My uncle told me to use dish soap on my chain and it was a huge mistake

He swore by it for years, saying it was cheap and worked fine. I tried it last month on my road bike, and within a week my chain was squeaking and rust started showing up. Turns out dish soap strips all the grease and leaves the metal unprotected. Now I'm dealing with a rusty chain that might need replacing. What's a good, actual chain cleaner you guys use that won't break the bank?

2 comments

2 Comments

emerys553d ago

Yeah, I made that same mistake with an old mountain bike. I mean, it seems like it would work, right? But like @jenniferb90 said, it just strips everything down to bare metal. After my chain got all gross, I switched to a simple citrus degreaser you can get at any bike shop. I use a brush to scrub it, rinse it off, and then make sure to dry it and add a good bike-specific lube right after. It's a few extra steps but my chain stays quiet and clean for way longer.

jenniferb903d ago

Dish soap on a bike chain? That's like washing your car with sandpaper. It strips everything away and leaves the metal totally bare. No wonder it rusted in a week. I'd be so mad if someone told me to do that.