Even if your bike isn’t completely caked in mud and dirt, it still needs the TLC of being thoroughly washed on a regular basis. We recommend cleaning your road bike monthly (or every 20 to 25 rides) and a mountain or cyclocross bike more often, depending on the muddiness of your riding conditions.
For a complete bike cleaning tutorial, watch the video above for a demo on how to wash a bike like a pro. Then, keep reading for a few tips and tricks to make the cleaning process less of a hassle when you do it at home.
Bike Cleaning Supplies
Here’s what you’ll need for bike cleaning at home (they’re all everyday household items):
1. Clean shop rags or old cotton T-shirts (free!)
2. Bottle brushes
3. Scrub brushes
4. Bucket
5. Soft, square-head brush for wheels
6. Garden hose with trigger-style spray head
7. Sponges
8. Dawn Ultra
Optional, but recommended items:
1. Bike stand (see below)
2. Chain keeper, like Pedro’s Chain Keeper Tool
3. Degreaser, like Pedro’s Oranj Peelz Citrus Degreaser
Dos and Don’ts of Bike Cleaning
DO
- Recycle your dish sponges. You’ll get another couple of months out of them on bike cleaning duty.
- Floss between chainrings, cogs, and other hard-to-reach places with a clean rag.
- Wash your bike as part of your regular bike maintenance.
DON’T
- Mix your buckets, tools, and rags. You don’t want to accidentally cover your frame with drivetrain grease.
- Use an abrasive sponge or brush on your frame.
- Blast your bike with a high-pressure hose. Water will get into and degrade your bearings.
The Bike Cleaning Setup
Step 1:
Fill two clean buckets with water and a generous squirt of dish soap. Lay out your brushes, sponges, and rags.
Step 2:
Place your bike in a workstand. This brings it up off the ground and makes all the nooks and crannies easier to reach. No workstand? Try hooking the nose of your saddle over a taut clothesline.
Step 3:
Next, remove your wheels. You can insert a chain keeper—a guide for your chain when the cassette is removed—to keep tension on the drivetrain. It’s fine to skip this step if you don’t want to spring for the tool, but using one prevents the chain from folding up on itself or falling off the bike when you try to work on it. Trust us, it’s annoying.
Tools for a Proper Clean
Amazon Basics Soft Grip Scrub Brush
Seachoice 5-Gallon Plastic Bucket
Pedro's Oranj Peelz Citrus Bicycle Degreaser
How to Clean Your Bike
Step 1: Chain
Use a degreaser, then turn the cranks backward so that it gets on every link. After about five to 10 minutes, rinse with a gentle stream of water from the hose. If the chain is still grimy, apply small drops of dish soap as you would with lube. Grip the chain in the rough side of your sponge, then turn the cranks for several rotations. Rinse.
Step 2: Drivetrain
Dip a stiff-bristled brush into one of your pre-filled buckets and scrub the chainrings. We recommend using a bottle brush or toothbrush to get into crevices around the teeth, pulleys, and rings. Then rinse with a gentle stream of water, and repeat if you still see any lingering crud. Next, grab your rear wheel and drip dish soap onto the cassette, scrub, then rinse. Repeat if necessary.
Step 3: Frame
Dip a clean, soft sponge into your second (fresh) bucket. Soap up the frame, working your way from front to back, then rinse. If you have caliper brakes, clean the pads with the abrasive side of the sponge.
Step 4: Wheels
We recommend using softer, bigger brushes for tires and rims so you can get into every nook and cranny with minimal effort. Dunk your brush into the bucket you used for your frame. Starting at the valve, scrub all the way around the wheel. Hit the spokes and hub, then flip the wheel to get to the opposite side. Repeat on the other wheel, then rinse. (If you have disc brakes, use the soft side of a clean sponge with soap and water on the rotors.)
The Finish
Reattach the wheels and spin the cranks to make sure the drivetrain runs smoothly. Wipe everything down with a dry, clean cloth, or let it air dry in the sun. Lube your chain.
If you live in an area where outdoor water taps are turned off during the winter, making cleaning your bike outside impossible, washing your bike in the shower is an at-home solution. If you’d rather save yourself from having to clean both your bike and your shower, contact your local bike shop to see if they offer bike cleaning services.
Natascha Grief is Bicycling’s Health & Fitness Editor. She started out as a bike mechanic,earning a couple pro-mechanic certifications and her USA Cycling Race Mechanics license. Then, she became obsessed with framebuilding and landed an apprenticeship with framebuilder Brent Steelman in her hometown of Redwood City, California. After that, she spent several years working for both large and not-so-large cycling brands before switching gears to become a NASM certified personal trainer, specializing in corrective exercise and body positive personal training. She honed her skills as a trainer and coach for over a decade before launching Inner Shift Fitness. During 2020, she began contributing regularly to Runner’s World and Bicycling as a freelance writer. She joined the editorial staff of Bicycling in 2022.
