How to Clean Bicycle Rims

Bicycle rims pick up grease and soil easily.

Mud, road debris and grease quickly dirty bicycle rims. This not only looks bad, debris may trap moisture and cause rust spots on your rims. Keeping your bicycle clean will help it last longer. Web Mountain Bike recommends cleaning a bike after every muddy ride. If you use your bike in the city, on pavement only, you shouldn't have to clean it as often.

Things You'll Need

• Bucket
• Sponge
• Biodegradable dish soap
• Toothbrush
• Garden hose
• Towels
• WD-40
• Nylon scrubbing sponge

Instructions

1. Turn the bicycle upside down on a solid surface such as your driveway or patio so you have easy access to the rims.

2. Wipe loose dirt from the rims with a towel. Check for rust spots on the rims. If you find any, spray the spots with WD-40 and let it sit for a few minutes. Rub off the rust using a nylon scrubbing sponge.

3. Fill a 5-gallon bucket with warm water. Wet a sponge in the water and then add a teaspoon of biodegradable dish soap directly to the sponge.

4. Sponge the soap all over both of the bike's rims until the rims are covered with soap. Use a toothbrush around the spokes to loosen dirt.

5. Scrub the rims with the sponge. Rinse the rims by spraying them with your garden hose and then dry them with a towel.

References

• Web Mountain Bike: Cleaning Your Bike
• Bike Whenever: Cleaning Your Bike
• WD-40: WD-40 Uses