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test winner Sonax bike cleaner |
12.99 EUR |
1.0 (very good) |
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dr Wack F100 |
14.99 EUR |
1.3 (very good) |
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SKS Wash Your Bike |
12.99 EUR |
1.3 (very good) |
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4. Value for money |
Value for money White Lightning Wash & Shine |
11.99 EUR |
1.6 (good) |
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Atlantic Complete Cleaner |
EUR 11.50 |
1.8 (good) |
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Muc-off bike cleaner |
16.49 euros |
2.0 (good) |
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Finish Line Super Bike Cleaner |
12.99 EUR |
2.2 (good) |
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Shimano Bike Wash |
EUR 18.95 |
2.2 (good) |
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Hanseline Velo Clean |
EUR 10.50 |
2.2 (good) |
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rsp Muddy Buddy |
EUR 10.90 |
2.2 (good) |
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Zefal Bike Wash |
EUR 10.95 |
2.4 (good) |
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Tunap Sports Intensive Cleaner |
14.95 euros |
2.5 (satisfactory) |
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Winner of the BIKE BILD bicycle cleaner test: Sonax Bike Cleaner
Sonax, actually a specialist in car care, has transferred its know-how to the bicycle sector. With success, the company from Bavaria finds the best mixture of effectiveness and material compatibility on two-wheelers. The peach-scented foam removes greasy and dry dirt from all surfaces after five to ten minutes without damaging them. The spray head is also excellently constructed. In the test, the Sonax Bike Cleaner to go achieved 24 out of 25 points and thus a grade of 1.0 (very good).
Price-performance winner White Lightning Wash & Shine
The White Lightning Wash & Shine should not only remove dirt, but also polish the bike afterwards. The first positive thing was the handling with the comfortable spray head. Although the packaging has all the necessary information, it’s still time for a redesign due to the outdated warning label (orange “irritating” icon). Since Wash & Shine scores well in all test categories, it is a recommendation for price-conscious cyclists. In the test, the Sonax Bike Cleaner to go achieved 19 out of 25 points and thus a grade of 1.6 (good).
This is how BIKE BILD tested it
We carried out the comparison test in cooperation with the cleaning agent manufacturer Sonax in their test laboratory. On two test days, we not only examined the relationship between effect and tolerability, but also how well the entire product – liquid, bottle and spray head – performs in practice.
Bike cleaner tested (2020)
How good are these cleaners?
cleaning performance: The top priority is how well the respective agent removes dirt. To do this, we applied the bike cleaners to two test surfaces, one with greasy, oily dirt and one with dusty dirt. Curious: For the type of dirt, there is standard dirt from the Association of Cleaning Agent Manufacturers, we tested with T-41 and T-30. This ensures the reproducibility of the results. After five minutes of exposure, we rinsed the dirt off the surface with a jet of water and visually evaluated the result.
Material compatibility: The best cleaning performance is of no use to the user if the chemical leaves its own mark. That’s why we checked what residues are left on different surfaces if you don’t rinse off the product: aluminum frames, carbon frames, plastic (a chain guard plate) and tire rubber. The exposure time was 20 hours. We also carried out a corrosion test using aluminum and iron test strips and immersed them in the cleaning fluids for 20 hours. One thing to note is that all manufacturers recommend rinsing off their liquid thoroughly after taking effect. Nevertheless, in practice it can happen that small residues remain on the frame and components.
Handling: In terms of practicality, there were clear differences in the test field and the different approaches of the manufacturers: some bottles felt very well in the hand, others were quite uncomfortable after a short period of use. The quality of the spray head is particularly important: With some, the spray pattern can be adjusted, some dispense their liquid too sparingly, while others distribute a lot of the agent next to the target. We also tested whether the spray heads are tight when you hold them upside down, only seven out of twelve products managed that in our comparison.
The test results at a glance
The prices of the twelve products are quite close together – all cost between ten and twenty euros. However, the contents vary between 400 milliliters and one liter, so there are slightly larger differences in the price per liter. The cleaners are all biodegradable – as required by law. However, since oils are also dissolved during the cleaning process, it is best to go to a self-service car wash box. We have compiled the scores achieved in detail in the picture gallery.
