Bicycle Tutor

Does anyone have a sure fire method to clean hands and cloths from a dirty chain?

I don't. The basic rule for me has been Spray and Wash for anything involving clothes and lots of soap for the hands (Lava gets more than the standard soap does, though soap takes a lot of it off the hands). The soap takes care of most of what will get on anything else, but there will always be some staining, and that goes for the clothes as well. I have a shop rag I use for parts cleaning and handling the parts (like the chain) when I know I need to pull it around (or I keep it handy to wipe my hands when I'm done).

For clothes, really the best thing is to either do something like the link below when you're working on a bike, or just find a set of clothes you really don't care too much about to wear while you work on them.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WY8I26

Perhaps the best thing I've found for this, though, is to find chain oil that's closer to bike oil (Finish Line!) than use the standard X-Mart stuff (4-in-1 won't wash off with NOTHING).

Hope that helped some, but I can't say I've found a nice way to clean up, myself, and I haven't read anything about it. Just part of it, I suppose.

I've found that "GOJO" works really well at removing grease and oil from your hands without drying out your skin.

A product named "Lestoil" works equally well at removing petroleum based stains from clothing. Another tip is to wear latex or vinyl disposable gloves when you're going to be working on anything greasy on your bike.

I use lava but its tuff on the hands.I also use hand cream after the lava soap.Spray and Wash for anything involving clothes.Or have some one to do your bike work that way you stay real clean lol.JK

I bought one of those giant pump tups of the orange hand cleaner from autozone, you can't beat that stuff.

I always keep about 10 towels in the shop. When I am down to 2 I will use tide to wash them out. As far as hands I usually wear a pair of non latex disposable gloves. Before those I usually sprayed the same cleaner on my hands and wiped them off on a different towel, then after I was inside I used dish liquid to finish getting the remainder if any off.

Automotive hand washing paste and Neutrogena (probably only available in Europe under that name) hand cream afterwards, though I usually just wear disposable gloves (as many already said).

What I have used that helps a little bit is St. Ives face scrub that comes in a tube. It has good ex-foliating properties and can get tough grease of, but it can be tough on skin, so lotion afterwards. At the non-profit bike shop I volunteer at, there is some soap you rub before water and it works great. I just can't remember the name of it. Next time I go back, I will look and see what it is called. Works great and leaves hands nice and moisturized.

This stuff works the best for me. It comes in 64 oz. so you can just press it with a clean part of your hand, no dirtying anything else up. It's great.

Fast Orange is great, works really well. Just be careful to use moisturizer after cleaning your hands as it'll dry out your skin if you're using it regularly.

oh, did not know that. Thanks.

I get great results using Simple Green concentrate from a spray bottle. It cuts oily dirt quickly and rinses off well--just don't inhale the mist.