What's the best shampoo/degreaser?

[alhendo1 3,053]

I wouldn't mind your experiences on this...I've decided I'm going to ACF50 my NC and am just going to do it myself....with that in mind, prior to application I want to make sure it's as clean as possible.....

What have you found to be the best shampoo/degreaser for the best results?...the one that springs to mind is something like muc off that's designed for bikes but I'd like some feedback prior to ordering....at the moment I just use car shampoo....do you think there's any advantages to buying bike specific stuff....all suggestions appreciated.👍

Edited February 23, 2018 by alhendo1

[neojynx 722]

Muc off is very good.  Spray the whole bike, I mean everything, walk away for 10 minutes and then return.  Wash the bike.

 

I use it every Saturday and then ACF50 my bike after I have dried it off.  Every week without fail.

[Rocker66 34,466]

+1 on the Muc Off spray it on and the dirt starts to run off. Cheaper is you buy it in 5 lite containers.

[Andy m 23,593]

Home bargains sell the same stuff unbranded (you can tell from the elven safety bumf) for less.

 

Car foam is good too if you've got the jet washer to aerate it.

 

Andy

[Rogue 831]

48 minutes ago, Rocker66 said:

+1 on the Muc Off spray it on and the dirt starts to run off. Cheaper is you buy it in 5 lite containers.

Another +1 for Muc Off here. And also on buying in bulk, although I buy the concentrate on-line then make up in old 1litre spray bottles I have

[gonzo 2,211]

 "Head and shoulders " !!

[KingJames 1,262]

35 minutes ago, gonzo said:

 "Head and shoulders " !!

Apparently the most popular shampoo for men in the country despite it being unnecessarily medicated for most people.  Having had a burnt head and using once I will never again, tea tree oil organic shampoo is much better and cheaper.  Probably better for the bike too.

[gonzo 2,211]

Listen my old mucker from croydon , this forum is famous for going off the subject and i think we have started one again , keep it up,   ps i used to work for AJ RIDLEYS in south croydon .." 

[MikeBike 5,006]

Whatever product you use seems advice from Tutoro is keep it off their oiler container.

[Dunnster 1,650]

Another Muc off user here, however, I dilute it 50/50 with water, not as harsh and you get twice as much. 

[PoppetM 16,850]

I use Mucoff first then use Zymol.

 

Although my brother has shown me the benefits of Meguirs Wash and Shine waterless after those trips where she is just a little dusty. Was hesitant at first but having seen his car washed with it for two years it has not casued a single scratch. Obviously if its dirty use a hose and shampoo!

[alhendo1 3,053]

Thanks for the replies folks....looks like I'll order some muc off👍

[Tex 36,817]

Doesn’t Guy Martin sell his own brand of de-greaser these days?

 

As a youngster, riding British bikes, I used to get through gallons of de-greaser. GUNK was my favourite (mostly because it smelled great when you started the bike up afterwards). Others used to use JIZER. After I bought my first BMW the gallon of Gunk sat, untouched, in my shed for so long the tin rotted..  

 

Edit: Here you are. Get your bike proper clean, chief.

 

https://www.guymartinproper.com/collections/guy-martin-proper-cleaner

 

 

 

Edited February 24, 2018 by Tex
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[neojynx 722]

20 hours ago, Rogue said:

Another +1 for Muc Off here. And also on buying in bulk, although I buy the concentrate on-line then make up in old 1litre spray bottles I have

I do the same.,  Much cheaper.  Recently bought 2 x 5 l bottle for just over 20 quid

[KingJames 1,262]

I tend to use something like this https://www.bluelizardreptiles.co.uk/miscellaneous/other/5060078064217?gclid=CjwKCAiAt8TUBRAKEiwAOI9pAMW-lszADocNcQvQIWsw21S3WovKulPZe-zb39e5HouPVxjfeoJ2AhoCOs4QAvD_BwE

 

spray with pressure and accuracy. 

[fj_stuart 4,759]

***Don't try this at home***

 

I was replacing the chain on my CBF250 and the swing arm was really caked in muck & grease. As an extreme measure I attached a paraffin gun to my compressor, filled it with petrol and blasted it. It worked very well. If you try this do it outside….or not at all, really.

 

 

[Tex 36,817]

Stuart, while the method is slightly ‘questionable’ - the results are great!  

[CFB 4,601]

2 hours ago, Tex said:

Doesn’t Guy Martin sell his own brand of de-greaser these days?

 

As a youngster, riding British bikes, I used to get through gallons of de-greaser. GUNK was my favourite (mostly because it smelled great when you started the bike up afterwards). Others used to use JIZER. After I bought my first BMW the gallon of Gunk sat, untouched, in my shed for so long the tin rotted..  

 

Edit: Here you are. Get your bike proper clean, chief.

 

https://www.guymartinproper.com/collections/guy-martin-proper-cleaner

 

 

 

 

Gunk. Agree it was a lovely smell.

I used to have to ride to the petrol station 3 or 4 miles down the road, as they had a new fangled jet wash thing.

Tin of Gunk and an old paint brush in the top box. Do the business there, jet wash it off then ride home.

Oh the aroma, almost as good as Castrol R.

[alhendo1 3,053]

I've ordered some muc off and a set of cleaning brushes......also a plant sprayer same idea as King James suggested....I'll report back once it all arrives and road tested it by cleaning the bike...thanks.

[embee 7,288]

Remember that degreasers do exactly that. They also tend to remove any sort of wax protection too. Once cleaned like this most metal items will be very prone to corrosion, so you really do need to apply some sort of protection, whether it's a wax for bodywork etc or something like ACF50.

For general washing of vehicles I use Autoglym Shampoo which has stuff to help maintain a waxed finish. I apply Autoglym Resin wax polish every now and then, but the shampoo seems to help maintain it well.

[Rocker66 34,466]

I spray the bike with Mic Off to shift the worst of the grime then wash it with water containing a wax shampoo before finally rinsing in plain water.

[alhendo1 3,053]

The plan is to give it a detailed wash with the muc off then apply the acf50 to what will hopefully be a clean surface and see how that works out....I considered FS365 as an option but I can't get my head round how it won't wash off in the rain...I'm in the West of Scotland...it rains a lot and I don't want to be coming in from work having to wipe FS365 all over the bike before putting it away. ... this is all part of the master plan to ride it more often ....we'll see how it goes.....

[gonzo 2,211]

You can still get gunk at halfords boys,!!

[rjp996 1,091]

I use muck-off decanted into a spray bottle - is diluting it the done thing / does it still work well. 

[ScooterCommuter 151]

9 hours ago, alhendo1 said:

The plan is to give it a detailed wash with the muc off then apply the acf50 to what will hopefully be a clean surface and see how that works out....I considered FS365 as an option but I can't get my head round how it won't wash off in the rain...I'm in the West of Scotland...it rains a lot and I don't want to be coming in from work having to wipe FS365 all over the bike before putting it away. ... this is all part of the master plan to ride it more often ....we'll see how it goes.....

FS365 absolutely WILL wash off in the rain, or any condensation/dew. It's pretty much useless for anything outdoors.