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Baby Shampoo

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Baby Shampoo

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flag sebrios
Posted: Feb 22, 2021 at 16:22 Quote
Hello. Wondering if its possible to use Baby shampoo to clean the bike and drivetrain instead of the bike-specific soaps because are crazy expensive where I live.

..or what do you guys use?

thanx
flag ZipTheDog
Posted: Feb 22, 2021 at 17:06 Quote
Dawn. The regular blue stuff.
flag FloridaHasMTBToo
Posted: Feb 22, 2021 at 18:00 Quote
I don't use soap, just hose water and a brush/rag. I don't see the appeal in having a clean bike that will inevitably become dirty again after 1 or 2 rides.
flag bocomtb
O+ FL
Posted: Feb 24, 2021 at 9:14 Quote
ZipTheDog wrote:
Dawn. The regular blue stuff.
Same here. If it's gentle enough for baby ducks it's gentle enough for my bike.
flag Trinimon
O+
Posted: Mar 2, 2021 at 16:22 Quote
bocomtb wrote:
Same here. If it's gentle enough for baby ducks it's gentle enough for my bike.

I've used dishwashing soap for as long as I can remember but I'm reading that they strip the protective wax off the paint? Not sure if that's bike/car product companies trying to sell you their snake oil suds. Then again, I don't think I've owned a bike long enough to find out... and my current bike is matte finish. Big Grin
flag Chief2slo
O+
Posted: Mar 19, 2021 at 16:45 Quote
That “strips the wax” is for cars that have been waxed. If your waxing your bike then you are way more into a clean bike than I am!! Dawn works great for me FWIW..
flag Johnsonseanm
O+
Posted: Apr 24, 2021 at 11:49 Quote
The shop where I work uses Dawn. I'm in sales, so I don't do that, but that's what they use and I was told to suggest to people.

Some YouTube folk that I trust have mentioned car wash soap too.
flag nwberm
O+ FL
Posted: May 8, 2021 at 8:37 Quote
When people say "Dawn" do they really mean "any dish soap" the same way "Kleenex" means any "tissue?" Or does it have to specifically be Dawn as opposed to, say, Palmolive or Gain.
flag ZipTheDog
Posted: May 8, 2021 at 19:35 Quote
Yeah, any dish soap will do. Why use the cheap stuff tho?
flag Chief2slo
O+
Posted: May 8, 2021 at 19:47 Quote
I only use Axe body wash on mine.
flag R-M-R
Posted: May 8, 2021 at 21:29 Quote
Detergents, such as dish soap or shampoo, remove oil. Why would your bike be covered in oil? Water is fine.


For the pedantic, I realize surfactants help particles wash off very slightly more efficiently than plain water, but:

1. Dirt particles are typically polar and bond effectively to water, so water effectively carries away bike dirt.
2. Dirt on cars and our hands are typically oily, so detergents are helpful in those situations.
3. If your chain or suspension components are covering your bike in oil, you need to use a different chain lube and service your suspension.
4. Any improvement in cleanliness from washing a bike with detergent, versus plain water, will be undone in the first few seconds of riding. We don't need our bikes to be clean enough for a studio photography session.
flag nwberm
O+ FL
Posted: May 9, 2021 at 6:55 Quote
ZipTheDog wrote:
Yeah, any dish soap will do. Why use the cheap stuff tho?

Dawn is the cheap stuff, isn't it?
flag nwberm
O+ FL
Posted: May 9, 2021 at 7:12 Quote
R-M-R wrote:
Detergents, such as dish soap or shampoo, remove oil. Why would your bike be covered in oil? Water is fine.


For the pedantic, I realize surfactants help particles wash off very slightly more efficiently than plain water, but:

1. Dirt particles are typically polar and bond effectively to water, so water effectively carries away bike dirt.
2. Dirt on cars and our hands are typically oily, so detergents are helpful in those situations.
3. If your chain or suspension components are covering your bike in oil, you need to use a different chain lube and service your suspension.
4. Any improvement in cleanliness from washing a bike with detergent, versus plain water, will be undone in the first few seconds of riding. We don't need our bikes to be clean enough for a studio photography session.

I appreciate the point. As a matter of weekly maintenance, washing with dish soap wouldn't be recommended. There are plenty of times on a longer timeline where you do want to clean up a bit more. It could be because #3 above happened and you're repairing or replacing items. Or because you want to put the bike in storage or take it out. Or because you'd like to inspect the bike more closely for wear or damage. Or because you're selling the bike. Or use your imagination.
flag R-M-R
Posted: May 9, 2021 at 11:01 Quote
nwberm,

True, though I've found water and wiping with a cloth gets the bike plenty clean to be ready to sell.
flag Chief2slo
O+
Posted: May 9, 2021 at 20:42 Quote
Ahhh, Pinkbike, where people can argue over how often and With what you should wash a mountain bike. Maybe we can get a podcast on frequency, vigorousness, recommended / not recommended soaps!
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