How to clean bike grease out of clothes? Help!

[KLizotte]

I was a good girl last weekend and cleaned and oiled my chain and wiped down my bike. Unfortunately, some of the bike grease got on my windbreaker and clothes. Neither laundry detergent, Goo Be Gone, or grease specific Carbona Stain Devil liquid was successful in getting the grease out (or is it more appropriately called oil?)

Has anybody found something that works and won’t disolve high tech fabrics? I’m sure I’m not the only one with this problem.

Many thanks!

Topic

[jrenaut]

I fear the answer is, “don’t wear clothes you care about to clean your chain”. I have a couple permanently stained articles of clothing, so I certainly don’t have a good solution for you.

[eminva]

For technical fabrics, I use Nikwax Tech Wash. I rub a little directly into any stains before washing. For grease stains, it usually takes more than one washing for it to all come out, but it gets better with each successive washing.

Liz

[Greenbelt]

Aren’t clothes supposed to have bike grease on them?

[KLizotte]

@Greenbelt 14461 wrote:

Aren’t clothes supposed to have bike grease on them?

Well, I suppose they would help with establishing my biker chick credentials.

[Dirt]

I use Simple Green on stuff like jeans. Spray it on and rub it in a bit, then wash. Repeat if needed.

For cycling clothes I use Penguin Sport Wash (though I don’t think they actually use real penguins to make the stuff).

As for prevention of getting grease on things in the first place, I suggest doing all bicycle maintenance in the nude. (Sorry. You kinda knew I was gonna say that.)

[CCrew]

Another thing that will work is waterless hand cleaner of the type you can pick up at Autozone ( Not the foo foo stuff from Bath and Body Works ). Unfortunately though once the garment has been washed and dried it’s about damn near impossible to get it out.

[KLizotte]

@Dirt 14466 wrote:

As for prevention of getting grease on things in the first place, I suggest doing all bicycle maintenance in the nude. (Sorry. You kinda knew I was gonna say that.)

I would but I think that would ruin my pedicure plus I don’t want to risk getting some important bits caught in moving parts. Ouch!

[Dirt]

@KLizotte 14469 wrote:

I would but I think that would ruin my pedicure plus I don’t want to risk getting some important bits caught in moving parts. Ouch!

Good point. I guess there’s an advantage to only doing Swiss Army Pedicures.

[Dirt]

It used to be the sign of a great mechanic/master frame builder that they could do most of their non-welding work wearing really nice clothing and it would stay clean all day. The Italian bike shops that also made bike frames with names like Masi, DeRosa and Colnago, as well as the less known names that aspired to greatness, were run by master mechanics/frame builders who would wear a pristine, white dress shirt to work and would arrive home with the shirt just as pristine. While I’m sure a lot of that is just myth, it is an ethic that my boss in an old, Italian bike shop located in Denver lived by EVERY DAY. He always looked perfect… even when working in the shop. His hands would get dirty, but almost never his shirt.

I learned to be a master mechanic from him, but I never learned to keep my shirts clean. Thus the Simple Green.

[5555624]

@Dirt 14473 wrote:

Good point. I guess there’s an advantage to only doing Swiss Army Pedicures.

Well, if it’s a facncy pedicure, I’d suggest socks. Black socks.

[consularrider]

So far the Spray-n-wash or Resolve pre-treatment seems to work reasonably well, but I think I’ve got an item or two with a permanent stain.

[culimerc]

For jeans and the like, I hit it with spray and wash as soon as I can, than when I have some time I scrub it with a little “Dawn” dish washing detergent and a toothbrush.

[pfunkallstar]

@culimerc 14493 wrote:

For jeans and the like, I hit it with spray and wash as soon as I can, than when I have some time I scrub it with a little “Dawn” dish washing detergent and a toothbrush.

I’ve found that liquid Lava soap or the equivalent is pretty amazing at getting that stuff off. When I was working in bike shops I would always leave a pair of dark jeans and a mechanics shirt at the shop and just change into them once I got there.

[StopMeansStop]

Any sort of oil will work. I reccomend bacon grease

[CCrew]

Someone say bacon????

[Author]

Replies