Parts like sprockets, chains, hubs, BBs, etc are quite useful for projects to build tools, furniture, art. I get them at no cost by dumpster diving. Cleaning them is quite a pain though. These are some of the options I’ve considered:
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dishwashing machine— if normal dishwasher detergent is used, I would expect it to corrode aluminum parts (correct? Can someone confirm or deny that?) Chains and /some/ sprockets are steel, right? Would they do well in the dishwasher? I wonder if there is some kind of alternative detergent that won’t harm aluminum since I always have to hand-wash an aluminum pot cover.
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ultrasonic bath— this method strikes me as the most convenient and what I would expect someone who needs to clean lots parts to use. But there is a risk of de-anodization if you use degreaser. Some jewelers use ultrasonic cleaners with a cocktail of Mr. Clean and ammonia. Would that work well on bicycle parts, non-destructively?
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Enzyme-based oven cleaner— I tested this on sprockets and it seemed to work quite well but doesn’t get into the nooks and crannies and dissolve any of the mud.
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Enzyme-based drain cleaner— instructions say wait 6 hours, so i did not test it. Is that time perhaps just because it takes that long to spread down the drain and munch on large volumes of gunk? Perhaps it would work in less time on bicycle parts.
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boiling water with dish soap— I hoped it would melt the greasy grime. The water was quite dirty afterwards but did not make much noticeable progress.
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degreaser spray— did not test this. I just have degreaser for kitchen surfaces so maybe not the right stuff.
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bicycle cleaning spray— kind of strange that this exists. Bicycles have many different materials and different kinds of grime. It did not do too well on greasy sprockets as far as I could tell.
Question on the enzyme-based cleaners: enzymes are a bit pricey by volume compared to other cleaners. Is there a way to store and reuse them? Ideally I would like to pour a bottle of enzyme-based drain cleaner into a bucket and just always soak parts in that same bucket. Do those little guys multiply when you feed them? If the water is always dirty, will the enzymes always be too full to chow down on parts being added?
Kerosene.
oh, right… that reminds me… I hadn’t heard of kerosene for cleaning but I’ve heard gasoline is good for cleaning chains.
I’ve also heard WD-40 is a cocktail of mostly solvents and better as a cleaner than a lubricant. Supposedly wd-40 just leaves a coating of mineral oil after it cleans something.
I also wonder about acetone, or carburetor cleaner (which contains acetone).
WD-40 is not just better as a cleaner than a lubricant, it actually is a cleaner and is not a lubricant. It just happens to be oil based so it get used as a lubricant often. Dishwasher shouldn’t hurt for just one cleaning, but not really necessary. A degreaser like simple green and an old toothbrush for stubborn grease/dirt works well. (keep your old toothbrushes for cleaning)
Just use Simply Green type cleaner. Remember, it’s a bike. It’s meant to be outside and get wet/dirty. A little water and soap isn’t gonna hurt it. Your biggest issue is leaving it wet and letting it rust/corrode. Long soaks are more likely to do that. Clean it, dry it off, and any parts that are supposed to have grease on them, reapply.
Pre-cleaning (if possible) as dry, and using a hose?
For non-painted metal, maybe consider 90% isopropyl alcohol (especially after cleaning with water). And maybe something afterwards like a thin layer of 3-in-one oil to protect it especially if wear still matters.
All of this probably doesn’t work on something like bearings though, or if it would you’d probably need to rebuild them.
I don’t keep IPA on hand, but it gives me the idea of using brand alcohol (aka denatured alcohol). Perhaps I’ll try that.
