaner, degreaser and lube, all in one place. We ship nationwide, or grab it at the lab on your way home from the ride.
Shop bike cleanersThen go get it dirty again.