Cleaning oily bits

[Condi]

Is there a more appropriate/better cleaner for the general chain area than white spirit? Some say it's not good for the chain, so I try and avoid getting it on the chain where possible, but having spent today taking off years of muck, oil, grease etc from sprockets, swingarm, stand etc are there any good degreasers to use instead of white spirit? What do professionals use, as I assume they don't spend time taking parts and guards off to get deeper inside the bike, instead relying on products and pressure.

[scorcher]

Paraffin and a paint brush or tooth brush for more stubborn areas

[trickywoo]

Bilt hamber surfex hd.

It’s water soluble so washes clean unlike paraffin etc.

Some say the screwfix own brand degreaser is a least as good. I’ve not tried it.

Sdoc100 is a good all in one cleaner and degreaser but I find if furiously expensive.

[KTMsm]

I used to use kerosene and still do for chains

But on things I actually want to clean without leaving an oily residue. I use a water soluble degreaser - absolute game changer

I buy mine in 5 litres from the internet -would last an average owner a decade

[markymarkthree]

I use GUNK.

[Fitz666]

Dishwasher..... only when the better half is not in though

[InitialDave]

For the sticky muck on things like chains and sprockets, I would usually use something very cheap like paraffin to get the majority of it off, then a proper degrease like Surfex to clean up the slight oiliness left behind by that.

[Biker9090]

I was shocked at how well the (water based) Autoglym degrease worked. Better than anything else I've tried.

[OutInTheShed]

Some years ago I bought someScrewfix ownbrand degreaser, it's very good.
A few years later, bought Swarfega branded product from them, that is at least as good.
I still use diesel for things like pushbike chains, to avoid any issues with rust.

Some oily bits are best cleaned by adding clean oil....

[Freakuk]

I generally use brake cleaner on anything oily, chain comes up great. Some people have said it may damage o-rings etc but I've never suffered from this.

Use gunk also, with similar results.

[bimsb6]

Biker9090 said:

I was shocked at how well the (water based) Autoglym degrease worked. Better than anything else I've tried.

I was recommended that by my local car place, works really well .

[JJ55]

Wd40 do a degreaser spray that’s great for doing oily bits. Also comes with the little straw attached so you can get in the nooks and crannies

[Timothy Bucktu]

I just use regular WD40 and a few sheets of kitchen towel.

[Condi]

OutInTheShed said:

Some years ago I bought someScrewfix ownbrand degreaser, it's very good.

Had a look in Screwfix earlier as I needed something else, they've discontinued the old degreaser which had great reviews and replaced it with a newer type which doesn't rate quite so highly.

In the end I picked up some more white spirit and washed it off with some other motorcycle cleaner I had in the garage.

[trickywoo]

I’d be cautious of wd40 branded stuff. I got stung on some chain lube which ran out of propellant when the can was still half full.

Not had that issue with other similar products.

[typeo]

trickywoo said:

I’d be cautious of wd40 branded stuff. I got stung on some chain lube which ran out of propellant when the can was still half full.

Not had that issue with other similar products.

I've had that with recent WD-40 tins. If you have an air compressor, use that trick on the tins so you can use the full tin.

[nunpuncher]

Brake cleaner. Best degreaser I've used. Elbow grease is also good. Get both off amazon in large quantities for not a lot of £

[Robb F]

Condi said:

OutInTheShed said:

Some years ago I bought someScrewfix ownbrand degreaser, it's very good.

Had a look in Screwfix earlier as I needed something else, they've discontinued the old degreaser which had great reviews and replaced it with a newer type which doesn't rate quite so highly.

In the end I picked up some more white spirit and washed it off with some other motorcycle cleaner I had in the garage.

This stuff gets the grease off everything I've ever asked it to and is simply washed away with water. Give it a go.

[Krikkit]

Another good one is "Elbow Grease" degreasing spray from the supermarket, about £1/spray bottle and works as well as any other water-based degreaser I've tried.

[Condi]

Robb F said:

This stuff gets the grease off everything I've ever asked it to and is simply washed away with water. Give it a go.

It's been discontinued as far as I can tell? There is non for sale anywhere.

Appears to have been replace with this, which (when I looked last week) didn't rate so highly.