Can I Wash Motorcycle With Dish Soap?

You have been riding a bike in the streets for a long time. But these days the bike is full of dirt, grime, and mud. Wondering which is the cheapest solution that can be used to clean all the dirt out of your bike. You’ve heard from people that dishwashing soap cleans the bike pretty well but not sure whether to try it or is it safe to use on a bike. Well, this writing will certainly help you to find all your needed answers. 

Dishwashing soap can be used to wash bikes as it is a very effective and easy solution for cleaning the motorcycle. Dish soaps are powerful surfactants that pass through the deepest corners of the bike to wash all the grime, oil, and dirt. Also, it is available in your home all the time. So cleaning bikes with dish soap is very easy,  safe, and affordable.

What Tools Do You Need to Clean Bike With Dish Soap:

You need some specific tools to clean your bike with dish soap. These tools can easily be found inside your home and in your local shops. Let’s look at the tools you need for cleaning along with dish soap. 

• Bucket 
• Spray bottle
• Sponge or scrubber
• Brush of sponge 
• Water 
• Dry clothes or papers. 
• Duct tapes 
• Wax spray

How Can I Wash Motorcycle With Dish Soap:

In short, You can wash a motorcycle with dish soap in three main steps : 

1. Mix water with dish soap.

2. Spray over the bike with a spray bottle and wait.  

3. Clean the whole bike with water and a dry cloth. 

Alongside these three major works, there are other steps that you will have to follow to finish the cleaning process properly. Now I am going to talk about the steps briefly in the following phrases. 

Clean Your Motorcycle with Dish Soap in 7 Easy Steps: 

Before you start the cleaning process, make sure that your bike is cool and placed in a shady place. Cleaning your bike under the sun dries out all the cleaning liquids pretty fast. Take your duct tape and cover all the electric parts and ignition to keep them away from water.  Now let’s get back to the cleaning process. 

1. Fill  Bucket Pairs With Water :

In the first step, take two buckets and fill each of them with water. You need two separate water sources for the following reason

• One bucket you need is to keep your sponge soaked in water all the time. This will keep the sponge body away from any kind of dust particles which can damage the protective layer over the bike body.

• In another bucket full of water you should clean all the grime and dirt that the sponge collected during the cleaning process. 

2. Mix Water and Dish Soap To Make a Solution:

Take Dish soap and mix it with water in a 2:1 ratio. Now you can use the mixture or apply it to clean the bike with two methods. 

• In the first method, you can use a normal spray bottle. Just put the mixture inside a spray bottle and press the trigger to spray over the areas you need to clean. 

• The second method you can follow is using air pressure which will automatically spray your mixture at a given speed to clean the bike body. 

3. Apply The Solution All Over Bike Body :

Now take your spray bottle or air sprayer that is filled with cleaning mixture and thoroughly apply it all over the body of the bike,  on the wheels, and also in the spaces of cranks, forks where the grim or dust made a mess.

4. Take Cleaning Sponge Out for Washing :

You need the sponge that is being soaked in one bucket of water all the time. Now rub the sponge well in the places you need to clean. Divide your cleaning process into three parts:

• First Clean the bike body and engine part as it is the dirtiest part of the motorcycle. Gently spray cleaner and rub with the sponge and for the unreachable  parts such as sprockets, nooks, engine Finns use thin brushes or sponge brushes to deep clean all the muds 

• In the next step clean both wheel parts. Clean the tires,  alloys hubs, and rims properly with the dish soap mixture

• In the final step, take your bike’s upper body. Clean the handles, side panel, tank cover, headlights, front fairings, mirrors, and all the remaining parts. 

5. Rinse  The Whole Bike After Sponge Clean :

When you are done with all the cleaning stuff, you need to rinse off the whole bike properly with water. As for the cleaning process, you can use two methods 

• Pour the water all by yourself on your bike body 
• Use a water jet or spay pump to clean all the soap mixture and dirt at a high speed. 

6. Dry The Whole Bike and Lubricate Chain :

After Cleaning the whole bike properly you will have to dry it properly. To make the bike fully dry follow any of these steps :

• Take a dry and clean paper towel to soak all the water out from the bike and let the body dry. 

• Use hot air blowers with caution to dry the bike more precisely. This method removes water from more critical areas where dry clothes can’t reach. 

• The cleaning process wets the bike chain so lube it properly after you finish the cleaning process. Use aftermarket lubes or homemade lubes to lubricate the bike chain.

7. Apply Wax for Protection and Shine : 

Using wax over the bike body acts as a paint protector and shiner. If you clean your bike body with dish soap for a very long time, body paints can get hazy. So apply a waxing spray sometimes to keep bike colors protected.

Which Products Can Be Used With Dish Soap for Better Cleaning :

Several products can be used with dish soap for better cleaning and other benefits. Let’s talk about these products:

1. Baking Soda: Baking Soda and dish soap mix clean the toughest stains and grime from the bike’s body and engine. Just add baking soda in Soap – Water solution and clean. 

2. Toothpaste: Toothpaste and Dish soap not only cleans your bike dirt but removes the rust particles from your bike engine. Mix  Toothpaste just like baking soda with the solution and finish the washing process. 

Can I Use Shampoo If I Don’t Have Dish Soap to Clean Motorcycle :

You can use shampoo if you don’t have dish soap.But it is not recommended. There are bike or car shampoos specially made for cleaning purposes and they are far more effective than using ordinary shampoo. 

Can Dish Soap Washing Destroy My Bike’s Color:

Today most bikes come with a paint finish done using modern technology. They don’t react with other materials and so using dish soap to clean your bike is safe and does not harm the paint coating.  However, if you clean the bike body with metallic scrubbers that can destroy the paint and make it hazy. Always use a fiber-based sponge or scrub pads.

Final Words : 

Dishwash soap is a cheap and effective solution to clean your bike instantly. Using it can save your extra bucks and time and clean your bike just like a new one. Next time if you don’t have bike cleaners grab a dish soap bottle and start the cleaning. 

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