Keeping your bike clean with one of the best bike cleaning kits and tools is necessary for any bicycle owner. It's a relatively affordable way to keep your bike running smoothly and save watts, and it will ultimately save you a lot of money in the long run.
The best bike cleaning kits are an excellent investment, as they contain everything you need to begin washing your bike effectively. When supplies run low, such as the best bike cleaner, you can replace them with alternatives or many brands now provide refillable or concentrated options. However, you will still have the essentials, including a bucket and some brushes.
The quick list
Muc-Off makes several bike cleaning kits with varying levels of tools and cleaning products. Regardless of which kit you buy, the core products, like its cleaner and basic brushes, are always included, but the 8-in-1 is a good place to start.
The Peaty's Ultimate kit features wooden brushes, a biodegradable cleaner, and a recycled plastic toolbox, which ticks many boxes for reasons to choose their kit. It's worth noting that Peaty's products are also very good and my personal go-to choice.
The Crankalicious cleaning kit features 11 elements, seven of which are various specialized detailing cleaning and lube formulas. It is ideal for those who want to make their bikes sparkle and gleam.
Packing all the essentials to get you started the Weldtite Grande Bike Care kit, gets a litre of cleaner, a sprocket brush, a cloth, degreaser spray and a ceramic chain lube.
Along with the 'basics', you also get a chain cleaner tool and frame detailing polish and protection. I love that it is PH neutral making it super safe but that doesn't come at any compromise of its ability to clean.
You don't need much to wash a bike, really you just need some degreaser or cleaner, a sponge and a bucket, not forgetting some elbow grease. That's pretty much what the Halfords Complete Bike Cleaning Kit offers minus the elbow grease, sorry.
Best bike cleaning kits: our picks
Best overall
All of Muc-Off's cleaning kits feature its Iconic pink Nano Tech Bike cleaner
It is rare for the Cycling Weekly tech team to agree on something, but when it does happen, we feel like it is worth shouting about. CW news writer Tom recently revealed he was awful at cleaning his bike. Normally, the tech team would berate Tom with advice or product recommendations, but what followed was the realisation that we had all recommended or owned several of Muc-Off's cleaners and products.
Muc Off is the market leader, and it's easy to see why. Sure, their marketing is prolific, but Muc-Off's marketing is supported by a number of excellent products that the whole Cycling Weekly team would recommend.
Over the years, we have tested many of Muc-Off's products, including one of the best bike lubes, Muc-Off's Wet Lube. While many brands reformulate cleaners to be more effective as you spend more money, and sure, Muc-Off will offer fancier accessories or include more tools, Muc-Off differs in its foundation products, the ones that all its cleaning kits feature, and the parts that the Cycling Weekly team would wholeheartedly recommend.
Products such as Muc-Off's iconic pink Nano Tech Cleaner, their excellent range of the best chain lubes, and quality brush sets form the foundation and are featured in all their cleaning kits.
So, our recommendation is not one particular Muc-Off cleaning kit but any of Muc-Off's excellent kits. Although they offer many, you certainly can't go wrong with their 8-in-1 or Ultimate bicycle cleaning kits.
Most eco friendly
Peaty's bicycle cleaning kit
While the Cycling Weekly team generally agreed that Muc-Off offered the best overall range of products, Peaty's is a very close second. Officially, I have not put Peaty's cleaning product to the test for Cycling Weekly, but when I have to put my hand in my pocket, I always choose Peaty's and have done for many years.
Of course, the eco-credentials of their products are attractive, and that is one of the reasons I was first drawn to their products. In use is where Peaty's really stands out, though; their bike cleaner gets the job done with little fuss, and the foaming drivetrain degreaser is frankly excellent, getting deep into all the tight spots and leaving a sparkling finish. Some of you may have seen I already rate the All-Weather LinkLube as one of the best bike chain lubes. While there are certainly better drivetrain and chain cleaning tools out there, it gets the job done, and the angle wooden handle is a nice touch, keeping your knuckles out of harm's way.
While not marketed heavily for road or gravel use, due to its namesake, Steve Peat's affiliation with the mountain biking world, don't be deterred as their range of cleaners and lubes work just as well on the road and particularly on the best gravel bikes.
Best for detailing
Crankalicious is a brand born from its creators' combined experience in automotive care and love of cycling. They aim to create effective products, with limited environmental impact - and most of them look and smell great, too - which is always a plus.
You'll save some money buying the set too, with the kit coming in around 20% less than if you bought all the products individually.
You'll get a litre of Pineapple Express spray wash, 500ml of Mud Honey bucket wash, 500ml of Limon Velo degreaser, Mayo Jaune frame polish, Gumchained Remedy chain cleaner, Epic Hide leather and Vinyl cleanser, Like Pneu tyre cleaner (100ml each) - plus a wash mitt, sponge and drying cloth. Basically - all bases well and truly covered.
Best budget
Weldtite's cleaning kit comes with all the basics you need to get to grips with bike maintenance - a litre of the Dirtwash Bike Cleaner, plus a sprocket brush to make sure you get into the nooks and crannies.
There's a lubricant spray, and an ceramic lube, which has replaced the all-weather lube we reviewed in the updated kit. Both help to ensure your results last and keep rust at bay - and there's a cleaning cloth to help get the job done.
Most comprehensive
Juice Lubes makes some great kits, and this set should have all your needs sorted. The set contains some swanky additional extras you don't get elsewhere, such as the frame polish and protector, to complete the job. A nice touch rarely seen amongst the best bike cleaning kits is the inclusion of a chain cleaning tool, which, aside from being more valuable than a brush, also tends to be more efficient and effective.
The standout product in the kit is the bike cleaner. As mentioned elsewhere in this guide, most kits include a bike cleaner, but the Juice Lubes actually include a concentrated version. This means you get far more value for your money with the Scrub & Buff kit than with others.
When it comes to cleaning, it performs very well, effectively loosening and cleaning dirt with little agitation. It also very satisfyingly foams up when applied and scrubbed, which, without any science to back this up claim, always feels like it's doing a better job than one that doesn't.
For me, the PH-neutral formula seems kinder to my skin and hands and is a good piece of mind with pets and children running around.
Best for the basics
Halfords is a UK-based business well known for supplying car parts and accessories, specifically for its stock of car detailing equipment and fluids. However, they have always had one foot in the bike market, offering a wide range of affordable bikes, parts, accessories, and, in this case, cleaning kits, an area very much transferable from their motor vehicle expertise.
Considering its super low cost, the Halfords complete bike cleaning kit is exceptional value. It includes eight different cleaners and tools for washing and relubricating your bike, all stored in a handy bucket. The kit covers everything, from cleaners to brushes for agitation and the all-important relubrication at the end.
While the Halfords kit doesn't outperform Peaty's or Muc-Off, it does a great job of breaking down dirt, and its pleasant citrus scent is a welcome bonus. The inclusion of a drivetrain degreaser and brush makes a big difference over other basic kits and is what separates it from other basic or generic kits.
How we test bicycle cleaning kits
For most of the Cycling Weekly team, testing the best bike cleaning kits and cleaners involves getting out, riding bikes, and getting mucky. Thanks to our fairly damp climates, this is not a difficult task for most of us who live in the UK and North America's Pacific Northwest.
While most of the kits we tested do a fine job, we are looking for those that stand out and offer something that differentiates them from the herd. This could be the inclusion of a drivetrain degreaser or cleaner and a brush or tool to agitate these with, making a big difference to the performance of your bike and the overall longevity of your components. Of course, the effectiveness of these cleaners is key also; if they merely push the grease around, thats is going to see us marking the product down.
Overall, if the kit includes the basics required to clean a bike and the cleaning products provided appear to be effective, then that will result in that product getting a decent score. We will, of course, also increase scores based on additional areas covered. For example, if a cleaner is PH-neutral or makes eco-claims, assuming the brands can back that up with sufficient data or evidence.
For more on how we test products, you can read our full guide and learn a bit more about our scoring system and, of course, the Cycling Weekly testing team.
How to clean your bike
Cleaning your bike needn't be complicated; like anything, once you start getting into the details, it becomes a bit of a task. However, the basic principles and process of cleaning your bike are very simple, and you need very few things to do it effectively. For those who are interested, we have a full guide on how to clean your bike, but it really is as simple as these five steps:
- Rinse - get your bike wet. Either with a hose or bucket and sponge, but it's important it's clean water.
- Add cleaners - be liberal with the cleaners for your bike overall and your drivetrain, and leave to soak just for a few minutes.
- Agitate - elbow grease is key to a clean bike; grab your brushes and get scrubbing.
- Rinse - just like step 1, clean water and make sure you clear as many of those cleaners and degreasers as possible.
- Lube - possibly the most important step, make sure your bike is dry, disperse any water residue, then lube your chain and any other important moving parts.
What you need to clean a bike
As mentioned above, you need very little to clean a bike effectively. However, like with so many bicycle tools, such as the best bike multi-tools or chain cleaners, you can get lost in the broad range of available choices. Of course, it is nice to have tools to make your life easier or speed up the process, and certainly, there are a few things out there that can help, like a Jetwasher/Garden Hose, a chain cleaning tool or even an airline for blowing away any water residue. Really, you need these 5 very basic items:
- A water source (can be a bucket, doesn't need to be a hose or jet washer)
- Bike cleaner
- Drivetrain degreaser
- Lube
- Brushes and some rag (can be old Tee or a nice microfibre cloth)
Frequently asked questions about Bike cleaners
Should you wash your bike after every ride?
It's totally up to you. If you like a clean-looking bike, then you can clean it as regularly as you like. Assuming you don't regularly jetwash, it shouldn't increase the maintenance cycle or more complex service areas like bottom brackets or headsets.
I am, however, very much an advocate of not washing my bike too often, partly due to having been a bike mechanic for many years and spending most of my working days cleaning others' bikes. When I do clean, I tend to focus on the drivetrain; a little dirt or mud on my frame and wheels will make very little difference. However, the efficiency of your drivetrain can have a big impact, not just on your pedalling, but also on the frequency with which you will need to replace parts if you don't keep them clean.
Do I need bike-specific brushes to clean my bike?
Often a bike cleaning kit will contain one or more brushes. Bikes are full of awkward-to-reach nooks and crannies - around the drivetrain, brakes and behind the bottom bracket are particularly awkward to get to. A collection of brushes to get to these places is useful, but even one purpose-designed brush will go a long way. A chain cleaning device is also really handy to make keeping your chain clean that bit easier.
Be careful not to use a brush you've used on your drivetrain on your frame afterwards, or you'll end up with hard-to-remove oil stains on your frame. So keep a brush that's only used for cleaning your derailleurs or expect to give it a thorough clean before using it elsewhere on your bike.
Can't I just using washing up liquid/dish soap?
Yer, sure. Why not? We can't stop you, but we heavily advise that you don't.
While dish soap or washing-up liquid is a great cleaner and reasonably friend to your skin, it's formulated in a very different way to dedicated bicycle cleaners. Generally speaking, it's not designed to remove the stubborn grease and oils found on bicycles, but they also tend not to be very kind to metal things, specifically coated surfaces.