Q&A for How to Wash Your Bike

You should wash your bike regularly if you use it frequently. If you're going to be keeping it in storage for a while, though, it's not necessary to keep washing it. The best times to wash your bike are when you come back from cycling on muddy trails or when you notice dirt starting to build up in places on your bike.

Cover the bike seat with a waterproof covering. A carrier bag or rubbish bag tied around the seat are both cheap and good candidates for the job. You can also remove the bike seat if you have the skills and tools to do so.

It may not be a matter of cleaning; the brakes may simply need to be tightened. If there's no visible debris getting in the way of the brake pads, and you haven't accidentally gotten lube on them, that's the most likely cause.

Yes; lube is not highly necessary unless your chain feels dry. You can just use a hose on a low setting, warm water and a sponge.

Avoid using ordinary dish soap, as it typically contains salt, which can corrode parts of the bike.

No. WD-40 isn't a cleaner. It is a lubricant and will not clean your frame. However, you can use WD-40 to lubricate the chain and the gears after you have cleaned the bike.

Dish soap and a hose can work to quickly wash a bike as long as you take care to not get soap and water into the bearings.

You can use a disc brake cleaner that you can buy from any bike shop. I use a 70% isopropyl alcohol (which I mix myself from a pure alcohol and distilled water) to wipe the disks after a good wash. I get both from the pharmacy.

First, take your ride to a car wash and use the pressure hose to clean the rear cassette of all the accumulated grease, dirt, grime, and its chain. Don't use no soap to wash the bike clean, do that at home. Use car-wash-dry cloths (not paper towels due to the oil you are placing back on the bike.) Use dish detergent from the kitchen. Wet the car-wash clothe and place a micro-dot of dish detergent on the rag and start from there. Then use a dry clean non-wet clothe to dry off the bike and buff it over and over to the point it appears shiny.