Bicycle Mechanics - Degreasing cones and berings with dish soap

I recall hearing someone once saying that they would put their cogs and chainrings in a dishwasher on the scrub setting to clean them.

Would you use dishsoap to degrease berings, cups, and cones? There are two reasons why I believe this would work well. Firstly, dish soap is designed to cut through the grease in foods. Secondly, it is designed to rinse entirely clean with water.

Also, would you put these components through the dishwasher after an initial cleaning? The bearings are contained within a bearing race.

Obviously, this is not an ideal cleaner. However, I short-sightedly dissasembled my only means of transportation before going to purchase a standard degreaser.

I like to use dish soap on bearings. I can feel decent about it going down the sink thereafter. With hot water, it works just as well as any degreaser I've used, and I think it's a little better for the environment, although I have no evidence. Just have to be careful to rinse and dry thoroughly afterward.

I have not had good luck with dish soap. I guess enough hot water and some soap will cut through the grease, but it really makes a chore of it.

Dishwashing detergent works better.

Not that I will ever admit to having done it, but the word on the street is that parts come out of the dishwasher squeeky clean. Make sure the more delicate members of your household are out for the night before trying this however. Word.

jim

Do you scrub and soak? Only scrub? What sort of mix. I assume something more concentrated than what you would use for acutal dishes.

I have not had good luck with dish soap. I guess enough hot water and some soap will cut through the grease, but it really makes a chore of it.

Dishwashing detergent works better.

Not that I will ever admit to having done it, but the word on the street is that parts come out of the dishwasher squeeky clean. Make sure the more delicate members of your household are out for the night before trying this however. Word.

jim

Well, that would be only me, so there's no problem.

I have made a solution of hot water and some dishwashing powder (no particular measurements, I don't think it matters too much) and scrubbed with an old toothbrush. It worked okay. Honestly, Simple Green was far better. And nothing cuts grease like a petroleum distillate. But it worked okay.

For using the dishwasher, I just ran it on the normal setting with normal amount of detergent. It worked fantastically. And seemed to leave no yucky residue in the machine. It was clean as a whistle. Just thinking about it now makes me want to run another load through there tonight. Might just do that!

jim

Dish soap works ok. Degreaser works better. A rag for the major stuff followed by a toothbrush and a quarter cup of gasoline works GREAT and it's actually pretty cheap if you think about it. Dishwashers will work but if it's small stuff like cones it would probably be faster to do it by hand, and you wouldn't have to get a new dishwasher and flowers in order to keep your SO.

Edit: I don't actually think it will leave any traces of grease and grime in the dishwasher, but there is a certain principle to the matter. It's like when I use dinner glasses to degrease parts in with gasoline. It's glass, it's inert, and very easy to clean. When I'm done they're good as new but there's still something about drinking apple juice out of the same container you just put grease, gasoline, and hub parts into.

The point is to make due with what I have till I have the means to buy degreaser. I think I'll

1. Toothbrush + Dishsoap solution
2. Dishwasher.
3. Try to repack a BB for the first time.

I have a load in right now! Lots of parts in the bin from and for flip bikes. They could use a good clean. Its sort of exciting!

How about Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap? I'll bet that stuff would eat the grease off a Mack Truck. And it's VERY environmentally friendly.

I'm glad I inspired you. How's the weather In Carlisle by the way. I'm down here in bama

<badjoke>

I wouldn't trust anything Dr. ***** made

</badjoke>

I am towel drying my clean parts now. Came out very nice. Except for the crud that has been on there for 20 years, everything else looks brand new. I am going to dunk everything in Wd-40 next.

The weather is really nice here right now. Very mild.

jim

Doesn't dishwasher detergent have tiny silica particles in it as an abrasive?

I would not be surprised. It certainly feels gritty. I rinse everything pretty carefully with plain water and then flush it all again with WD-40. I am doing this to used old parts from the bin for flip bikes, so I am not so worried about it.

jim

It's definitely a little extra work. Hot water in a yogurt container with parts. Soak, swirl, repeat until clean. But I like that I know exactly what's in dish soap.

Dang,
My 60cm Cannondale frame won't quite fit into the dishwasher..............
2Fer

I've had Dawn dishsoap and Simple Green get me out of a pinch before. If you have a bit of Coleman fluid or lighter fluid that would work, too. Careful with flammables.

Dishwasher detergent is basically a chlorinated bleaching formula. Not good for the finish of bare aluminum. Anodized parts may survive such a bathing, but I'd avoid the dishwasher for the sake of peace in the household. ;)

Besides that, bare steel and hot, humid watery conditions, with oil removed, can only promote corrosion.
The most effective and economical method is a can of mineral spirits/paint thinner and a tooth brush.
You can submerge parts in a coffee can of solvent. Slosh it around a bit and the grime falls off.
Work the tougher stuff with a tooth brush. 5-10 minutes and you're done. Save the solvent for the next cleaning session.

I routinely clean bearings, cones, etc using a pot of boiling water and a bit of citrus cleaner. I assume liquid dish soap could be used as well.

After they boil for a bit, I pour the pan into a wire strainer and rinse under hot water, then empty the wire strainer onto a towel. I thoroughly dry and then reassemble. The hot parts basically dry themselves, but I make sure to wipe then down anyway.