A long trail ride or rainy ride later, you’ll have yourself a properly dirty bike. It not only looks unappealing but probably won’t function to its optimal efficiency when ridden next. So what you’ll do next is rinse it down with a hose and mess up your clothes, the bike, and its surroundings. After that, you have to scrub the bike down and wipe it dry to prevent stains or corrosion. It’s a messy and time-consuming affair, to say the least.
British bike, bicycle, and automotive detailing company Muc-Off have come up with a Waterless Wash solution that aims at drastically reducing water consumption used for washing your bike. The average rider would use up at least a bucket and a half of water on washing their bike thoroughly.
Muc-Off has formed a great reputation over the years for their cleaning, lubricating and protective product range over the years. They are proven to be efficient at what they claim to do. They’ve got multiple partnerships with bigshots like TeamSky and even the likes of Triumph Motorcycles. So clearly they know what they’re doing.
The Waterless wash is somewhat revolutionary when you think about what it does. You’re basically saving a ton of water by using this solution and still getting the job done. Seems perfect doesn’t it? Well at a price point of about 1000 bucks here in India it better be doing something great.
So essentially this solution is meant to be sprayed onto your dirty bike frame without any application of water and then after a while, wiped off. It leaves behind a streak-free finish and brings back the shine in your paint finish. Muc-Off says it’s to be used to remove light contaminants between major washes. So what they’re saying is that you can’t really use this product on a really filthy bike. Mild dirt or dust can be taken care of, but anything more than that will require you to hose it down again. That’s because the bigger dirt particles would simply scratch your precious paint job.
TECHNOLOGY USED
This production is a really complex solution that encapsulates the minutest of dirt particles that settle on your bike so that when you rub the spray off, it leaves no scratches on your paint. That I think is one of the biggest concerns of a rider.
The spray also completes the whole cleaning and shining process in a single application which is great because water washes take up too much time.
Here are a few other features of this product-
- Long-lasting lustre
- No residue
- Non-sticky
- Powder-free
- Suitable on bikes, bicycles, and cars
- Cleans and polishes
PRODUCT TEST
So initially I was quite excited and curious to try out this product. For starters, it really grabs your attention, like most Muc-Off products. The Waterless Cleaner is a vibrant pink color, packaged in a flashy spray bottle. Again, this kind of packaging is a staple from Muc-Off and they pull it off really well.
I was keen on trying this product out on my own bike. So the next day I pulled my bike out and decided to give it a waterless wash. It was fairly dusty and mucky from my previous trail ride.
I followed the directions for use shown at the back step by step.
It’s quite easy, begin by shaking the bottle to activate whatever formula is in the bottle. Then simply spray the liquid onto your bike frame and pretty much everywhere else. Yeah, isn’t that great? You can use it everywhere. it’s rubber, carbon fiber and plastic safe. You can even spray it onto your brakes and drivetrain.
I waited for a while (2-3 mins) for the wash to do its work. I could slowly see the dirt and grime slide gently off the bike. I then took a clean micro-fiber cloth and started wiping the frame dry, and sure enough, the frame was nice and clean. Another thing you’ll notice as soon as you spray this liquid is the pleasant fruity smell it gives out. It’s these little things that make the product more appealing to customers. Even the spray nozzle had a nice wide throw all across the bike.
What’s even cooler is that this spray is completely biodegradable. The product also did a good job of the really messy parts on my bike, like the wheels and the underside of the frame. Surprisingly, the muck came right off with that mild soak and a wipe. There was a slight glimmer to the paint finish afterward which I thought was an added bonus to its overall cleaning ability.
FINAL VERDICT
I was quite impressed with the ease with which the spray took away the dirt. I didn’t have to do a second wipe which is usually what you need to do with a water wash.
But here’s the thing, am I willing to pay a 1000 buck premium for a fancy looking product that is essentially glorified soapy water? Yes, absolutely because it’s more than just glorified soapy water, it’s a cleaning, polishing and protective solution for my bike, motorcycle, and car! The product is brilliant. I love keeping my bikes clean but refrain from cleaning it on certain occasions simply because of the time taken. I live in an apartment on the 8th floor and I keep my bicycle in my flat. I don’t have access to a water pipe and this product helps me a great deal as I just need to take it to the balcony spray it down and then wipe it dry.
The major USP I see in this product personally is the fact that it’s waterless and can remove dirt without scratching your paint job. The non-scratch part is something I can only confirm after multiple uses over a period of time, but I think would be accurate to believe that this product does just that.
Now let me tell you who this product is really great for. This product can do wonders on cars and motorbikes as well so I would recommend it to car and motorbike owners as well. Oh and let me tell you, I tried it on my motorcycle and it did a fantastic job. I can’t stress enough on how much time you can actually save using this waterless wash. Remember it’s only for light dirt and muck, not a mud drenched bike or car. That kind of cleaning requires a water wash for sure, otherwise, you’d end up destroying your frame with micro scratches that you’ll only notice over a period of time. It’s a great buy for those of you who don’t dirty your bikes too often or just don’t clean it often.
So to sum it all up, I think this product is really good at what it does and I would definitely recommend it to others.
Do I regret buying this product? No, of course not, it works well and exceeded my expectations in its ability to clean and polish my bike and motorcycle. Would I say it’s ideal for car owners? Not really because you’d end up using half the bottle cleaning a car.
Would I buy this product again? YES! I love the concept of not having to use any water and I think it’s worth every penny as it does such an exceptional job of cleaning my bikes WITHOUT A DROP OF WATER!
A big thumbs up from our side.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT CYCLING
I’m an avid mountain biker and I like riding fast and flowy singletrack. As I keep riding, I continuously work on honing my riding skills. I like to ride whenever possible, especially with friends. I also like to influence folk into getting to ride more often.
Working on bicycles has also been a keen interest of mine for quite some time.
DISCIPLINE: Mountain biking and Road biking
CURRENT BIKE: Merida One Twenty 9.600 & Specialized Allez Elite DSW
DREAM BIKE: Santa Cruz 5010
