Steam Clean anyone?

Zascar

Lads my bike needs a serious clean - I want to get it steam cleaned. I believe its ok to do as long as they keep away from the sensitive areas. I found a crew that operate out of the Bewleys Hotel Car Park who will do it. I'm booked in for 11am on Saturday morning - thought maybe if anyone else wants to come along, maybe go for a spin after?

P.C.

It's going to rain on Saturday.

Cienciano

I always do it myself, I use the one not too far away in Newcastle, http://goo.gl/maps/IJPn3

Notch000

why stean cleaning, sorry but im not familiar with this method, thought that was for cage interiors & carpets ?
what ever hsappend to an auld bucket & sponge

goodlad

Ive thought about steam cleaning some parts of the bike before.
A bucket and a sponge is fine for 80% of the bike but that poxy greasy ****e around the back section of the bike is a bastard to get off.

Notch000

goodlad wrote: »

Ive thought about steam cleaning some parts of the bike before.
A bucket and a sponge is fine for 80% of the bike but that poxy greasy ****e around the back section of the bike is a bastard to get off.

small bit of degeeaser, dish washing pad and elbow grease

Cienciano

Notch000 wrote: »

why stean cleaning, sorry but im not familiar with this method, thought that was for cage interiors & carpets ?
what ever hsappend to an auld bucket & sponge

It's not actually steam, it's just high pressure hot water with detergent in it. As goodlad said, great for around the fiddily bits.
And at this time of year it's freezing, so a bucket and sponge can be a pain in the hoop.

goodlad

Notch000 wrote: »

small bit of degeeaser, dish washing pad and elbow grease

There is the issue right there!

Im an awful lazy bastard so steam cleaning sounds great.

Notch000

makes sense, i was just wondering cause the auld lad bought a steam ceaner from aldi a few years ago, same as the yokes you'd see on info channel when your off your head drunk & stoned at 5am that can strip paint off walls and clean cryptioite, it was supposed to clean anything and everything but in reality it was good for F** all
Never tried it on the bike tho

CJhaughey

Just keep it away from seals and you should be fine, swingarm linkages and pivots and wheel bearings are the main things that get damaged by high pressure water jets.
Also O-ring chains don't seem to like being blasted either.
If you want to make your own degreaser, cheap laundry powder and diesel/kero mixed 2:1 until you have a sloppy mix and use a paintbrush to work it in then just hose it off.
The oil leaves a protective coating on metal parts while the laundry powder shifts all kinds of dirt.

Alkers

Let us know how you get one, I'm looking to get one of those detailing type jobs done on the bike since I'm going to be hanging onto it for the foreseeable future!

arybvtcw0eolkf

Personally I wouldn't put a steam cleaner or high pressure cleaner anywhere near my bike.

If you don't want to make up a degreaser then buy some Gunk (or similar) from Halfords or motor factors and get stuck in and with a little effort and elbow grease your bike will be spike and span.

Sorry if I sound like I'm on my high horse, I'm not. But cleaning your bike, and even detailed cleaning should be part of every bikers routine maintenance.

As mentioned earlier I'd keep the steam/water away from the swingarm bears, the wheel bearings (front and rear), chain, carbs (injectors) and electrics (including the clocks) and I'd alway keep the bike running while you're at it.

serious3

good old gunk, bucket of hot soapy water and a sponge, get yourself into all the nooks and crannies, not only do you clean it but you also get to see what, if anything, needs replacing or attention. best way of going over your bike!!

Zascar

I do usually clean my bike myself lads, I keep it looking well generally, but its the massive clumps of oil, grease, dirt and road grime stuck in the crevasses that is very difficult to get out. So I thought a professional job would be worth a try. I think I'll take off the fairings so we can really get all of it. Get it looking good for the summer! I'll let you know how I get on.

arybvtcw0eolkf

If the muck and grime has been on the frame awhile I'd inspect the pain work and weld joints for corrosion after the clean up then keep on top of it.

Some bikes can be a pox to clean, but I find the likes of brushes made for baby bottles and old tooth brushes to be great for getting into hard to clean areas.

Del2005

goodlad wrote: »

Ive thought about steam cleaning some parts of the bike before.
A bucket and a sponge is fine for 80% of the bike but that poxy greasy ****e around the back section of the bike is a bastard to get off.

The problem is that this is where all the bits that get damaged by high pressure washing are. If your going to pressure wash these areas of a bike your going to need to change bearings and seals fairly soon after, especially if someone else is doing it. Either leave the crap alone or do it properly.

There are no shortcuts to a gleaming bike. It's either hard work to clean or easy to clean and major maintenance.

KTRIC

Have to agree with Makikomi, wouldn't let steam near any bike of mine. Its well known to fu*ck up rubber seals etc.

I swear by SDoc100 cleaner, been using it for years. I buy it in a large drum, its expensive but cleans everything.

Cienciano

Sponge and warm water with detergent is definitely the best job. But I live in an apartment at the moment and it's a pain in the hole.
But definitely avoid seals and wheel bearings, and areas with electrics like control clusters.

RosieJoe

If you want someone to do a good job on cleaning your bike, give this crowd a bell http://www.bikecare.ie/site/.

He is well known on other forums and does a great job cleaning the bike.

Cienciano

Any idea how much for the 2 hour clean?

Wonda-Boy

RosieJoe wrote: »

If you want someone to do a good job on cleaning your bike, give this crowd a bell http://www.bikecare.ie/site/.

He is well known on other forums and does a great job cleaning the bike.

I know this lad too and is A+ at cleaning the bikes....maybe we can get a group discount. Get the babies all shined up for summer.....:D

Cienciano

€65 for a clean.
Worth it for people who don't have the time or cleaning products.

Zascar

So I got it done yesterday lads, bike looks great now Really nice guy, operates out of the carpark of the Bewleys hotel in Leopardstown. I was chatting to him for ages, the guy who works for him is a biker so he knows all the bits to avoid etc. The bottom of my bike was caked with road grime that I was never able to really get completely off with a lower washer or scrubbing with chemicals even. All he uses is this machine - steam only, and the dirt falls off. I'm going to ask him if he'll do a special deal for Boardsies so let me know if anyone is interested.

Pix:
Steam Cleaning
Finished

daenerysstormborn3

Cienciano wrote: »

€65 for a clean.
Worth it for people who don't have the time or cleaning products.

Anybody have a picture of a before and after by this lad? €65 is a lot imo.

Cienciano

pixiebean22 wrote: »

Anybody have a picture of a before and after by this lad? €65 is a lot imo.

Yeah, now I think about it, it is a lot.

Zascar

I think it's 65 as they treat it with a protective coating so it won't get so dirty

daenerysstormborn3

I looked at the website and it appears that they use Muc-Off. I bought a Muc-Off cleaning kit in the local bike shop on Saturday, €40 for the 1litre cleaning spray, their protective spray, 3 brushes, 1 sponge and a microfibre cloth, plus the bucket they come in is actually dead handy for washing the bike itself. I'll probably get about 4 washes out of the 1litre spray and the protective spray seems like it'll last a good while, the likes of the sponges and brushes will obviously last a while. Also, I use the time I spend washing the bike, usually once every 3 weeks or so, to give the bike a once over visually, check the chain etc.

I just think €65 is a bit much for one wash.

Alkers

Zascar wrote: »

So I got it done yesterday lads, bike looks great now Really nice guy, operates out of the carpark of the Bewleys hotel in Leopardstown. I was chatting to him for ages, the guy who works for him is a biker so he knows all the bits to avoid etc. The bottom of my bike was caked with road grime that I was never able to really get completely off with a lower washer or scrubbing with chemicals even. All he uses is this machine - steam only, and the dirt falls off. I'm going to ask him if he'll do a special deal for Boardsies so let me know if anyone is interested.

Pix:
Steam Cleaning
Finished

Looks good, how much did it set you back?

KTRIC

Pics aren't working. Might be interested in this myself soon. Wouldn't be a bad idea to try and make a deal with him for a couple of people at once.

Wossack

I'll give it a few days to see if the worry worts have any basis and zas' bike falls apart at the bearings :P would be mildly interested in a group deal, if the price wasnt mental

positron

I bought a karcher steam cleaner to clean the tiled floor at home and then I thought of this thread and tried it on the bike. It was like trying to dig a lawn with a toothpick - just not powerful at all. I can't shift oil + grime even if I hold the nozzle millimeters away from it, so no hope of using it to clean anything hard to reach. I guess it's time to buy some chemicals..!