Clean hands and cloths

[allisop]

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

[Skyguy9999]

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.

[binzer]

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.

[KDC1956]

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

[Jordan300]

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

[Bill]

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.

[Joe_W]

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).

[buzz]

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.

[Jordan300]

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.

[Alex Ramon]

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.

[Jordan300]

oh, did not know that. Thanks.

[j beede]

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.

[Myosmith]

Mix GoJo Orange with a bit of Dawn Dish Soap for your hands and use the same mix rubbed in with a scrub brush to clean pants legs, etc. Works pretty well on denim, don't know about other fabrics.

[mrdunk]

this one sounds stupid but i guarantee it'll work on your hands at least,when you finish with your bike and your hands are covered in oil use normal soap to get as much of as you can then goo into your kitchen and open the fridge,get out the butter and put i nice big lump in 1 hand the find yourself some table salt and absolutly cover the butter with it,rub it all into your hands and the salt will act as an abrasive while the butter picks up all the oil then just wash it all off and hey presto clean hands

[Bill]

(01-08-2010, 08:34 PM)Bill Wrote:  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.

There is something I wanted to say on this as I have learned from a few people about getting grease and oils on your hands. I now use gloves for just about every repair because of the warnings that they can be absorbed into the skin. As far as spraying the same cleaner on your hands that you use to degrease or whatever , BAD IDEA on my part . Again the absorption into the skin.

To some this means everything to others it is not a bother. So at any rate I personally just use the blue Nitrile gloves. However I do have the above hand cleaner, Fast Orange, but it has the gritty stuff in it. After washing your hands off with I use regular soap w/moisturizer as Alex said to get off the remaining Fast Orange gritty stuff.

Sounding like a Dr. before surgery? Lol that is just my personal way.

[Myosmith]

Something else that will help keep hands cleaner is to use a heavy duty hand lotion just before you start working. Use lots and spend some time rubbing it in, especially at fingertips and knuckles. Then scrape the fingernails of one hand in the palm of the other to drive some lotion under the fingernails. After you've rubbed in as much as you can, wipe off the excess.

Washup takes a lot less time and effort and it's really about the same thing as products like Liquid Glove. I just get the cheap store brand in the big pump bottle at Walmart.

[Bill]

(05-10-2011, 12:05 PM)Myosmith Wrote:  Something else that will help keep hands cleaner is to use a heavy duty hand lotion just before you start working. Use lots and spend some time rubbing it in, especially at fingertips and knuckles. Then scrape the fingernails of one hand in the palm of the other to drive some lotion under the fingernails. After you've rubbed in as much as you can, wipe off the excess.

Washup takes a lot less time and effort and it's really about the same thing as products like Liquid Glove. I just get the cheap store brand in the big pump bottle at Walmart.

Nice advice! Thanks

[JohnV]

Quote:Mix GoJo Orange with a bit of Dawn Dish Soap for your hands and use the same mix rubbed in with a scrub brush to clean pants legs, etc. Works pretty well on denim, don't know about other fabrics.

I know that this is an old thread but this is exactly what I use for getting grease out of my cloths but I go one step further. After rubbing the mix on the cloths and rinsing it out, I spray some Shout on the area and let it soak before washing. I always got grease on my white riding socks and this method always took all the grease out.

I also wear latex gloves on my hands when I degrease my chain or clean my bike but somehow I always end up getting grease on my leg from rubbing against the chain when I dismount at a stop. For this, the GoJo Orange works great by itself.

[Bill]

Idea on the pant legs is to wear some sort of slip over. Hmm maybe I just started a fashion trend lololol.

[doctordee]

(05-10-2011, 09:53 PM)Bill Wrote:  Idea on the pant legs is to wear some sort of slip over. Hmm maybe I just started a fashion trend lololol.

I can see a world full of cyclist's wearing bin liners around their legs held on with bungee cords.