Can I use dish soap to clean my bike chain?
Lots of people have been asking whether or not it is safe to use dish soap to clean their bicycle chain. It’s a cheaper alternative to many bike chain degreasers on the market and we can see why people are looking to use this as an alternative. According to several professional sources, using a mild dish soap is totally safe option for cleaning your bike chain. Warm water, mixed with biodegradable dish soap will clean the grease and grime from your bicycle. The problem is that it strips oil from your bike so you will need to add a suitable lubricant afterwards. Dish soap isn’t as effective as a special bike chain degreaser however, but if it’s the only thing to hand then go ahead and get those soapy suds on your bike - it won’t cause harm so long as you rinse it well afterwards.