To properly clean your skates, there are a few steps you need to take. First, gather your supplies, which should include: your skates, a skate tool for removing your wheels and bearings (many of the skates listed on our top 10 list come with this), two towels (one to keep damp and one to use for drying), a small bowl or bucket and your favorite eco-friendly detergent. After you’ve gathered your supplies, start the process by using the skate tool to remove your wheels. Then remove the bearings from the wheels. This step is very important so that they won’t rust.
Fill your small bowl or bucket with soapy water using your eco-friendly detergent. Dip one of the small towels into the soapy solution to dampen it, and begin scrubbing the outside of the wheel to remove any crud or filth. Repeat for all of the wheels. Be sure to clean the insides of the wheels, too. To clean the insides really well, simply let the wheels soak in the soapy solution for a few minutes before scrubbing them. However, if your wheels have metal cores, don’t do this, as the water will cause the inside of your wheels to rust. After you have cleaned your wheels, use the other small towel to dry them. Lubricate and replace the bearings and remount the wheels.