Muc-Off's High-Performance Waterless Wash does exactly what it says on the tin – well, bottle. It'll give your bike a quick spruce-up after a wet or dusty ride and takes very little effort to use. It's an expensive way to keep your pride and joy clean, mind, and won't replace your bucket and sponge long term.
- Pros: Easy to use and does a good job of making your bike look like new
- Cons: Pricey; doesn't work on grease
The Waterless Wash hasn't been developed by Muc-Off to replace its more robust bike cleaners, it's more of a stop gap for when your bike has picked up a bit of road spray or is covered in dust.
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It's simple to use. You basically shake the bottle to mix up the water-based detergent and silicone-based polymers and spray away, giving the frame and components a good coating while enjoying the fruity aroma.
Leave it for a few minutes to do its work and then wipe off. Muc-Off recommends a microfibre cloth that'll lift contaminants like dust and small grit away from the paintwork to stop them scratching the finish.
Using it to clean a road bike that was covered in spray after being caught out in a heavy storm, it all wiped away leaving no watermarks or a powdery finish. All the dirt came away on the cloth and thanks to the silicone in the mix it left the paintwork with a shiny, smooth finish.
As well as water spray and dust, it will also work its way through those grey streaks running down your fork and seatstays that you get when using your rim brakes in the wet.
There is no degreaser element to it, though, so it won't work on your groupset or clean any oily spray off the chainstays.
It's best to drop your wheels out first to stop contamination of either your braking surface on rim-brake bikes or your rotors. To be honest, for speed I've just sprayed it all over and have had little issue with braking performance straight after.
I've certainly found it quite useful during the summer. Test bikes that need to go back to the office after covering 500 miles on dusty roads could just be given a quick once over, and if I'd been riding gravel bikes away from home I could give them a quick wipe down before putting them in the car.
It's an expensive way to clean your bike, mind. At £11.99 for a 750ml bottle, I reckon I'd get 12 to 15 washes out of it.
The Duck Smart Bike Ezee is a very similar product but only costs £6.99 for a 500ml bottle, so about £10.50 for 750ml, cheaper, but as you can see, convenience costs money.
Overall, it's never going to replace the bucket and sponge but for giving a slightly dirty bike a quick once over it does the trick.
Verdict
A quick and easy, if pricey, solution to give a slightly grubby bike a showroom finish
Make and model: Muc-Off High-Performance Waterless Wash
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Muc-Off says, "Muc-Off Waterless Wash is a highly advanced, easy to use spray which cleans and polishes in seconds without the need for water. It details your whole bike, motorcycle or car in seconds leaving behind a streak free shine. Its innovative formula is designed to encapsulate any surface dirt to prevent scratching.
"Use it to remove light contaminants in between major washes."
It may seem like an extravagance to some, but it delivers on its promise.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Muc-Off:
Cleans and polishes in one application
No need for water!
Long lasts lustre
No residual dust or streaks
Non-sticky
Powder free
Suitable to use on bicycles, motorcycles, cars & R.Vs
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for value:
4/10
We haven't tested many of these products but the Muc-Off comes out a little pricey at around a quid per wash.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It cleans the bike, with no leftover residue.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Ease of use.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
It is literally all about price as it works well.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
It's a pricey way to achieve a clean bike, but to keep your best ride looking spick and span it does deliver in terms of ease of use and overall shine.
Age: 40 Height: 180cm Weight: 76kg
I usually ride: This month's test bike My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed
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