Toothbrushes for bike cleaning

[myfirstsv]

Please tell me I am not alone in using a toothbrush to clean the difficult to reach bits on my bike. Certain members of my family looked at me like I'd got two heads when it came up in conversation.

I am only talking about the 10 for a quid brushes from the Pound shop, though I was tempted by a flexible Oral-B at £6.99 that looked like it would've just right for getting to the back of the rear spring.

And I'm sure there is nothing wrong with using a toilet brush (brand new obviously) for the wheels. Don't we all do that?

Big day tomorrow, got to floss the radiator.

[DarrenSV650S]

They're brilliant for cleaning calipers! :D What else are you supposed to use??

The flexi head ones are no use btw. They just bend

[kellyjo]

I use cheap toothbrushes for cleaning the chain

[Specialone]

I just save our old ones, trick with using toothbrushes for cleaning is not to press hard, the bristles are most effective at full length, so if you squash them down a bit by pressing too hard you won't get the same effect.

I wouldnt recommend using a toilet brush on the wheels, far too hard, it will put light surface scratches in the paint.

You can buy lighter wheel brushes for this quite cheaply.

[Littlepeahead]

I use a small child to clean my bike. I do provide him with brushes but by the time he's finished most of the crud seems to be all over him. His mother has yet to nominate me for the Auntie of the Year Award.

[daved407]

Biggest trick is getting the tooth brush back into the bathroom without the Mrs ever noticing hers was missing!!

[dizzyblonde]

I wouldnt recommend using a toilet brush on the wheels, far too hard, it will put light surface scratches in the paint.

You can buy lighter wheel brushes for this quite cheaply.


....or in my case I use Ikea long handled pot brushes. Perfect:D They don't seem to squash like cheap ones from the supermarket, and are a tad longer in handled and bristle.

[Lozzo]

I find it far easier not to wash my bike at all, or get one of my staff to do it for me.

[Richie]

kerro and toothbrush :0)
need to do it again soon :0) right after I get some more fork oil seals..... (this time get the correct ones and not Drunk n Ebay...)
:0(

[rictus01]

rain.


cheers Mark

[DarrenSV650S]

Rain makes bikes dirty

[rictus01]

Rain makes bikes dirty

stationary ones perhaps, bit of movement and the right preparation it washes dirt off :smt102.

[DarrenSV650S]

That's never happened to me :lol:

If I'm out and it rains the bike comes home mingin. It does help get the flies off though I suppose

[rictus01]

and the right preparation it washes dirt off :smt102.

That's never happened to me :lol:

If I'm out and it rains the bike comes home mingin. It does help get the flies off though I suppose

ride faster .....;)

[DarrenSV650S]

Must be that acid rain you have in London :lol:

[rictus01]

always possible I suppose, probably more likely to be the ACF50 the bike is coated in though

[Lozzo]

Last summer my bike got covered in Maltese mud that had washed off the hills and across the road during a rain storm when I was out riding along the coast road. I didn't wash the bike at all and set off home via Italy and Switzerland amongst others. Three or four days later, between Memingen in Germany and Luxembourg, it absolutely howled down but when I got to Liege in Belgium later that night the bike was almost clean again. The day after I got back I took the bike into work to be serviced and our mechanic refused to touch it until he'd washed it down. It had got dirty during more rain that started just as I arrived in Dover and lasted til I got home to Bedford. I next washed it about 7 months later.

In Malta and dirty

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5297/5405258825_fb1db45848_z.jpg

In Luxembourg a few days later having been "rain washed"

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5175/5405935186_177ceb384b_z.jpg

[thulfi]

Trick I picked up from here I think, or elsewhere, not been mentioned in this thread yet.

Get two toothbrushes and tape em togther so that the bristley edges of the brushes are adjoined with each other = great chain cleaner.