Is it ok to wash your bicycle at a self-service car wash?
(Image Source: Cannondale Bicycle Owner’s Manual and also found in GT Bicycles Owner’s Manual)
It’s common to see people wash their road and mountain bikes at the car wash using a high-pressure sprayer.
This is a quick and convenient technique for cyclists or riders to get a super clean bike, really fast. And as most serious riders know, nothing prolongs the life and performance of your bike, as much as just keeping it clean and lubed.
However, is it really okay to wash your bike using high-pressure washers, such as those found at car washes or in your garage?
If you care about the lifespan of your bicycle and its components, then you should avoid using pressurized water to wash and clean your bike.
- These washing systems can force water past seals, such as those in your hubs, headsets, and bottom bracket, which will severely reduce their working life and can cause sudden failure.
pro mechanics & power-washing
In the book, The Official Tour de France Bike Maintenance Book, which takes you behind the scenes of the Tour de France, the authors note:
“Tour mechanics use jet washers to clean off the degreaser and wash off soapy water. There are mixed views on whether this is advisable because a jet washer can force grease from bearings if aimed directly at them.
Most pro team mechanics, however, use jet washes on low power and with a spray nozzle which they operate in a sweeping motion and do not hold directly over bearings.”
-The Official Tour de France Bike Maintenance Book
Now, just because the pros use high-pressure washers, doesn’t mean that it’s good for the longevity of the components. Race-day performance is the only thing that counts, and a clean bike helps with that.
Later in the book, they note:
“a jet wash will blast away dirt and rinse the frame and wheels in seconds, but it can also drive water into bearings, which can seriously shorten their working life.”
“(as) moisture ingress can over time break down grease and oil and cause corrosion, destroying bearings and impairing the function of other components.”
These professional bike mechanics aren’t just mindlessly spraying:
They have the bike in a repair stand with the wheels off to make sure no degreaser comprises the tires or that chain lube isn't splashing about (like on rotors)
They use the lowest pressure-setting unless race-day happened to be a rain and mud fest
Just as soon as the bike has been rinsed, it’s passed to another mechanic-stand to be meticulously dried, from a combination of air hoses and micro clothes
Finally, these mechanics will re-lube all the required components, such as the derailleur pivots, jockey wheel bearings, and the chain
Needless to say, this washing process is significantly different compared to Joe and Jane Rider at the local car wash.
Owner’s Manual & jet washing your bike
It’s pretty clear, bike manufacturers, who know a thing to two about bikes, strongly advise against using high-pressure water to clean them.
If you “must” power (jet) wash
If you still want to use a power washer, make sure you do so, smartly and carefully:
Don’t spray directly into anything that spins
Hubs
Bottom Bracket
Headset
Don’t use the soapy setting. Only rinse with water
Avoid spraying directly onto fork or shock if you have a mountain bike
If you have an electronic derailleur, avoid direct spraying on its components
It’s VERY important to dry your bike off after spraying…..at the very least, bounce the bike a few times and let sit in the sun
The majority of lube will be blasted off your chain, so it’s vital to apply lubrication after drying your bike
Garden hose vs pressure washer
A typical garden hose has a pressure of 40 to 60 PSI, whereas a pressure washer at a car wash will range from 1,200 to 1,900 PSI.
Muc-Off makes a “bike specific” power washer, which is basically just a less-powerful jet washer, with a max PSI of 1,450 (100 bars) and it has a bike attachment that lowers the force to about 1,000 PS (69 bars)……which is still way too powerful, IMO.
Many power washers that contractor use have a PSI of 3,000+ which should never be used on your bike. Anything over 1900 can damage the paint on a car…..just imagine what it can do to delicate carbon components?
Calvin Jones, Park Tool & bike washing
C. Calvin Jones doesn’t even like to use a standard garden hose to rinse off a bike. So who is this Mr. Jones? Calvin Jones is the Director of Education for the Park Tool Company and is the author of the Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair, which is basically the Bible of bicycle repair and is the book that professional bike mechanics reference when they have a question.
So how does Calvin Jones rinse off a bike?
Drinking bottle or bike rinsing tool???
Answer = both
Calvin uses a cycling water bottle to rinse off the bike and says, “it won’t over-douse the bike, it won’t blast out grease.”
If you want to use a garden hose, Calvin recommends using a very list mist as anything stronger “cleans out the grease from inside the bearings.”
final thought
Some bike aficionados claim the dangers of power-washing a modern road or mountain bike are overstated, as these modern machines have sealed hubs, headsets, and bottom brackets.
Simon, from the Global Cycling Network (GCN), blasted a bottom bracket with a jet washer for 5 seconds, 20 seconds, 1-minute, and 2-minutes, totaling 4 rounds at 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Only the final round of blasting resulted in water ingress.
However, like most things in life, the dose makes the poison. Pressure washing your bicycle after every ride, without regard for seals or drying, will most certainly shorten the lifespan of your bike. However, after riding through a rainstorm, mud, or being exposed to excessive dirt and grime, there are worse things you can do for your bike than power hose it off…..assuming you’re careful with your aim, take time to dry, lube, and do it rarely.
At the end of the day it’s your bicycle, just keep in mind, that routinely spraying it with pressurized water will eventually cause component failure……but maybe that’s just the “Universe” sending you a “sign” that it’s time for that brand new upgrade.
Related article from Pedal Chile: Can I use WD-40 on my chain?
Want to go Faster?
Jesse is the Director of Pedal Chile and lives in Chile’s Patagonia (most of the year). Jesse has a Master of Science in Health & Human Performance and is an avid MTBer, snowboarder, reader of narrative non-fiction, taster of yummy craft beers, and user of pressure washers on his beater bike.
More articles from Pedal Chile
Sources for "Dangers of Power Washing Your Bicycle"
Andrews, G. (2013). Complete road bike maintenance. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Downs, T. (2010). The Bicycling guide to complete bicycle maintenance & repair for road & mountain bikes. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale.
Edwardes-Evans, L. (2019). The official Tour de France bike maintenance book : how to prep your bike like the pros. London: Carlton Books.
Global Cycling Network (2017). Should You Jet Wash Your Bike. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzbpHGyFzc8
Park Tool(2015). Bike Wash Tips. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtgMzais5G0&t=81s. [online]
Park Tool (2020). How to Wash a Bike. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2sKhSDrugE&t=568s
Rohan Dubash and Andrews, G. (2014). Bike mechanic : tales from the road and the workshop. London: Bloomsbury.
Zinn, L. (2016). Zinn & the art of road bike maintenance : the world’s best-selling bicycle repair and maintenance guide. Boulder, Colorado: Velopress.
Zinn, L. and Telander, T. (2018). Zinn & the art of mountain bike maintenance : the world’s best-selling guide to mountain bike repair. Boulder, Colorado: Velopress.