DIY Homemade Bicycle Chain Degreaser Cleaner: How do they compare to the real thing
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- Опубліковано 28 сер 2024
- I was asked by one of our viewers about how to make DIY homemade bike degreaser and chain cleaner. Some individuals have used Kerosene or Petrol, but we wanted something that is non-toxic and ecofriendly. We're going to look at 2 receipts on how to clean bike chain with DYI cleaners that looked the most promising on the internet and compare them to Finish Line Citrus Degreaser (manufactured for bicycle chain) and Simple Green (the one cheap one from the supermarket, not the degreaser for bike chain).
We removed an old chain covered with grime and dirt. You can do this if you have a removable reusable master link. Just make sure the master link matches the chain manufacturer and speed and only remove it the number of times stated by the master link. We then cut the chain into 4 smaller strips for our test. We'll place them in 1 cup of the above solutions:
We're going to place each section of chain in the following:
1. Citrus Degreaser from Finish Line (approx. 12$ for 20oz)
2. Simple Green Cleaner (not the degreaser but just the cleaner, (approx. $6 for 32 oz)
3. Receipt (1) Vinegar/Baking Soda/Dish Washing Liquid Dove/Water in the proportions described below - which are tablespoons so they make up 1 cup.
4. Receipt (2) Table Salt/White Vinegar/Borax/Water in the proportions described in the description
One word: We are not using Kerosene or petrol which are fine degreaser but rather biodegradable environmentally friendly liquids which all of these are.
The ratios are in tablespoons so as to make approx. 1 cup.
DIY Degreaser Receipt (1) above:
White Vinegar 6 parts
Baking Soda 2.5 parts
Dove 2 parts
Water 8 part
DIY Degreaser Receipt (2) above
Table Salt 2 parts
White Vinegar 8 parts
Borax 2 parts
Water 8 part
Let them sit in the solutions for 15 minutes, then the chains, place them in soapy water and scrub, rinse with water under the facet and dry.
Our result showed the following:
1. Finish Line Citrus Degreaser the best degreaser for bike chain in removing dirt and grime from between the links and around the roller of the chain.
2. Simple Green (from the grocery store, not the degreaser but the cleaner) came in a close second.
3. The homemade Vinegar/Baking Soda (1) did a fair to poor job.
4. The homemade Table Salt/Vinegar/Borax did a very poor job in removing the dirt and grime.
Our conclusion so far, is that the manufactured environmentally friendly degreasers such as that from Finish Line Citrus and even Simple Green performed significantly better than the homemade degreasers including bike chain cleaning using baking soda and another using Borax ans salt. We will be looking at other DIY degreaser cleaner as well as other degreaser for bike chains.
An interesting point is the fact that scrubbing Citrus Degreaser and washing still left a small amount of lubricant around inner bushing of the chain. Why is this good, it means that the seal around the bushings is very tight which is important if you get caught in bad wet weather.
Now this video is a comparison of degreasers. It does not mean you have to degrease your chain every time you clean. Rather, we use our 2-minute drivetrain cleanup (a link is in the upper right) about every 150 to 200 miles of riding and only use degreaser followed by washing with soap and water when the chain or bike gets exceptionally dirty which is exceptionally true for my mountain bike.
In our next video we'll demonstrate where lubricant penetrates the chain and why that's important.
We have tried substituting Dawn dishwashing liquid (which has more degreaser effect) as well as doubling the amount of vinegar and baking soda (with less water) but these changes have, sadly, not improved results. We'll keep looking and are open to suggestions.
Thanks for testing them out .. there are just too many rubbish formulae on the internet that mention mixing vinegar with soda .. those 2 simply neutralise each other :(
@@terrichan986 I agree. Regards and safe cycling, Tony
The missing ingredient to your soap and baking soda mix is WD-40 or a similar degreaser. Spray the chain with WD-40 and let soak, and scrub with a toothbrush, then put it into the dawn and baking soda solution, with a little WD-40 added. Soap is a very good activator for the degreasing properties of WD-40 and helps to dissolve and loosen the dirt and old oil from the pins and links. A good scrub with a tooth brush after and it lifts the gunk, then you should soak it in some mineral spirits for ten minutes and the chain should be completely free of trapped old lubricant and gunk.
@@danielhall3895 As one with a chemistry background, this is my understanding of WD-40 and Mineral Spirits. WD-40 is a "water displacement" product that removes rust and corrosion (as well as grease and grime) and also contains a small amount of thin oil. That's why it is so effective in getting rid of the squeak from door hinges and locks. If used as a degreaser, it should be washed off with soap and water after use. However, there are much more effective biodegradable degreasers on the market (WD-40 is not biodegradable). When mixed with water, the product become less effective (remember it's a water displacement product). I can find no evidence that WD-40 actives soap and water.
Mineral Spirits are a petroleum product that contains some oil additives that help it mix with paint. However, the oil additives are known to interfere with some chain lubricants. I would suggest using Pure Gum Distilled Turpentine which is made from pine trees and does not contain the petroleum additives.
If the process you describe works for you, great. But I, personally, would not advise recommend it.
Thanks for your input. Regards and safe cycling, Tony
@@tony10speed Thanks for the reply. I did use turpentine for a while, but switched to odorless mineral spirits due to the fumes, with odorless mineral spirits actually being less pungent and harsh. I give the chain a soak usually in dawn and water after using WD-40 bike degreaser or mineral spirits to get rid of residue. I usually recycle the mineral spirits till none is usuable and usually allow it to evaporate after, outdoors, allowing the remaining crud in the container to be cleaned with soap and water, after the mineral spirits have evaporated. I would never dump mineral spirits down any drain, even outdoors, due to it being a water contaminant. As for WD-40, I usually use it in a cleaning bin so I can let it evaporate when done cleaning it off as well. I'm not a fan of just dumping chemicals down drains.
I use Simple Green all the time and it works well. I use it in my ultrasonic cleaner for derailleurs and other small bicycle parts.
We found it worked well also and recommend it. Thanks, Tony
Dear Tony. Thank You for your work. Take care.
You're welcome. We will continue our search for other homemade environmentally friendly degreasers. Regards, Tony
Finally a use for all of those extra toothbrushes I get from the dentist. I would like to see how regular old dish soap compares.
Tried it. We use Dawn in the above instead of Dove and also Dawn dish soap alone. Citrus degreaser and regular Simple Green still did a much better job. Thanks for the question. Tony
I used the simple green foaming spray degreaser this past weekend with an old tooth brush to get into the small spaces. It did a nice job.
You will be interested in an up coming video of ours using tooth brushes and simple green with added hacks and tips - coming in July. Thanks for your comment. Regards and safe cycing, Tony
Thanks for sharing this test Tony - very helpful!
If you come across other home environmentally friendly degreasers, let me know so we can try them out. Regards, Tony
I use Zep heavy duty citrus degreaser that I buy for $7.50 a gallon at Home Depot. Mixed 50/50 with water, it seems to work just fine.
Worth a try. Thanks for sharing. Regards and safe cycling, Tony
Vinegar (acidic) would react with the baking soda (alkaline), so mixing them together would just reduce their individual effects, assuming that their acidity or alkalinity would have a degreasing effect.
These homemade degreasers were suggested by fellow cyclist as well as viewers and obviously don't work as you suggest. We've tried a number of others DYI mixtures but none add up to the use of Simple Green (our favorite because it's the least toxic and more friendly to the environment) as well as Finish Line Citrus (which we can recycle and re-use) but of course are not homemade. Any other suggestions?
You know your stuff 👍
I use "No Nonsense Heavy Duty Degreaser" available in the UK. I bought it after I saw it used on the GCN channel. I usually dilute it and it works well.
Is water based containing Fatty Alcohol Ethoxylate, Mono Ethanolamine, and Tetra Potassium Diphosphate. According to the safety data sheet, it's not expected to be hazardous. Sold as 5 liters container (more then enough) but worth a look. Thanks, Tony
I bough new bicycle and time came to clean chain. Thank you for video and elaborate presentation.Salute.
You're Welcome. Also visit our UA-cam home site at:
ua-cam.com/users/MrTony10speed
Regards and safe cycling, Tony
Great job! Useful, to the the point, real world type testing
We're still looking for a good homemade biodegradable chain cleaner that works as well as Finish Line Citrus. If anyone has any ideas, let me know. Regards, Tony
Keep up the good works sir, you're the inspiration 🙏
We will try. Regards, Tony
I have fixed gear. When I clean my chain, I soak it in gasoline and scrub it with a brush, then rinse with liquid dish soap and dry. And I only use cooking oil (edible oil) for lubricant. My chain last for 5-7 months before it wears out and I skid a lot. My chain last longer than my rear tire.
Sorry my english is not so good😭
Your English is great and thanks for your comment.
Gasoline does the job but is toxic and there's the problem with disposal - so use it outside only and try to dispose of any excess in an environmentally friendly way.
While most vegetable oils will reduce the amount of force needed to pedal a bicycle to similar levels of those of bike specific lubricants (in laboratory settings), the main reason you wouldn’t want to use them is because they will pick up LOTS of DIRT and GRIME. I still prefer a chain specific lubricant, but that's just my preference.
Also note: The thickness of the chain link plates decrease as you go from 8, 9 10, 11 and 12 speed, meaning that the higher the speed, the more often you'll need to replace the chain. For many years I rode a 9 speed chain and, using chain specific lubricant, the chain lasted 5000 - 7000 miles. But thanks for your input and safe cycling, Tony
Simple Green is a FRACTION OF THE COST of Finish Line Citrus Degreaser.
Thank you for the info!
You are correct and I use Simple Green regularly. Also visit our UA-cam home site at:
ua-cam.com/users/MrTony10speed
Regards and safe cycling, Tony
@@tony10speed thanks again!
Safe cycling :D
I have a ultrasonic, I use Simple Green, works great.
Good tip. Question: Do you use a re-usable master link to remove the chain each time you clean it or just "break the chain" with a chain tool? Regards, Tony
@@tony10speed Whatever chain I purchase whether Shimano, SRAM, or KMC, I like to use the re-usable link and thank goodness for them, it makes life easier. I keep hearing from local LBS that if you keep breaking the chain, you should use a new pin designed for that. The only time I use a chain break tool is to install and size a new chain, after that I use the re-usable link. Utrasonics are inexpensive and clean down the metal which allows me to experiment with new lubes and not cross contaminate them or have some grit with the clean lube. Lets face it Tony, the dirtiest part of a bicycle will always be the chain and its always going to have to be cleaned constantly to keep the other parts from pre-maturely wearing.
This is cool. Thanks for doing this test.
Makes you wonder about some of the home made cleaners mentioned on the internet. Regard, Tony
Thank you, Tony, for your research experiment and analyses.,
You're Welcome. Also visit our UA-cam home site at:
ua-cam.com/users/MrTony10speed
Regards and safe cycling, Tony
Wow, excellent video sir!
You're Welcome. Also visit our UA-cam home site at:
ua-cam.com/users/MrTony10speed
Regards and safe cycling, Tony
Great video! Thanks Tony.
You're Welcome. So far I haven't come across a homemade environmentally friendly cleaner as good as Simple Green. Let me know if you come across something better. Also visit our UA-cam home site at:
ua-cam.com/users/MrTony10speed
Regards and safe cycling, Tony
RE: Toothbrushes: you can repurpose your own old used-up toothbrushes by washing them in the dishwasher along with your silverware. Save the new toothbrushes for your teeth. The toothbrush was invented in Missouri. Anywhere else in the world, it would have been called the teethbrush.
Great information. Thanks and safe cycling, Tony
It would be interesting to see the same analysis used for the ultrasonic
That would be interesting and a subject for a future video. However, what I've been looking for is a solution to clean the chain while still on the bike. For most road bike chains (except those you wax), cleaning while on the bike should be sufficient. See:
ua-cam.com/video/I_5fNbDN3UA/v-deo.html
and
ua-cam.com/video/2vrwqRtfTSU/v-deo.html
But we'll see what we can do about an ultrasonic cleaner. Regards, Tony
To the audience: I can see how it's difficult to emulate a product that has many ingredients with only a few, but first things first: baking soda & vinegar is not a cleaner. Mixing the acidic vinegar with the baking soda would give it a mostly neutral pH and thus a mild cleaner... (Don Aslett, one of the worlds best cleaners & writers tried to bring this to peopes awareness for over 50 years)
Low pH (acidic) cleaners help disolve minerals
High pH (alkaline) cleaners help disolve oils
Surfactants help oil (nonpolar) & water (polar) mix by having a nonpolar end and a polar end. It attaches to oil and water and then washes away.
Dawn, laundry detergent, and similar cleaners have a lot of surfactants.
Water is the best cleaner. And a surfactant "makes water wetter".
I have had a lot of success with dissolving soap scum (which has lots of minerals and some oils) by mixing dawn soap with vinegar 50/50. Although this lowers the pH to dissolve the minerals, the surfactants in the solution happily disolves the oil (I think).
I would assume most of the chain dirt is oil, so something with surfactants and a high pH will help remove the oil and prevent rust (steel rusts at about 8 or below, Dawn is 9+), but it wont remove rust or other minerals. So washing it with a mix of dawn and vinegar might fix that, but then you need to neutralize it. Or add a metal protectant like some cleaners have.
And now you can see why companies make degreasers. Because they're lots of ingredients, haha.
Thank you for the brief overview. In our shop we use store bought Simple Green which is the most environmentally friendly degreaser we have found and is sufficiently effective. There are many others on the market but disposal of used product is a problem and others are toxic.
What do you use and why? Would be interested, Tony
@@tony10speed That's great! Regular Simple Green works great, but from my research it doesn't have any corrosion inhibitors to protect metal; particularly aluminum. It also has a pH of 8.5-9.5 which is right in the range of being able to corrode other metals. It'll eat through the oxide layer of aluminum and rapidly corrode if it sits. As long as Simple Green is used for 10min or less and thoroughly washed off, it should be fine.
Simple Green Pro HD has corrosion inhibitors to protect against damage. And for a few extra dollars, you could use the Extreme Simple Green Aircraft. It was created after the US DOD did testing and found that regular Simple Green was corroding high strength metals & even causing hydrogen embrittlement (where extra hydrogen enters the metal and causes it to loose it's flex, it's ductility & tensil strength), causing the metal to crack.
I'm sure this was from extreme situations where the Simple Green was allowed to sit, and on the most effected metals. A bicycle may not have the same alloy's or issues.
So personal, I'd use the "purple green" or Simple Green Pro HD, or Extreme Simple Green Aircraft 😁. But I don't think anyone would have issues with standard Simple Green as long they're very careful the solution doesn't stay or get into the bearings and they use a protectant after that can protect the aluminum which lost its oxide layer.
I'm not a chemist or anything. Just what I've dug up. Let me know what you think!
We use Simple Green for cleaning grease and grime. Corrosion inhibitors are in the lubricants we use. Simple Green Pro HD and Extreme are certainly better products but more costly and I'd leave that up to the cyclist if they want to go that route (P.s. I am a chemist and an MD). Thanks for your input but I think we've exhausted this discussion, for now at least. Regards, Tony@@benspragge33
@@tony10speed haha exactly, you have much more knowledge than I do. Agreed! Once it's thoroughly washed off, the lubricant will keep it protected.
But I will stick with Pro HD, or Extreme; the former is only about $5 more per gallon, and gives me a little piece of mind. And I use them for cleaning a lot of other things, like carbs and such in a ultrasonic cleaner.
But I'm always open to more advice or feedback ✌️😁
Thanks for all your input. Great conversation. Be well and safe cycling, Tony@@benspragge33
Good work as usual.
Thanks. Regards, Tony
Very good work, nice video.
Thanks. We're still looking for a good homemade chain degreaser. Regards, Tony
Silca has an interesting article "Hydrogen Embrittlement, Can You Really Break a Chain" Here they warn not to use simple green because it can make the chain brittle. If you still want to use it rather take simple green aircraft cleaner.
According to Simple Green, Simple Green Cleaner is safe for cleaning bicycles and bicycle chains. See:
simplegreen.com/cleaning-tips/hobbies/bicycles/
simplegreen.com/news-and-media/simple-green-versatility/#:~:text=Simple%20Green%20has%20long%20been,stainless%20steel%20and%20other%20metals.
Do you have a reference for the Silca article?
@@tony10speed I gave you the title of the article. Just use google. Its probably safe if you dont soak your chain for hours in SG.
Interesting. Wondering if vinegar and either baking soda or Borax is actually counter productive as the acidity of vinegar actually neutralizes those base ingredients. I have always found wd40 or kerosene effective drivetrain cleaners. Followed by old ATF to lube.
We tried homemade degreasers, suggested by our viewers, which did not seem effective as you point out. WD-40 is a water displacement liquid with cleaning properties and contains a very small amount of lubricant (which quickly wear off if used for that purpose). I, myself, think there are better alternatives on the market.
We do not advocate kerosene for the following reasons:
1. Toxic fumes which may present a health hazard to the user.
2. Must be kept in special designated EPA containers and should be stored outside.
3. Environmentally hazardous (both the liquid and fumes). Wastes cannot be dumped down the drain or allowed to evaporate but rather handled as hazardous waste. The same can be said for gasoline and a number of other petroleum products.
I point these out so you can continue to enjoy cycling, maintain a healthy state and a healthy enviroment. Regards, Tony Marchand, M.D.
Sir will vinegar and baking soda effective against chain degreasing
Seems like it should, but doesn't work on the tough bicycle grease and grime.
Just asking, i have a lubricant bought for motorcycle chains, although it says on the text on the can it can be used for bike chains as well, can i use it? I cant buy any lubricant nearby so my only solution would be going on a long ride without any lubricant as i will have to wait when i buy online.
Yes you can, but motorcycle chain lubes tend to be heavy bodied and very thick since motorcycle chains move a lot faster and have power to spare to turn them. Bike chains are slower moving and the rider wants to waste as little power as possible overcoming chain resistance so bike chain lubes ten to be a lot thinner. The thickness of the motorcycle lubricant means the chain stays wet, especially on the outside. The wetness attracts and holds dirt, dust, and debris to the chain which will cause premature wear to the drivetrain. Bike specific lubricant costs more but a bottle lasts for months so the cost per use is pretty small.
You need a thinner oil that will not attract dirt (at least in dry conditions). While your waiting for your order of bike specific lubricant, can you get your hands on some regular 3 in 1 oil? This oil was originally made for bicycles although we now have superior bike chain lubricants. If you lubricant the bicycle chain with 3 in 1 oil, be sure to wipe down the surface of the chain to keep it from attracting dirt and grime. If this is not available, I'd just wipe down the chain with a dry clean cloth after each ride while you wait for the bike specific lubricant order to come in.
Why not continue to use 3 in 1 if you can get it? As said, we have many better lubricants, many of which contain small Teflon like particles that remain after the solvent evaporates and lubricate without attracting dirt.
Anyway, that's my personal approach. Regards, Tony
@@tony10speed ok thanks i just bought A new lubricant for bikes, im gonna use the motorcycle one as temporary
Sounds good. Safe cycling, Tonhy@@AvgeekRPLL
I'm surprised the non degreasing Simple Green worked as well as it did.
I've been using Simple Green in my "2 minute quick clean" for some time. It is surprising it works as well as it does.
You should try a mixture of dish washing up liquid and clothes washing powder.
Tried it - Dawn and Borax. Didn't do the job. Also looked at Tide plus Borax. Still didn't work well. I'll keep looking. Thanks, Tony
What is dove in the ingedents
Sorry. That should have read "Dawn" which is a dish washing liquid.
@@tony10speed thank youuuu
what do You think about solvents or benzine?
I would warn you not to use harmful degreasers such as diesel, benzene, gasoline or acetone. They are flammable and breathing or coming in contact with such volatile solvents are dangerous to your health. There are plenty of safer and healthier options that will get your chain suitably clean.
Kerosene is called the "poor mans" degreaser because it's cheap and does the job. However, even here, you need to take precautions:
1. Work outside
2. Wear gloves and protective eye wear
3. Store in special Kerosene container
I, personally, don't like the use of Kerosene because it is toxic, not environmentally friendly and leaves a bad smell. If you use Kerosene with the precautions above, wipe the chain dry and let the rest of the Kerosene evaporate (outside) before you re-lubricate the bike chain.
Regards and safe cycling, Tony
using salt and vinegar to clean steel sounds absolutely bonkers to me. Even if it works to clear grease. nuts.
We tested a variety of cleaners suggested by our readers. Obviously, if you watch the rest of the video, the salt/vinegar did not work.
Seems commercial grade is best.
So far. We're still looking and will let you know when we find a homemade alternative (that is also eco friendly). Regards, Tony
Daang if that's really grimy then mine is downright evil 😂
I get a Big Kick out of these "Test/Compare the Concoctions" Videos. A different Question for you Tony but Still on the Topic of Chains: Do you know of a MODERN (as in AVAILABLE for purchase TODAY) 7 or 8 sp. Chain that DOESN'T require the use of Special 1 time use Pins or Quick Links, to whereas you can just use a chain breaker to back out a pin to decouple the chain and just push the same exact pin back in to reconnect the chain ... you know ... like the 7 sp. Chains from the '80s from Shimano and Suntour? I've had those quick links decouple and fall off and the chains with Replacement pins are HARD to find in 7/8 sp. (And the 1 time use Connector Pins are EXPENSIVE) ... Plus I'm building up a Folding 26" MTB for World Travel to some VERY POOR 3rd World Countries and BELIEVE Me, when I Lock the Bike up the Chain WILL get stolen if it's connected with a Quick Link ... No Offense to any other Races or Cultures intended.
You can do this with any chain if you've worked with a chain breaker. See:
ua-cam.com/video/wr3GfSrL68k/v-deo.html&ab_channel=TonyMarchand
Regards, Tony
Not for nothin, but if that chain is dirty then my chain must need an archeological dig. Perhaps there's a chain in there somewhere.
Yes, the chain has more dirt and grime then my own because I clean it regularly. But here the object was to get a really grimy chain and see how the various products compare. Working with a relatively cleaner chain would make the evaluation more difficult. And yes, there was a chain in there. Regards, Tony
simple green will accelerate rusting if soaked too long, careful
The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process FOR ALUMINUM surfaces. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - under 10 minutes followed by soap and water, rinse and dry. Most chains, however, are made of steel and should not present a problem. Note that Simple Green also makes a less harsh product called Stainless Steel Cleaner Polish. By the way, the "home made" degreasers are still not as effective as the store bought specific bicycle degreaser and we're still experimenting. Thanks for your comment, Tony
You should degrease your chain after every ride especially if your bike is really mucky.
I usually just wash down my bike when it gets really mucky, especially on my mountain bike. This usually does the job. I use degreaser on my road bike only in those cases where the drivetrain has picked up a lot of road grime and road oils. However, most of the time I can just do a quick drivetrain cleanup. See:
ua-cam.com/video/I_5fNbDN3UA/v-deo.html
... and mistolin ... ?
Haven't tried it. If you do, let us know what you think? Tony