Clean Your Summer Ride

By Gilmour

After a summer of revved-up fun—bike rides, road trips, camping excursions and beach days—now’s the time to scrub the dirt and grime off your vehicles. Keep cars, bikes, motorcycles and RVs squeaky clean with these tips, which are sure to protect your investment and leave your ride looking like new.

• • Cleanse Your Car

You depend on your car to get you from A to B all year round, but throughout the summer it’s also heading down dirt roads and to remote beach spots. As summer comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to cleanse your car of the dirt, sand and dust it picked up along the way.

Start at the top with your car’s body and work your way down. Rinse your car with a gentle stream of water from your Flexogen® Super Duty Hose to soften caked-on dirt before you apply cleaner. Don’t use a household cleaning product like hand soap or dishwashing liquid, because it could damage your car’s paint. Instead, use a concentrated car cleaner in your Foamaster II Cleaning Sprayer. Gently wash the car with a wet microfiber cloth, carefully following the contours of your vehicle’s surface to avoid scratches.

Then, tackle the tires and hubcaps. Clean dense dirt buildup with the strong spray of a Power Jet Wand before applying a wheel-cleaning solution. After application, rinse your car once more and dry. Use a microfiber cloth on your car’s body and a towel for the wheels.

• • Bathe Your Bike

If your bike is covered in muck and mud from summer trekking, give it a gentle bath to keep it looking sharp and prevent the effects of long-term wear. Fill a bucket with water from your Flexogen® Super Duty Hose and some dishwashing soap.

Clean your bike frame by gently washing it with a damp rag, and then promptly drying. Be careful not to spray your bike with your cleaning nozzle, because the force of the pressure could jeopardize your bike’s chains and other vulnerable components.

A bike-specific degreaser can help you clean up the more delicate parts of your bike, including your bike chain. For more advanced bike maintenance and repair, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local bike store or repair center.

• • Rinse Your Ride

Bring your motorcycle back to showroom quality with a thorough rinse. Before you start, remove seats, saddlebags, tank bags and other accessories that could be damaged by standard soap and water. Cover the battery with plastic sheeting and seal off exhaust pipes with plastic wrap and rubber bands.

Your cleaning detergent should have a pH balance between six and eight, so it’s neither too acidic nor too alkaline. Avoid abrasive cleaners or general household cleaners, as these could damage paint or chrome.

When you’re ready to rinse, use a high-pressure setting on your cleaning nozzle to target the dirt on the wheels and bodywork, but try to avoid spraying your motorcycle’s instruments and electronics, because the water could corrode internal mechanisms. Use soapy water and a microfiber cleaning cloth to wash the body.

Drying is an essential part of the process, but it’s also the most fun. First, ride slowly around the block, squeezing the brakes to pump out excess water. Then, take your motorcycle out to the highway for a faster ride that will blow water out of nooks and crannies.

• • Refresh Your RV

So, you recently returned from an epic journey across the country… or maybe a more modest trip to a nearby state park. Regardless, your RV could probably use a little refreshing.

Power washing with your Power Jet Wand is a good place to start, as most dirt, dust and buildup can be sprayed away easily with a forceful stream of water. For tougher grime, try an RV-specific cleaner and rinse again with your spraying wand or cleaning nozzle.

Want to clean the inside of your RV, too? Try cleaning window blinds with an old sock, and use a small paintbrush to dust ceiling vents.

Don’t let a little dirt keep you from the open road. With these smart cleaning tips for all the vehicles in your garage, there’s no need to worry about where the road takes you—all you need to do is enjoy the ride.