Steam cleaning

[Skyryder]

Anyone know of a car wash service in Christchurch that has steam cleaning facillities. Some have de-greasing options but I want to give the bike a good steam clean.

Skyryder

[vifferman]

Just take it easy with the steam - you don't want to cook anything.

[pete376403]

Be especially careful around wheel hubs - the hot water/steam will blast dirt under seals and into wheel bearings. (Water blasters will do this too.)

[Motu]

Steam cleaning is a throw back to the 60s,these days a degreaser and high pressure water blast is just about all that's used.My steam cleaner burst it's boiler for the third time 5 yrs ago,I just use it a a water blaster now.Steam cleaning is slow,messy and can do lots of damage - you are just melting the grease and pushing it around till it falls off.

When I worked for a very large truck company 30yrs ago the first thing on the service sheet was ''steam clean truck'' We had a steam cleaning bay and a guy who spent all day doing it - he was the dirtiest looking old bastard I've ever seen! It took him 4 hrs to clean one truck,and I would park my truck in a queue of 4.....the company was so efficient they wouldn't give me another job to tide me over,so spent 3 days doing nothing (homers) till I got my truck back.As a 20yr old with an active night life I did a lot of sleeping on the job and soon put myself in the firing line.

[dhunt]

I just cleaned my engine up with lots of degreaser and then water blaster. Came up real good. Like new again

David

[moko]

Careful with that steam-cleaner mate,not only do you need to think about blasting all the grease out of your wheel-bearings as already said but even modern engine/frame paint isnt the best and you could well find big chunks of it coming off if you`re a bit over-enthusiastic.Dont forget also that when your done you might well have no brakes for a crucial few seconds until your brakes dry out,they`ll get a far greater soaking than riding in the rain when hopefully you`ll be dabbing them occaissionally anyway to make sure they`ll stop you if need be.

[vifferman]

If you do use degreaser, be careful where the grease/degreaser mixture ends up. I had a very exciting time after degreasing my back rim (removing chain spooge) and not being through enough washing it all off. First corner (right-angle, off camber) I came to, I did a massive slide, and was lucky not to lose it completely.

[merv]

I tried the waterblaster once on my dirt bike and never bothered again. It is just too harsh on them. My usual method is clean the greasy crap off with kerosene using an old toothbrush and then just hose it down with the ordinary hose and nozzle and then clean the bike with a sponge and carwash detergent. Works a treat and the bikes look like new.

You'll see that with the pics of my VFR I posted on this thread http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=4670 and the pic here http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/at...achmentid=3205

That is a 10 year old bike that looks like new because I clean it like I say and I only clean it when I have enough time to do it that way.

[Blakamin]

i dont need degreaser... i clean my bike every night after i get home from work. (i ride every day)...

i just wish my paint wasnt fading, and the old owner didnt dent the tank.
(being a spraypainter, i should maybe respray it...one day)

The kero and toothbrush would be the best way to get tar etc. off.
otherwise, a coupla rags and some time is all you need.

[scumdog]

As I said before, get some of the Warehouse degreaser ($20 for 4 litres), one of those 'pump' type squirty bottles with variable nozzle and a stiff bristled paint brush, does wonders but two points -

(1) Keep it away from areas like swing-arm bush, axle bearings etc and

(2) Watch it on bare alloy and switch-gear, rinse it off both fairly quickly (don't use it on a warm engine) as it stains alloy and sometimes bleaches plastics.

You should only need a garden hose to rinse-off.