How to Clean a Bike

cyclist riding bicycle - How to Clean a Bike

During the summer, your bike accumulates dirt and grime after long rides and many uses. Dirt, dust and grime can accumulate on your bike, affecting its performance and causing parts to wear out quicker. That’s why it’s important to keep your bicycle clean.

Don’t use a Hose to Clean Your Bike – Here’s Why

SpongeOutlet.com products recommended for cleaning a bike - a no-scratch scrub sponge to remove dirt and grease and a microfiber cleaning cloth to dry all parts.
SpongeOutlet.com products recommended for cleaning a bike – a no-scratch scrub sponge to remove dirt and grease and a microfiber cleaning cloth to dry all parts.
  • A good scrub will remove all the dirt and grime that accumulates on the bike frame. However, you do not want to blast your bike with a garden hose, which can push dirt and water into the bearings, making them age faster or possibly seize up. Instead, use a bucket of water, mild cleaning agent and a non-scratch sponge to clean your bike. A sponge like our Instant Erase Super Star Scrubby, Monster Scrubby- Scratch-Free Sponge, or Duo Cleaning Sponge, would be ideal for cleaning a bike frame.  The non-scratch sponges will not harm the paint, yet will be tough enough to remove caked on mud, scuff marks and other dirt.
  • Immerse the sponge in water and then squeeze the water out over the bike to wet it before using the sponge and soap to clean.
  • For cleaning the gears, use a specialty gears brush, which can reach between the cogs. You may need to remove the bike chain from the chain ring or chain wheel in order to get proper access to the gears.
  • Be sure to clean the bike chain as well. It’s recommended by specialty biking websites to use a degreaser on the bike chain to remove dirt build-up. A gadget called a chain scrubber can be purchased to make it easier to clean the bicycle chain without removing the chain from the bike.
  • Rinse your bike by squeezing clean water over the bike frame to remove the soap and dislodged dirt.
  • Dry your bike using a microfiber towel to prevent rusting. Re-lube the drive chain by manually back peddling the chain while you spray or apply the lube to the chain. Don’t forget the pivot points on the front and rear derailleurs.
  • You can also apply polish to the bike frame to repel dirt and to keep it cleaner longer.

It’s important to clean your bike whenever it’s dirty and especially before you store it away at the end of summer or fall. If you’re looking to keep your bike, motorcycle, or other vehicle clean this summer, shop Sponge Outlet today for all the cleaning supplies you need.

How to Use Our Eraser Sponges on Your Car

Cleaning your car with SpongeOutlet Products

During the winter months, it can be hard to keep your car looking clean. The roads are often covered in salt on a daily basis and paying for a car wash seems pointless.

Although we understand the struggle, it’s really important to regularly wash that four-wheeled vehicle. Spring is here (hopefully to stay) which should make it easier to get out and clean your car yourself, saving you money down the line!

A buildup of dirt and grime on a car can result in chipped paint and rusted metal on the exterior of your car and believe it or not, the inside of your car can suffer too from not getting cleaned on a regular basis.

SpongeOutlet has some tips on how you can clean and preserve the exterior and interior of your car with our products, such as our eraser sponge and microfiber towel.

If you’re planning on doing a little bit of “spring cleaning” within your car, which you certainly should, keep these tips handy! If you follow our instructions, both your interior and exterior will shine for months to come.

Using Eraser Sponge on your Cars Interior

You might think that our eraser sponges are meant to be used only in the home but they can serve a great purpose when it comes to cleaning your car as well.

  • Start with taking a wet sponge to your car’s center console and dashboard.

Both of these areas not only collect a lot of dust but host fingerprints and coffee spills which build up on the surface over time, making them appear both dull and dirty. Using gentle motions move the eraser sponge in a circular motion to remove any buildup.

  • The steering wheel is another space that you’ll want to pay close attention to when doing a thorough cleaning of your car.

If you are in your car, chances are your hands are on the steering wheel which makes it one of the places that gets, quite frankly, filthy. You can use our eraser sponge to remove gunk and grime from your steering wheel, leaving it as good as new.

If you have a leather or vinyl interior, an eraser sponge can be great for removing food stains or even colored pencil stains if your children got carried away crafting in the backseat during a long road trip.

Click here for some more tips on using your eraser sponge to get the interior of your car cleaned up.

Eraser Sponge for Your Cars Exterior

The eraser sponge can also be used on some parts of your car’s exterior to remove tough stains.

For instance, our hubcaps or rims are often one of the first things on our car to get soiled. If your hubcaps are looking dull, wet an eraser sponge and start scrubbing to make your whole wheel look brand new.

Watch the video below to check out our technique when it comes to scrubbing your hubcaps clean:

 

It is important to avoid using our eraser sponge on any painted portion of your car because it may cause the paint to chip or fade. However, areas with stubborn stains such as door handles, roof racks, grills, and even glass can benefit from a bit of eraser sponge action!

Wipe with a Microfiber Cloth on the Interior

On a daily basis, your car’s interior collects dust just like your home does. Consider keeping one of our microfiber cloths in your glove compartment to give your car a quick wipe down before you park it for the night. You’ll be surprised to find out how much dust actually builds up inside your car!

If it’s time to give the exterior of your car a good washing, you can use our microfiber cloths to clean your car as well.

  • Simply fill a bucket of warm water with an appropriate soap, dip in our microfiber cloth, and start wiping!

You can also use our microfiber cloths to dry your car once you’re finished rinsing away any soap residue.Cleaning your car with spongeoutlet products

Once you’ve cleaned your car, you should also consider giving it a fresh wax. Other towels made from cotton can leave particles behind resulting in streaks after waxing but our microfiber cloths won’t. The smooth fabric of our microfiber cloth will leave your car looking shiny and clean with no lint left behind.

While you’re cleaning, Auto Trader says you should also check your tire pressure and your wiper blades. Don’t forget to check the oil, too.

Cleaning your car can be a pain, but it’s important to do regularly: don’t overlook the interior after you wash the exterior! The products we offer here at SpongeOutlet can help make the process easier to deal with.

Check out SpongeOutlet’s new video series on our YouTube page for more everyday cleaning tips!

How to Remove Salt Stains This Winter

Salt can really work wonders in the winter. It can prevent snow from building up on sidewalks and driveways and make roads significantly safer than they would be otherwise. But salt can also wreak havoc on everything from your car to your clothing to the floors inside of your home. To stop salt from becoming a problem, you should remove winter salt stains from these items as soon as you see them. Take a look at how to remove salt stains below.

How to Remove Salt Stains From Your Car

Salt stains on your vehicle will make it look very unattractive. Salt could also potentially cause extensive damage to your vehicle’s paint job if it’s not removed. To get salt stains off of your vehicle, you should take a microfiber towel and dip it into a mixture of water and vinegar before using it to wipe away stains. Microfiber towels are durable enough to get tough stains out but also gentle enough to prevent scratches from showing up on your car.

How to Remove Salt Stains From Your Clothing

During the winter, you should try to wear weather-resistant clothing and shoes. When you do, you will be able to remove salt stains with little more than a microfiber towel and a water/vinegar mix. You can also use an Eraser Sponge with a little bit of water to get the job done. Clothing and footwear that aren’t weather-resistant can be trickier. You will usually have to let the salt dry before wiping it away with a brush, but you should be sure not to let it sit too long since it could damage your clothing or shoes over time.

How to Remove Salt Stains From Your Flooring

Salt can do a lot of damage to flooring in a relatively short period of time. Hardwood floors, in particular, can absorb salt water and show signs of damage quickly. To stop this from happening, you can use a microfiber towel to wipe up any excess salt or salt water that pools on your floor. You can also use an Eraser Sponge to spot treat any stains that set in, especially if you have a tile or linoleum floor. But the key is to get flooring dry right away whenever it’s exposed to salt or salt water from outside.

Spongeoutlet.com has the products you need to get rid of winter salt stains. From a wide range of Eraser Sponge options to big packs of microfiber towels, we can provide you with exactly what you need to prevent salt from causing you problems. Call us at 877-776-6430 today to place an order!