How to clean a bike chain with household products?

A bike chain is the most crucial part of a bike which is used to provide the energy from foot pedals to the drive wheel of the bike. Indeed, it plays an essential part in the working of the bike. In this post, we will explore options on How to clean a bike chain with household products.

 There are several ways to make a degreaser for bikes and one of the effective degreasers can be made by combining several household items like lime, white vinegar, baking soda, borax, detergents, and soaps. Most of the time adding Luke warm water in this mixture works as a catalyst which enhances its performance for good.

Importance of Bike chain:

Usually, bike chains are made from pairs of steel that are most durable as outer and inner plates. So, there is a roller that is used to apart both plates from each other along with a stud that pressed through with both plates.

On the other hand, some bike chains are made from nickel-plated for the prevention of rust. So, you can also prevent your bike chains from rust and dirt easily by using household products at home. As a biker, I am going to suggest some of the top methods for dealing with the problem of cleaning the dirt and rust from the chains of your bike.

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Why you need to clean your bike chain?

To have a smooth and pleasant ride on your bike you need to clean and maintain your bike and its chain so it remains rust-free for a longer period of time.

First of all, you need to wipe down your bike chain with a clean rag regularly after every ride or you can just use a brush for cleaning your bike with hot water regularly.

It will make your bike chain smooth and durable. Besides this regular cleaning, you need a deep cleaning of your bike chain which is possible at home with the help of household products like baking soda, Vinegar, Lime juice, a dry rag, steel wool, Lubricant, rust remover, and nylon brush for applying all the things on the chain.

These household products will make your life so easy as a biker. Hence there are some steps through which you can do a deep cleaning of your bike chain.

How to clean your bike chain by using baking soda:

In the first step, you will wipe down the chain of your bike with a rough and dry rag. Here your main aim is to degrease the chain of your bike. Degreasing can be done with the help of a homemade degreaser and all-purpose cleaner.

After degreasing the chain of the bike, you will give chain oil on every link of the chain gradually by dripping little drops. If there will still rust on the chain of the bike then you will detach it from the bike.

Now you will make a thick paste of baking soda with water in a bowl along with lime juice for better results. There is no fixed amount of the mixture and you will make it according to your requirement.

In the next step, you will apply this paste with the help of a brush on all rusty parts of the chain for 15 minutes. After that, you will sock the chain in the hot water for some time. Now you will scrub the chain with the help of a sponge until it will be fully clean and free of rust.

After the scrubbing, you will wash and dry it fully with the help of a dry cloth.

On the last step of this process, you will reattach the chain on the bike again then you will apply a tiny amount of lube to it. You will apply dry lubes to the chain because it is used to gain less dust. It will make the chains of the bike more durable and smoother for working.

How can you clean the bike chain by using lime juice?

You can also use lime juice as a natural and household product for deep cleaning of the bike chain. Things you will be needed for this process are following Lime juice, a bowl of hot water, a dry rag, and steel wool. In the first step, you will add the lime juice to the bowl of hot water. Now you will dip the sponge in the bowl and scrub it on every link of the chain for deep cleaning.

You will scrub it until it will be fully clean. This scrubbing will remove all the dirt and rust from the chain. At the last step, you will wash and dry it with the help of a dry rag and then attached it again on the bike. It will make the chains of your bike more durable and smoother for working.

Using dish soap for cleaning of bike chains:

You can also use dish soap as a cleaner for your bike chain. In this method, you will directly drip the little drops of dish soap on the master links of the chain and then you will scrub it with the help of a brush. After that, you will wash out the whole chain with warm water and dry it with the help of a dry rag. By applying this method, you can clean the chains of your bike for a long time and it can also increase the durability of your bike.

Usage of WD40

Historically wd40 has been used by a vast majority of bikers to remove rust on the bike chains but this chemical can’t help you to lubricate the bike chain. So, if you want to remove rust you can use it but don’t forget to apply lubricant on the chain after using it.

How to secure the bike while cleaning it?

You can secure your bike while cleaning by using easily available bike repair stands. These stands are not necessary to perform service on the bike but tools always speed up the process.

How often you should clean your bike chain?

It totally depends upon the usage of the bike. If you ride your bike on daily basis then it is advised to clean the chain once a month for improved performance and longer life of the chain.

How to find master link on bike chain?

We recommend you to buy Park Tool Chain Checker from Amazon or any marketplace as it will process of finding the master link of the chain easily.

Can You Use Borax to clean the chain?

Borax is a top cleaning agent for chains as it removes grease along with dirt easily.

Conclusion on How to clean a bike chain with household products:

As a biker, I hope my bike fellows will be able to deal with the problem of grease, dirt, and rust in their bike chains by using household products that are generally lying around your house. I hope by using these products you will also save your time and money and can also get a deep cleaning of your bike chains for a long time.