Keeping a white bike clean!

[RolliePollie]

Does anyone have any good suggestions for keeping a white bike clean?

Unlike white cars the often look clean even when they're dirty, my new white Madone shows every grease splatter and speck of dirt :(. I'm wondering about wiping her down with baby wipes or something else that has a little alcohol in it. Will this hurt the paint? I've given up on keeping the white bar tape clean, but I'm hoping for a great tip on quickly and effectively wiping down the frame.

[Aggie_Ama]

I find for the tape those Magic Erasers work well or just change it out to a color for sanity. What keeps my bike easy to wipe off specks of dirt (it is blue/white/black) is using Pedro's Bike Lust. It keeps the frame kind of waxed and then I can use a micro fiber cloth to gently wipe her off where she looks a little better. I don't wipe anything dry that might scratch and use a soft cloth.

I use unscented baby wipes for post-mountain biking clean up, I wonder if those would be okay?

[Thorn]

I can't wait for the answers on this one. I painted my travel bike a pale yellow thinking it would be great for not showing dust and grime. Well, it doesn't show dust, but *grease*....egads how that stands out. And after riding in the rain? She went from lovely yellow to a faux spotted leopard-style print.

With my other bike I use the Georgina Terry tip and use Pledge. A little spray wax is wet enough to not scratch when wiping off dust and grime and the wax coat it leaves doesn't hurt the finish. But I don't carry Pledge on vacation....

[sundial]

I remembered the Pledge tip but I'm not sure it should be used on carbon fiber. :confused:

I use Soft Scrub on the handlebars. Cleans it up really nice. :)

[indigoiis]

My husband just uses a bunch of rags and does like a shoeshiner on his white colnago. He says he doesn't want to put "stuff" on the paint. It cleans up beautifully.

[papaver]

i just use a regular bio-detergent that i use to do the dishes with...

[Running Mommy]

in the shop we wrap white bars with press and seal saran wrap when working on them. That way the messy mechanics hands don't mess up the tape. It works like a charm. As for cleaning it.... good luck. OY
Oh- and they do make a carbon bike wash, we have it but have yet to figure out what makes it "safer for carbon" since carbon has a clear coat anyway??

[Bluetree]

Our team bikes are mostly white. Most people I know wipe down their bikes with Pledge Wipes after every ride. Frame, esp chainstays, head tubes and underneath the down tube. They're very handy and some people feel they make dirt easier to remove on later rides.

Since we're coastal we wipe down wheels/spokes as well. It doesn't take long and prevents weekly cleaning sessions from becoming a real chore.

Fizik Microtek bar tape also seems to be the easiest of the white tapes to keep clean. Keep an old hand towel on hand, soak the middle with Simple Green. Then grab both ends of the towel and buff the tape clean.

Total post-ride wipe-down only takes a few minutes.

[kermit]

I noticed after wrapping my bars red that my gloves left most of the dirt. I stopped wearing gloves, of course a personal choice and the red stays cleaner. It actually works out well because I started doing tri's and the shoes with no socks and no glove look is kind of comfy.

[Karma007]

Pledge! I like it! Mine's white, and I'll admit to being a bit behind on the cleanup. I'm in an apartment, with no hose, and, for the present no bike rack or stand or anything so my idea of taking down to the dyi carwarsh (with my own supplies) is on hold, since I don't want to put a freshly washed and lubed bike in my back seat. The good news is, new bike rack is on it's way, so a detailed cleaning is on the schedule.

[indigoiis]

in the shop we wrap white bars with press and seal saran wrap when working on them. That way the messy mechanics hands don't mess up the tape. It works like a charm. As for cleaning it.... good luck. OY
Oh- and they do make a carbon bike wash, we have it but have yet to figure out what makes it "safer for carbon" since carbon has a clear coat anyway??

I recently cleaned my white bar tape with herbel essence shampoo. Worked wonders and smells good!

[RolliePollie]

Cool! I can't wait to go buy some Pledge wipes! If I get the orange ones, she'll smell nice too. Thanks for the great suggestions. I'll be motivated to wipe her down after each ride because she really is quite pretty when she's clean!

As for the white bar tape, I'll soon be switching it out to black. I kept getting flats out on the road when I first bought the bike and my grimy hands completely wiped it out. I tried Soft Scrub and Magic Erasers and the tape still looks really gross. The bike also came with a white seat and that was also filthy after just one ride. Luckily I didn't like the seat anyway so it was replaced immediately with my Terry Butterfly (in black!).

[LilBolt]

Here's a how to video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4ByTa7yPJc) for cleaning the white bar tape.

[Aggie_Ama]

I am so ashamed, I brought my bike to work to ride home and I look over and the white is dirty! Gasp. My poor Miranda, she must feel like she has a booger hanging out of her nose or something. :p I should go ask if we have pledge to "clean" on my lunch break.

[sundial]

I recently cleaned my white bar tape with herbel essence shampoo. Worked wonders and smells good!

How interesting! I'll have to try. :)

[sundial]

My poor Miranda, she must feel like she has a booger hanging out of her nose or something. :p

Aggie, you crack me up! :D

[RolliePollie]

Pledge Wipes = my new friend! Got her all cleaned up today with orange scented Pledge wipes and she's looking beautiful again. And I tried shampoo and an old toothbrush on the bar tape and it worked pretty well...still grimy, but not nearly as embarassing. She smells really good too...I didn't have any Herbal Essences but the scents of Pantene and orange Pledge wipes compliment each other nicely.

One thing I was thinking while wiping her down was how important it will be to NOT get any Pledge on the wheel rims. It's slippery stuff and I'm pretty sure it would reduce braking power quite a bit.

Great advice guys...thanks!!! :)