How are you lot washing your bikes without contaminating your pads and rotors?

RipGroove

RipGroove

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I've had tons of bikes in the past with all sorts of different brands of pads and rotors and as I'm always paranoid of pad and rotor contamination I'm super careful to not get anything other than plain water anywhere near them. Even so I've had my fair share of contamination issues in the past which more often than not has led to having to replace the pads and rotors as cleaning and sanding etc has never really worked for me.

I've just bought some new Magura rotors and Galfer pads so would like to know if there are actually any MTB cleaning products out there for cleaning the bike that are genuinely safe around brakes? I have Muc-Off rotor covers already which I put on when washing but they don't completely seal off the rotors so water and whatever else inevitably gets in, and I always wash by hand and a low pressure hose. I see people on YouTube spraying their whole bikes all over including brakes with cleaners from Muc-Off, Hope and Peatys etc but I'm still sceptical that these cleaners don't have any ingredients in that will contaminate the brakes.

Currently during the Summer I put the bike on stand, remove the wheels and pads so I can wash the bike without worrying, then I carefully wash the wheels by hand, let it all dry then put the wheels and pads back on. It's a faff and doesn't really work too well in the winter when the wheels are caked in mud to a point where a low pressure hose just isn't enough so a cleaning product and is required.
 
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I don't wash my bike much but when I do I spray the whole bike with Peaty's Loam Foam or heavily diluted wax-free car shampoo (Auto Glym), degreaser on the drivetrain if required, scrub it with a brush, rinse it off. Never had an issue with contaminated pads.

In winter I just dry and lube the chain then let the mud on the rest of the bike dry before brushing it off.
 
MeatBike said:
I don't wash my bike much but when I do I spray the whole bike with Peaty's Loam Foam or heavily diluted wax-free car shampoo (Auto Glym), degreaser on the drivetrain if required, scrub it with a brush, rinse it off. Never had an issue with contaminated pads.

In winter I just dry and lube the chain then let the mud on the rest of the bike dry before brushing it off.
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Wow I'm surprised that car shampoo doesn't cause contamination, and also that you're able to spray degreaser on the drivetrain without getting it on the brakes. I've not tried the Loam Foam yet, maybe I'll try that next then 👍🏻
 
RipGroove said:
I've had tons of bikes in the past with all sorts of different brands of pads and rotors and as I'm always paranoid of pad and rotor contamination I'm super careful to not get anything other than plain water anywhere near them. Even so I've had my fair share of contamination issues in the past which more often than not has led to having to replace the pads and rotors as cleaning and sanding etc has never really worked for me.

I've just bought some new Magura rotors and Galfer pads so would like to know if there are actually any MTB cleaning products out there for cleaning the bike that are genuinely safe around brakes? I have Muc-Off rotor covers already which I put on when washing but they don't completely seal off the rotors so water and whatever else inevitably gets in, and I always wash by hand and a low pressure hose. I see people on YouTube spraying their whole bikes all over including brakes with cleaners from Muc-Off, Hope and Peatys etc but I'm still sceptical that these cleaners don't have any ingredients in that will contaminate the brakes.

Currently during the Summer I put the bike on stand, remove the wheels and pads so I can wash the bike without worrying, then I carefully wash the wheels by hand, let it all dry then put the wheels and pads back on. It's a faff and doesn't really work too well in the winter when the wheels are caked in mud to a point where a low pressure hose just isn't enough so a cleaning product and is required.
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In my +35years washing bikes/motorbikes NEVER had pad and/or disk contamination, nor did I've ever heard such thing.

Yes, any owner can get pads/disks contaminated through the use of post-wash wax&lubrification.

But, hey... if you're so AFRAID of getting pad/disk contamination, just remove everything, wash it, blow it, wax in... wax out, and there.
A 5min job, will become what, an added few minutes, right?


F.....
 
Mario Antony said:
In my +35years washing bikes/motorbikes NEVER had pad and/or disk contamination, nor did I've ever heard such thing.

Yes, any owner can get pads/disks contaminated through the use of post-wash wax&lubrification.

But, hey... if you're so AFRAID of getting pad/disk contamination, just remove everything, wash it, blow it, wax in... wax out, and there.
A 5min job, will become what, an added few minutes, right?
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That's surprising to be honest. I've never had it on motorbikes, and I've probably had 15 different bikes over the years, road and off-road but I put that down to motorbikes brakes generating enough heat to burn off any contaminants, same as cars.
 
RipGroove said:
Wow I'm surprised that car shampoo doesn't cause contamination, and also that you're able to spray degreaser on the drivetrain without getting it on the brakes. I've not tried the Loam Foam yet, maybe I'll try that next then 👍🏻
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It's this one...

Screenshot_20260621_124525_Chrome.webp


I just direct the degreaser nozzle onto the lower section of the chain plus a light squirt on the cassette then use a chain brush. No reason to get it anywhere near the rear brake.

Loam Foam is good. Brake friendly 👍
 
Nope. Just wipe rotors down with isopropyl after it dries. Before you give the brakes a pull.
Don’t use WD-40 as a bike wash.

This is a counting sheep in bed and my brain won’t let me sleep related issue. Not a real one…..

Wash your bikes like your life depends on it. Dirt buildup is worse for brakes than being clean.
 
More often than not, contamination is blamed for other maintenance problems that people can’t figure out. If contamination was really such a problem, our brakes would begin failing the moment we unloaded our bikes and started riding through the dirt, dust, mud, weeds, and streams.
 
I’m not a prolific bike cleaner. In fact I may have the dirtiest bike in the world. 😉
Our terrain is loamy, rocky, dusty trails and the rare mud hole. (Not EU mud). But I take care of my brake systems through regular maintenance.

Medical grade ISO alcohol. No contaminants (%90). No automotive brake cleaner spray. There may be hidden contaminants in there.

Clean brake dust from the callipers on a regular basis and check the flatness and alignment and wear of the rotor. After a thorough cleaning of the calliper/piston area I apply a very small amount of mineral oil around the piston area with a Q-tip. Only enough to allow for free movement of the piston’s. Never touch the pads or rotor with mineral oil or my fingers.

That’s about as annal as I get. 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
I wash my bikes after practically every ride using muc off nano tech cleaner. I put it in one of those bottles you pump to pressurise and spray it all over the bike including the calipers and rotors. I’ve been using it for years and have never had a problem with brake contamination.
 
Stoffel said:
I wash my bikes after practically every ride using muc off nano tech cleaner. I put it in one of those bottles you pump to pressurise and spray it all over the bike including the calipers and rotors. I’ve been using it for years and have never had a problem with brake contamination.
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Good to know, thank you 👍🏻
 
Some mention a bove about washing bike or just wheels and its OK for rotors because it is just water..........wrong....its tap water! Simple to deal with though. Wash the wheel then clean the rotor with IPA (alcohol not the beer!). If needed I wash wheels off the bike. No water used on the rest of the bike, just brushes and a damp cloth.
 
Rinse bike, wipe frame, wheels, saddle etc with whatever cleaner you have at hand sprayed into your cleaning mit or cloth, rinse again.....not rocket science. If doing the chain, cassette, derailleur and chain ring use an old toothbrush or one of those thin brushes designed for the job (dirt cheep... usually in packs of 3) and an old jar or plastic tub with cleaner/degreaser to dip the brush into., then rinse. Another way is to use a car foaming/snow foam solution but use in a garden plant sprayer (it won't foam but will break down the muck), not blasting it on with a pressure washer, wipe and rinse.
 
The bike industry is slowly reinventing the skincare industry. First we had soap. Then we had nano-tech soap. Next we'll have bike serums, ceramic-infused moisturizers for carbon frames, and anti-aging treatments for tired linkage bearings.
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Meanwhile, 95% of the dirt is standing there wondering why nobody has introduced it to a garden hose yet.
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Dry-hot climate.

My bikes get a spray by a garden hose misting nozzle with water if they are really dusty, which might be every 2-3 rides.

I don't ride in the rain but can be caught with puddles during Winter, then its water and a cloth. Most of my bikes will go their full ownership without seeing a cleaning product as I have never owned any. Though I will use an alcohol wipe to remove any baked on shit or sealant

Wouldn't say my bikes are the cleanest around but as I heard someone say not so long ago ' a dirty bike is a happy bike' and hearing that after 30 years with... not the cleanest bike in the group, felt alright :)

It may sound a bit condescending being a dry weather snob but we dont get much rain and if we do, its going to dry up pretty quickly. Then riding in 30°C+ weather has it own problems, we spend about 6 months of the year in 30°-45° range and the ebike has opened that up so much to riders as riding a regular MTB in on a 35°+ day is a sweat fest and when you get a bit older like a lot of us here, its just not worth the effort to come home cooked and dehydrated, so on a normal bike I haven't bothered to ride, now its just bump the eeb up a mode to save the sweat.

I spent my first 29yrs in N Ireland so know very well what its like but living here these days, to me its not worth the clean up, bike damage/maintenance or trail damage to ride in the wet.
 
Oxford Mint cleaner, foam whole bike, wash it off, never ever been an issue. I've used Stans bio cleaner, but only a couple of times, but non-issue with that either. I only do brake cleaner if for whatever reason i've got noisy brakes but that's pretty rare.
 
I live in Norway, which quite often has a lot of rain, so wet and muddy. I have to wash the bike almost every ride. If we have some dry weather, I usually was it weekly.
I use Muc-off Disc covers that i put over the rotor before washing. I suspect spraying from the drivetrain side; Behind the cassette, chain, could easily splash some chain oil ont the rotor / pads, and could be a culprit of contamination. I actually just tend to not wash the brakes / rotors at all. Maybe brake cleaner would be smart, but i'm paranoid the cleaner also would somehow fck of the pads, which they probably wont.
 
I wash my bike every time I ride unless it was super dry and no mud on it.

I use a foam cannon with a high pressure washer, use some wax free auto shampoo, let it sit a couple minutes and spray off. Foam again and with a sponge. Never had problems with my pads or rotors


I also had mine double ceramic coated with gyeon so it cleans alot easier
 
Muc-off bike cleaner in combination with Muc-Off brake covers and since then have never experienced any issues with contamination. Further, as few people here suggested, I also use isopropyl alcohol to clean the pads (I take them off) and wipe the discs for extra peace of mind.
 
My bike gets washed after almost every ride. It lives in a clean garage up against the ceiling, and I live in Scotland where it rains and is muddy most of the time! The bike must be clean before coming inside!

I've been using Muc-Off for about 20 years now - the luminous pink nano cleaner. I hose the bike and get all the large clumps off, then spray a decent amount of Muc-Off all over. Leave it for about 5 mins, then rise off. It's amazing stuff, and generally disolves all the grime. Sometimes I brush it, but generally, the Muc-Off doesn't need any assistance!

I've never had brake contamination 🤷‍♂️
 
p3eps said:
I've never had brake contamination 🤷‍♂️
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As above, I only use water only but I have experienced brake contamination from leaking fork seals.

Spraying water on fork uppers, then it running down the lowers, puts oily contaminated water on pads and rotors, eventually leading to squealing brakes.

Even know I dont use any cleaner, they are probably 100% fine. The oily water may be causing the issue.
 
If it gets too dirty... Waterblast it , inc every last corner , brakes , drivetrain, etc no additives let it dry till next ride 🫡 lazy but works , never have problems with anything nor brakes. Waste of time sploshing dosh on fancy cleaning stuff ... go ride instead 😁 of spend the dosh on another bike 😆

1000287196.webp
 
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Generic motorbike / bike cleaner 1:100 ratio applied with a hand-held foam gun over everything. Leave 5 mins, brush (where needed) then rinse off. However, I do take the pads out for IPA clean every month or so.
 
What to watch out for:
Oil spills in wet riding conditions, the might be puddles with oil spills, might be some on the road. In the winter with snnow, slush, puddles many places it's unavoidable, brakes will get contaminated some. clean it off asap and it's likely fine, especially if sanding it down and bedding in after, but in the winter bedding can take a long time depending on the pads. But if de-greasing worked, then leave it.
No grease, so also avoid touching rotors with bare hands.
Don't spray any lubes near the rotor. if it happen degrease the rotor and pads.
Motorex will, it makes it slippery like dish soap, but blast it off with a shower head or hose and it's fine. I tested it years ago.


Muc Off won't mess with the brake pads even if you leave some residue on the rotors.
 
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RipGroove said:
I've had tons of bikes in the past with all sorts of different brands of pads and rotors and as I'm always paranoid of pad and rotor contamination I'm super careful to not get anything other than plain water anywhere near them. Even so I've had my fair share of contamination issues in the past which more often than not has led to having to replace the pads and rotors as cleaning and sanding etc has never really worked for me.

I've just bought some new Magura rotors and Galfer pads so would like to know if there are actually any MTB cleaning products out there for cleaning the bike that are genuinely safe around brakes? I have Muc-Off rotor covers already which I put on when washing but they don't completely seal off the rotors so water and whatever else inevitably gets in, and I always wash by hand and a low pressure hose. I see people on YouTube spraying their whole bikes all over including brakes with cleaners from Muc-Off, Hope and Peatys etc but I'm still sceptical that these cleaners don't have any ingredients in that will contaminate the brakes.

Currently during the Summer I put the bike on stand, remove the wheels and pads so I can wash the bike without worrying, then I carefully wash the wheels by hand, let it all dry then put the wheels and pads back on. It's a faff and doesn't really work too well in the winter when the wheels are caked in mud to a point where a low pressure hose just isn't enough so a cleaning product and is required.
Click to expand...
I’ve never had pad or disk contamination. I wash my bike with bike cleaner and occasionally clean the discs and callipers with proper break cleaner. All works fine. Of course I never let oil sprays or silicone anywhere near breaks
 
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