After removing a chain a few days ago and having it soaking in mineral spirits to clean it, I decided since it's almost worn out and the wife's out of town with the kid at a swim meet, I'd put the chain in the dishwasher and see what happened.

It's nice and shiny. And as clean as a whistle.

Only issues I can see are:

1. Dishwasher detergent may not be good for chain life
2. Getting caught

Here's the biggest one

1) You don't need to clean it that much

I've wondered about that before....my wife would probably file for divorce if I were caught though .

My wife says: "remove dishes first".

I have to agree with Opie- a clean chain is good, but stripping all of the lube isn't a good idea. Removing all of the lube and spraying hot water inside is just asking for internal rust.

Your chain was almost worn out. Now it's toast.

hot water plus chlorine bleach detergents means bad news for a chain. After mineral spirits, just wipe/dry off, relube and install. Most of my steel parts don't see water unless they can be disassembled and hand dried or blown with compressed air.

Ummm, do you eat off the dishes and drink from the glasses cleaned in this dishwasher??

I use a cheap ultrasonic cleaner with a mix of Simple Green and water. Run it through three cycles while I clean the reat of the bike. Rinse it in clean water until soap is gone and then either sun or oven dry it. Put it back on the bike and relube it. My 8sp. chain has 8650miles on it and only shows slight wear. A little oven 1/16" in 4feet of chain. I replace at 1/16" in 12".

I see you don't run the dishwasher. You don't put clorine in the thing.

Why not ride your bikes instead of becoming obsessive?

1. Clean the chain in a sink full of hot, sudsy water.
2. Use the clothes dryer to get it nice and dry.

auto dishwashing detergent is pretty caustic soap. Bleach is a major component.

Really?

8846miles out of one chain - do you use it only in outer-space?

I barely squeeze 400 miles out of one chain in the winter grime... this is keeping the chain as clean as possible without spending hundreds on ultra-sonic cleaners, just a simply wipe down and re-lube.

If I knew you, I'd appreciate knowing that you washed your bike gear in the family dishwasher so I could avoid eating at your house now...unless of course you're crazy enough to dedicate an old dishwahser to parts cleaning....that, I understand more

Get the best of both - Put your chain in the Dishsmasher and your dinner, too! Steam a lobster, steam vegetables, some hot-dogs - many choices! Dig in, kids!

Tomorrow - Using your engine-block to help free stuck bolts while cooking a steak!

Save yourself a lot of trouble with your road bike and use Pro Gold every other ride or every ride if the weather is really nasty.

• Put on some examination gloves you can buy at costco
• Wipe the chain with clean cloth.
• Clean clogs with rag and cog brush.
• Apply Pro Gold until the chain is clearly oily.
• Work each link back and forth with your fingers to get new oil worked in.
• Let the bike set overnight.
• Before riding wipe chain with a clean cloth/paper towels to get the excess oil and additional displaced gunk off
• Ride bike.
• Takes all of 10 minutes to do.

C'mon you guys! It's not like chain lube is toxic.




What? You don't practice the 5 second rule?

MMmm PTFE allover my glassware, goes down smoooth!

MMmm rancid grease and cockroach s#it allover my glassware, goes down smoooth!

I admit, I am partial to the taste of WD-40 on popcorn. Now lets not get started on the whole WD-40 as lube vs. penetrating oil vs water displacer. Can't we all just agree it's a damn good seasoning. Better than most that come in a spray can at least?

Let's compromise:

Use PAM! The Buttery Spray Shortening - For Cooking & Lubing Bicycle-Chains!

In the early 1970's, in Virginia, 6 kids were found dead in a circle in the woods. In the middle of the circle lay a can of PAM. It was an overnight sensation!*


* - True tale.

My point (apparently missed by some) is that with a properly functioning dishwasher, there won't be any residue to taste. It's all in the mind.

Some kind of chlorine compound is added to automatic dishwashing liquid for sanitizing and removing proteins from the dishes. Bleach, aka sodium hypochlorite, is probably the most commonly used chemical for that purpose. Any chlorine containing material is bad for iron and steel...even stainless...because the chlorine is very reactive with the iron atoms. It forms iron chloride compounds that are very soluble in water. Chlorine compounds will eat away iron very very quickly and, often, you can't see the damage.

Mineral spirits are more than enough to remove even very messy home brew chain lubes.

How do you know there's no residue? Perhaps it's not detected via taste...but unappetizing to say the least. Getting caught indeed....must be fun being in a relationship where you have to fear such...

Your dishwasher does not remove all residues from the interior...

Now i'm really scared to eat at your house :|