Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Worcester, Massachusetts
Posts: 279
Bikes: Fuji Sportif 1.7C, Shogun Metro AT, Jamis Durango SX, Miyata Alumicross, Fuji Special Road Racer, Mongoose ATB, Fuji SST 1.0 Team, Gitane (?), Specialized Rockhopper SS, Univega Gran Turismo, Univega Supra Sport Mixte, Nishiki Tri-A, Diamondback Coil
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I am a glutton for punishment with grimy old projects--this is what I can recommend:
+1 to mineral spirits, great for bearing cages and other small parts with greasy little nooks and crannies. And +1 to small brushes, obviously. A must. Cotton swabs are great too.
--Hot water and Dawn dish soap usually gets me at least 70% of the way there on a project. Gotta be careful with stickers/decals though.
--I only recently discovered the joys of Evaporust. A truly "works as advertised" product. Although similar to the issues with ultrasonic cleaners, sometimes it helps to make sure there aren't any layers of grime on the part.
--Even though I'm sold on Evaporust, I still frequently use the old water/Barkeeper's Friend paste standby. It's a great rust remover and cleaner in general.
--And finally, I kinda feel that with all the products and methods out there, WD-40 has become overlooked in the cleaning game. It works great.