Repairing and maintaining your bike means that you need to do the dirty work. Oftentimes, you will be confronted by stains that are hard to get rid off. It can be frustrating how difficult it is to remove bike grease or road grime on your clothes.
Bike grease can easily get into your clothing during routine maintenance, but it is the hardest to take off. You can get it from mere tire changing or chain adjustment that can leave a disturbing mark on your shirt. Good thing, there are ways on how to get bike grease out of clothes.
It includes using a dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, sport remover, and baking soda. For a more detailed approach, you can continue reading this guide.
Why Do You Need to Apply Grease to Your Bike
Many of us would not want to deal with grease in any way. However, as much as we want to get rid of it, our bike needs occasional grease or lubricants. These substances help your bike reduce wear challenging areas and seal moisture and debris coming from the surrounding environment.
Moreover, there are essential parts of your bike that require greasing, such as your bike’s headset, bottom brackets, chain, and bike axles. With grease, your bike will perform better and will be protected from external debris.
As a result, the overall performance of your bike can be maintained. Thus, you will frequently deal with grease and lubricants, especially during your routine bike maintenance.
It also means that you will regularly confront unnecessary and stubborn stains on your clothes. Luckily there are ways to remove bike grease stains easily and thoroughly. This includes the following:
- Using dishwashing liquid
- Using laundry detergent
- Using baking soda
- Using spot remover
Step-By-Step Process
Using dishwashing liquid
Of course, when you are confronted with bike grease on your clothes, your basic instinct will tell you to wash it off. The most commonly used substance that can remove stain is dishwashing liquid. To do so, you can follow the steps below:
- Apply the liquid on the stained area of the clothes – get a tiny drop of dishwashing liquid and put it on the part where you see visible grease and stains. Leave it for a few minutes so that your clothes can absorb the substance you applied. The dishwashing liquid can break down the particles and grease on your clothes.
- Brush it off – once you have already applied the fluid, you can use an old toothbrush to brush the stain off. You will notice that the stain is gradually fading after every stroke of the brush. Continue the process until no mark is left on your clothes.
- Rinse the stain with cold water – now you can rinse your clothes and ensure that no dishwashing liquid is left behind. You can just run the fabric under cold water until there are no bubbles left. You can rub the clothes to make sure that no residue stays on the fabric as well.
Using laundry detergent
If you are dealing with bike grease and stains on synthetic fabric, the best substance to use is laundry detergent. It will remove the stain easier without being harsh on your clothes. To do so, you can use the steps below:
- Pretreatment the fabric – for an effective stain removal, you need to use a tiny amount of powder onto the clothes. Tap the powder on the stain portion and leave it for a few minutes. Let the fabric absorb the detergent, so it is easier to wash the stain off.
Afterwhich, you can wash your clothes with tap water until you notice the stain is fading away.
- Rinse and let the fabric dry – to remove the detergent or substance, use running water to rinse it off. You can rub the clothes to ensure that no residue is left while washing. Then, you can let the clothes dry in the air.
Using baking soda
Another effective method of getting rid of stubborn stains is using baking soda. It is an effective and reliable cleaning material used for home remedies. It is cheap and is a perfect alternative for chemical-removing products.
To do so, simply follow the steps below:
- Determine the stain spot and apply baking soda – you need to identify where the stained spot is before applying the baking soda. You can sprinkle a good amount of baking soda on the greased portion of your clothes. Apply the substance thoroughly until all the stained parts are completely covered.
- Leave the baking soda overnight – baking soda is a great substance that draws dirt and stains out of fabric. For the baking soda to do its job, you need to let it sit on the fabric overnight. Afterwhich, you can brush it off and wash your clothes.
- Wash your clothes – in order to remove the baking soda out of your clothes, you need to regularly wash it. You can wash the garment using detergent soap and any laundry detergent you normally use at home.
Using spot remover
If all the above remedies do not work, your last resort is using a spot remover. It is a specialized substance used for treating stains and unnecessary marks on garments. It is chemical based to effectively remove stubborn dirt.
To use a spot remover properly, you can consult the following steps:
- Apply the substance on the fabric – identify where the stain is and spray the spot remover onto the fabric. You need to let the substance sit on the fabric so it can do its job perfectly. You can leave it for a few minutes.
Then, use a toothbrush to brush the stain and remove the grease out of the material. This time, the spot remover already spread throughout the stained portion of the garment, making it easier to remove.
- Pour hot water on the fabric or material – the spot remover cannot do its job effectively if it does not work with hot water. You need to boil hot water and pour it on the fabric. In this step, it is necessary to use a bucket or pail to collect the water you are pouring.
You need to set the garment above the mouthpiece of the bucket and pour the water from a higher point. This part is crucial because you intend to put force on the garment while you are pouring the hot water. This will enable the stain or grease to break down, making it easier for you to remove.
- Repeat the process – if there are still grease marks and stains on some portion of your clothes, you can repeat steps one and two.
- Wash your clothes – the last step is washing your clothes. After you are sure that the stains and grease are completely removed, you can do a regular hand wash for your clothes.
Conclusion
Having stubborn grease and stains on your clothes after your routine bike maintenance can be frustrating. It will leave a mark on the fabric that cannot be removed with ordinary washing. Thus, we came up with quick and easy remedies to get rid of bike grease on your clothes.
You just need the proper materials to do the job right. We hope that this guide provided you with helpful tips. You can choose from using detergent, dishwashing liquid, baking soda, or spot remover.
Whichever you apply, it will significantly ease the process of removing the stain out of your clothes.
“Bike commuting should be the trend for the next few years, and it is a convenient and eco-friendly way for us to travel. And we are here to make it a bit less troublesome for people who want to maintain their vehicle for a long time. So, the content I expect to put out here is offering help for bikers who are facing issues with parts of their bikes once in a while. Let’s have fun and protect the environment together!”