TEST & REVIEW: GREEN OIL GREEN CLEAN BIKE CLEANER

GREEN OIL GREEN CLEAN BIKE CLEANER

1 litre 373g £9.99

Green Oil Green Clean bike cleaner has been around for a good while now. Putting my preference for concentrates, to one side, Green Clean bike cleaner remains one of the fastest acting “ready mixed” formulas I’ve used.

Provided you observe standing times, its kind to all your bike’s painted, plated, polished, or anodized surfaces. As you’d hope, it’s also harmless to animal, aquatic life and of course, lawns.

Pros: Fast acting, effective and generally kind to surfaces.

Cons: Observe standing times more religiously than others.

So, what’s new?

Well, the main difference is it’s now supplied as a carefully measured concentrate, which YOU need to dilute with water. Ideally syphoned from a water butt, though given the heatwave, I turned to the kitchen tap. The rationale’ for this, is environmental (and increasingly being adopted, by other manufacturers).

Less weight to transport, theoretically reduces fuel and other resources consumed. In keeping with competitors, replacement concentrates can be purchased separately.

In a jam? 100ml of Green Oil Degreaser Jelly, will make 1 litre of bike cleaner. Recycled, screw type tops, reclaimed from soft drinks bottles are another nice touch.

These provide a tighter seal, thus reducing the likelihood of leakage. Not that I’ve had any problems, using their standard, trigger spray head, mind. That’s with the bottle, slumped in a bucket and at 45degrees.

Ingredients

Many formulas claim to be biodegradable and friendly to all surfaces. In reality; some are more so, than others. Green Oil’s is made from a blend of orange peel extract and coconut oil.

Test review green oil clean green bike cleaner was cycle bicycle

Method

Much the same as any other formula. Pop bike(s) outside. Round up bucket, brushes, or the garden hose/watering can, etc. Flick the nozzle to stream, or spray, depending on whether you’re wanting to target a particularly grotty zone, or just giving the bike a more generic blow over.

Either way, aim from 30cm and spray in short bursts. Less visually active, than some, leave the filmy layer fizzing away for a minute, before rinsing off. Exceeding standing times by a minute, or so, won’t do any harm.

That said, bear in mind, citrus is slightly acidic, and can leave streaks in some finishes, particularly, stove enamel metallics and matt effects. In these instances, a quick rinse and furniture/matt “polish” sorts things.

Oh, talking safety a minute, though harmless to animal, marine and aquatic life, it’s not a refreshing tonic. Catch a droplet in your eye and you’ll cuss. However, the solution hasn’t had a drying effect upon the skin, even after an hour’s continuous exposure.

Performance

Green Oil Green Clean bike Bicycle cycle Cleaner Wash Test Review

We always say, these are designed to lift generic grime. Mud, salt, spent diesel oils etc, from frames, wheels and transmission. Degreasers are what you need for stripping duties. Nonetheless, I was surprised by how effectively it nibbled through some residual, PTFE based preps.

These had leached from seat collars, during the recent heatwave. Gritty, organic muck literally slithered away, falling from the frame tubes and fork legs, forming a self-consuming scuzzy puddle beneath. More stubborn mixes benefitted from a quick, soft brush tickling, midway through the marinating phase. Much as I would with other blends.

Waxy petrochemical preserves (which often leach out from breath holes, leaving sticky “gravy stains” along the chainstay and bottom bracket shell) required a more intense application of green clean. However, they literally wiped away, come the first caress from a saturated car sponge.

Teasing grime from the pores of bar wrap and saddle covers, required five minutes stiff bristled brush persuasion but all came up nicely. Ditto contaminant from chains, derailleur cages, cassettes etc.

With good technique, bargain on getting a moderately grotty bike, squeaky clean, within 20minutes. Oh, and its rather nifty on worksurfaces too, a quick squirt will shift grime from workbenches (or that tell-tale handprint, left on the kitchen tops), The sweet citrus smell, should also hide any hint, that you’ve had the kitchen in workshop mode.

Conclusion

We’ve tested plenty of bike washes. Most do their thing very well and, in some instances, price and marinating times are the main differential. In terms of finial effect, Green Clean isn’t necessarily superior to several others. However, comparing stock products, it is faster acting, yet much kinder to the environment.

Verdict: 4/5 Very effective stock bike wash - kinder to the environment than most, too.

Michael Stenning

www.green-oil.net

PUBLISHED AUGUST 2018

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