Citrus degreaser

[Archie]

Check this out guys.
£6.52 seems a very good price for something you pay big $$$$ for in bike-specific packaging. Haven't checked delivery costs yet but I think I may have me some.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

It's very unlikely that anything like this that is sold as 'bike specific' is actually anything of the sort. The market is too small, so if you hunt around far enough you can find it in it's 'original state'.

It's interesting to see the price escalating as it moves from say industrial cleaning , through the domestic outlets, to the car enthusiast market and on to the bike world and finally yachting. The size of the container usually moves in one direction while the price moves in the other!

 

[yello]

I did once buy a generic "citrubased" cleaner from the general household cleaning section of... what was the shop called? .... the Rymans of the hardware world... anyway, it wasn't a patch on FinishLine degreaser. Okay, it was an nth the price, and the bike did smell nice, but I didn't buy it again!

But I am sure that one could buy cheaper, non-bike specific citrus degreaser that'd do the job. I love the stuff, it's a godsend. I just wish I could find a cheaper source of it.

 

[historyman]

for a good citrus degreaser what about, er, lemons? I use them all over the house for cleaning, esp. taps, showerscreens &c. Also vinegar.

 

[yello]

for a good citrus degreaser what about, er, lemons? I use them all over the house for cleaning, esp. taps, showerscreens &c. Also vinegar.

That's interesting. Seriously. I'm going to do a bit of research into this, maybe make my own degreaser. I'd not thought of it before!

 

[Aperitif]

It's very unlikely that anything like this that is sold as 'bike specific' is actually anything of the sort. The market is too small, so if you hunt around far enough you can find it in it's 'original state'.

It's interesting to see the price escalating as it moves from say industrial cleaning , through the domestic outlets, to the car enthusiast market and on to the bike world and finally yachting. The size of the container usually moves in one direction while the price moves in the other!

Cute observation Tim 10/10!

 

[ColinJ]

That's interesting. Seriously. I'm going to do a bit of research into this, maybe make my own degreaser. I'd not thought of it before!

It would be a bit expensive using good quality lemons, but there is no reason why you couldn't use juice from grotty ones. I'm going to have a word with the fruit & veg guy at my local market. I spend £15-£20 a week at his stall so I'm sure he'd be happy to give me a bag of damaged/mouldy lemons every now and then.

 

[historyman]

It's true that lemons have been going up in price, at least round my way. But my organic shop sells v. small ones & by weight. They are the only thing that's really actually quite cheap there. I think for outside use like on a bike chain, mouldy lemons would be fine (although I'll stick to fresh for my shower screen!). Limes are cheaper; work them open a bit with a fork first, then the juice runs out with fewer bits. Also, squeezy lemon juice can be bought cheaply (30-50p) from good greengrocers, if there are any of those left in your neighbourhood.

 

[ak88]

Viro-sol is very good - I use it all over the place from the bike to cleaning the oven. Also use diluted to clean alloy wheels (I do drive as well as cycle). There was a story a while back from some car forum where the people over there got sold this stuff for about 4 times as much. Some cheeky chap found this stuff, rebottled it and stuffed a new label on - everyone on the forum was waxing lyrical about how good it was. Only got caught out when he was asked to supply the chemical mixture.

I get mine from Clapton Vac (small vacuum cleaner shop - great place and does the whole range from the supplier) - if you can get to North London, Hackney, Clapton way. Usually they sell it for around 9 quid for a 5 litre bottle. Or ask them for their bulk (minimum is 4 x 5 ltr) and it works out at 24 quid total, or 6 quid each- this lasts me absolutely ages. I prefer this to white spirit for the chain clean as its miles nicer to smell.

Also if you want to try it - you can fax them a form (clover chemicals) for trial bottles (500ml I think it was). I stopped using the finish line as thats so expensive in comparison (although this smells even more pleasant!!!!!!!!!!).

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

I don't use degreaser. Ever!

Muck-Off does the trick like a beauty, unless you are talking about chain cleaning, which I don't degrease either!

 

[ColinJ]

It would be a bit expensive using good quality lemons, but there is no reason why you couldn't use juice from grotty ones. I'm going to have a word with the fruit & veg guy at my local market. I spend £15-£20 a week at his stall so I'm sure he'd be happy to give me a bag of damaged/mouldy lemons every now and then.

I was down at the market today and he was happy to give me 7 slightly tatty lemons which yielded about 350 ml of lemon juice natural citrus degreaser.

 

[Archie]

Viro-sol is very good - I use it all over the place from the bike to cleaning the oven.

Thanks for the recommendation ak88. Decided to get some from Glovesnstuff in the end. Just under a tenner for 5 litres delivered.

Jac: I'm sure you keep your bike nice'n clean, but when your cleaning up an old bike like I am, with a thin film of muck graduating to a thick film below this stuff is great. I've started stripping down the bike today and the viro-sol does the job nicely. I break out into a cold sweat thinking how much bike degreaser would cost when this is done!