Bicycle Mechanics - Using Pledge a bike wax???

Anybody ever heard of using furniture polish as a bike wax?? Someone told me this the other day, and it seems like it could work. Or am I'm just being the victim of a newbie joke?

What are some good products to try??

Actually Pledge is often recommended for carbon fibre bike frames. I have a can of Finish Line frame polish but I have used Pledge in the past with equally good results. Pledge works great for MTBs too and helps keep the mud from sticking. Make sure to keep it away from your rims however.

Pledge is good for all painted surfaces and it is common to use in car detailing, especially to clean tinted windows.

Thanks for the info guys. I thought it sounded like it would work.

Originally posted by khuon
Make sure to keep it away from your rims however.

Is this suggestion just applied for rim based bikes? Or does pledge break down the material used in rimS?

Turtle wax user here.

Pledge is also recommended for polishing up unpainted Ti frames. It works really well for removing finger marks.

I'm not riding a coffee table so i will use stuff for paint.I used that new eagle one spray on after you spray off soap,while wet you just spray the wax on,wipe off as normal drying and its waxed.

What do you think Pledge is? It's just spray wax. Read the back of the bottle, it's for alot of things, not just tables. Besides, it's cheap and it works.


Originally posted by shokhead
I'm not riding a coffee table so i will use stuff for paint.I used that new eagle one spray on after you spray off soap,while wet you just spray the wax on,wipe off as normal drying and its waxed.

Originally posted by Maelstrom
Is this suggestion just applied for rim based bikes? Or does pledge break down the material used in rimS?

You ride a bike without rims? :D

No, pledge won't break down your rims. If you don't have rim brakes then feel free to wax your rims. Although wax anywhere in that area can most likely end up on your tyres and I'm not so sure that's desirable. :D It would probably wear off quick though.

Originally posted by khuon
You ride a bike without rims? :D

No, pledge won't break down your rims. If you don't have rim brakes then feel free to wax your rims. Although wax anywhere in that area can most likely end up on your tyres and I'm not so sure that's desirable. :D It would probably wear off quick though.

Sorry, split my finger in two and have 3 stitche...makes typing hard and painful...

thats what I thought just double checking as some rims are made of sensative materials.

Mother's Instant Detailer is the ticket and smells like cinammon. Shines much better than Pledge. I use it on all my bikes, motorcycles and cars.

ok, the $64,000 question is: Regular or Lemon scent? :)

Zack

Originally posted by ZackJones
ok, the $64,000 question is: Regular or Lemon scent? :)

I'm kinda fond of the vanilla myself. :D

First of all I own a 67 Galaxy convertable, and because I own this kind of car I know many detailers in my area and NONE use pledge on cars. Mothers or Mequires (sp?) wax products are the best in the retail market for clear coat paint. Natural paint pegments without clear coats do better with Zymol or Waxshop products. Pledge is a very poor form of wax polish and will not last very long, plus does not have UV inhibitors to slow down paint damage from the sun. Most bikes today have use a clear coat, not sure how Pledge would work on TI bikes. And most auto wax will be cheaper than Pledge and far cheaper than Finish Line wax.

Nor do i know anybody that uses pledge on tinted or any windows.Or there bikes for that matter.

Well, when I had a bike professionally painted a year or two ago I asked the pro what to clean and maintain it with. His answer? Pledge. Since his reputation rides on the quality of his work I doubt he would recommend anything that might jeopardize it. Besides that I have also read at least one recommendation for using Pledge to clean bikes on a pretty reputable web page. It may have been Roadbikerider.com, but I am not certain.

Here's the article from roadbikerider.com:

DEAR UNCLE AL: I read your initial rant, and I hear you loud and clear about keeping bikes clean, but I'd really rather ride my bike during my spare time, not clean it. For those of us who hate all cleaning, bike or house, what is the fastest way to clean the bike or drivetrain to keep it in good (acceptable) condition? -- Mark G.

UNCLE AL FIRES BACK: After every ride, take a can of Pledge furniture polish and spray it on your frame, avoiding the rims and brake pads. Wipe it down good.

Or, if you've ridden in the wet, mist the bike with a hose, spray on Simple Green foaming bike cleaner, let it sit a few, spray it off, then dry with a soft clean cloth.

The Pledge approach takes about 5 minutes. The Simple Green approach takes longer, but you can shower while the foam works its magic.

Wipe it without washing it.That should be good for some scratching of the paint.I would never wipe off my car or bike if its dirty.

Pledge is easy and fast BUT again there is no UV protection and the wax protection is very short lived, so duh, you would have to use it after every ride. And as Shokhead said, you will scratch you paint if you use the Pledge and then wipe down with out washing it first; even after one ride your going to have dust and road grime, so now your going to spray on Pledge and wipe it down and go about your daily business like you did your bike good. I think old Uncle Al missed it here.

If your lazy and want a spray on wipe off wax, you would get a better wax from a car parts place, they sell many brands of spray on wipe off wax that would be far better than Pledge.

I agree that wiping a gritty bike with anything not a good idea. I use Pledge only as one would use it on dusty furniture, not on a dirty bike. If my bike is dirty I wash it, using soap and water and a very soft automobile "wheel brush" to gently get the grit and grime off without scouring the finish. Some car waxes are abrasive so one should make sure to get something very high quality, perhaps designed for show car finishes, with NO abrasive.

I've been using Gel Gloss. It's a wax for shining up counter materials like sealed granite and marble. I might try Pledge since it's cheaper and better smelling.

If you buy any car wax that is made to be safe for clear coats, then there are no abrasive substances in those formulas-which applies to most of the waxes on the market today.

i am convinced that the lemon pledge yellowed my white decals a bit. just a note.

How would pledge work for chain lube...If pledge is all wax it shouldn't hurt has a chain lube or what?

Could I use Pledge for chain lube?Would it hurt.:)

Pledge is also ok for squeaky pedals

i think some people would rather have their bikes for looks instead of riding them

shiny bike=bling factor