Product Spotlight: PELLI EcoCLEAN Bike Cleaner

What is PELLI EcoCLEAN and How Does it Work?  

PELLI EcoCLEAN is a highly advanced DRE (direct release to the environment) cleaner and degreaser designed specifically to remove stubborn stuck on mud, dirt, and road grime from metal alloy and carbon fiber road and mountain bike frames and components (cassettes, suspension pivots, brake rotors, fork stanchions, etc.).  

Utilizing naturally derived and environmentally friendly surfactants and degreasing agents, this foaming spray-on detergent formula sticks to organic compounds and road grime, breaking them down and loosening them from your delicate finish, allowing them to be hosed off scratch-free from areas inaccessible by brushes or towels.

Containing EPA approved natural ingredients, EcoCLEAN is safe on all bike finishes and can be used full-strength or diluted depending on the degree of contamination.  Unlike most automotive cleaners and degreasers with harsh chemicals and lingering chemical odors, EcoCLEAN is verified safe for the environment and has a pleasant citrus scent and non-toxic formula with the power to restore your frame to its original showroom shine.

How and When Should I Use EcoCLEAN?

The secret to the EcoCLEAN formula lies in the advanced combination of cleaning and degreasing agents integrated into this grime-busting formula.  EcoCLEAN has been engineered to do the work for you - and will break down virtually every compound you'll encounter on a  wet road or muddy trail - although exceptionally stubborn and hydrophobic contaminants (i.e. grease, lube, etc.) may require additional agitation with the PELLI Firm Bristle Brush.  

To get started, simply follow these simple instructions: 

1. EcoCLEAN is designed as a spray on / rinse off product and should never be allowed to dry completely on painted or finished surfaces.  To avoid this, we recommend the product be applied to a cool surface (do not let bike sit in direct sunlight for extended periods before application) and out of direct sunlight (if possible).    
2. Wet bike before application to cool the surface and prevent on-contact drying.
3. Spray liberally onto dirty frame, components, linkages, and hard-to-reach areas. 
4. Let product sit for 2-3 minutes to allow advanced surfactants to break down organic compounds and road grime.  IMPORTANT: DO NOT allow product to dry completely on surface - drying time may vary depending on temperature and conditions - take care to ensure the product is saturating contaminated areas without drying.  
5. Rinse with low-pressure fresh water. 

NOTE: For heavily soiled areas and grease buildup on cassette, chainrings, etc. use Pelli Firm Bristle Bike Brush to scrub before rinsing. 

Why EcoCLEAN vs. Common Household Cleaners

We get it - Simple Green and Windex are already in your cabinet and garage - why EcoCLEAN over these household formulas?  

Unlike these all-purpose cleaners, some of which contain chemicals that may damage sensitive matte / raw carbon finishes and components, PELLI EcoCLEAN has been specifically engineered to combat the contaminants that you encounter on every ride.  If you're like us, you wear these mud and grime stains on your shorts, socks, the backs of our shirts, and up and down our frames as a badge of honor and the true sign of a great ride.  

However, over time, as these performance-robbing contaminants dry and adhere to your frame and components and require supercharged surfactants and enzymes to break down.  EcoCLEAN has been specifically designed to quickly eat away and release these compounds so they can be safely rinsed away without the need for abrasive scrubbing and scratching.

Even better, this EPA approved formula is safe for use anywhere you clean your bike.  Whether you wash in your yard, in the parking lot after your ride, or weeks later on your deck - you can rest assured that the products you put into the environment are safe and toxin-free.  

How Often Should I Use EcoCLEAN

Water + Bikes = Problems.  Right?  Not exactly.  Although we don't recommend it on a weekly basis, there's no substitute for an occasional deep-cleaning and re-lube to bring back that New Bike Feeling.  Brushing and daily post-ride light maintenance is great when riding in the SoCal Summer on dry and dusty trails...but what happens after that epic fall bikepacking trip, an unexpected mid-trail downpour, or the first rain-ride after a dry summer on grimy and oily roads?

During our engineering process, our PELLI chemists reached out to the most elite mountain and road frame manufacturers today and posed this question about their recommended maintenance intervals.  Most manufacturers we spoke with state that even high-pressure sprayers can be used safely on today's sealed bearings and pivots.  Don't get us wrong - you won't be finding us with a pressure washer on our bottom brackets any time soon, but we will do a water-based deep cleaning at least once every 6-8 weeks or so in the regular season, and possibly a bit more in shoulder seasons or exceptionally dirty conditions.  

What Do I Need To Do After a Deep Clean with EcoCLEAN

As mentioned above, EcoCLEAN is an aggressive degreaser and enzymatic cleaner.  As a result, you will want to re-lube your components after every wash with EcoCLEAN.  We simply wash, dry, and lube our chain with a couple extra drops on the derailleur mechanics and pulleys.  

EcoCLEAN is also the perfect baseline clean to apply our revolutionary Ceramic PROTECT coating.  This unique formula - the first designed specifically for high-end carbon fiber and metal alloy road and mountain bike frames - creates a water-shedding hydrophobic barrier that beads water and makes it much more difficult for trail-flinging contaminants to stick to your frame.  The self-cleaning properties of Ceramic PROTECT allow compounds that do make it past this layer of defense to be easily washed off and make regular maintenance an enjoyable and efficient task.  

How Does EcoCLEAN Compare to Other "Off Road" Cleaners

There is no shortage of cleaners out there designed for ATV / UTV's, motocross racing, and all types of off-road vehicles.  However - unlike the vast majority of these vehicles, your bike uses extremely advanced carbon fiber or metal-alloy composites and delicate / lightweight componentry that create the best possible strength ratio at the lowest possible weight.  PELLI's unique formulas have been tested on, and engineered specifically for, these materials and are proven safe on even the most delicate finishes.  

In addition, the compounds we encounter muddy trails and wet roads are quite different than the greasy carbon-based buildup and brake dust that you might find on a UTV or Jeep.  These off-road cleaners are built specifically to attack these substrates on much more robust components.  We've seen more than one frame etched and ruined by harsh high-acid off-road cleaners - which is why it was critical to us that our formulas be (1) safe for the most sensitive finishes and (2) attack the compounds that we most frequently find on our rides.

In addition to their purpose-built formulas, PELLI is also designed to preserve and protect the environment that serves as our playground.  Harsh chemicals and toxic formulas are [unfortunately] much cheaper than our advanced DRE (direct release to the environment) chemistry.  However - at PELLI, it is critical that our solutions deliver the best possible performance at the lowest possible environmental cost.