What Should I Do if My Clothes Are Stained with Grease From an Electric Bike?

What Should I Do if My Clothes Are Stained with Grease from an Electric Bike?

Getting a stain with grease on your clothes at times when you’re cleaning, tuning, or even riding your e-Bike is almost inevitable. You may think that you have ruined your garments permanently but all is not lost yet.

You need to act fast. Deal with the stain as early as possible. Next, you need to find the garment’s label to see what care should be taken while removing the grease stain. Pick a stain removal technique after careful consideration. Make sure whether it can be tossed in a washing machine, can bear brush rubbing, or can retain its original color. Test any method on an inconspicuous area first to see how it works on your piece of cloth.
Let’s first learn about grease, its composition, and its reason to use. Then we’ll discuss in detail about the stain removal techniques and the ways to prevent the grease stain.

What is e-Bike grease? Its composition and function

Grease, whether made for cars, bikes, or machines, is just a simple lubricating oil that helps to reduce friction among the moving parts. The lubricating oil is processed with thickeners in order to increase its viscosity and retention time over the parts. Further stickiness is achieved by emulsification of calcium or lithium-based soap in this mixture. And these soaps are actually responsible for the sticky stains caused by accidental touch or spillage of grease on your clothes.
The grease used in electric bikes is semi-solid in composition. It not only helps to protect the moving parts from irreparable warping but is also able to cope with the water splashes that would otherwise cause rusting. e-Bike grease repels water as it is thicker and stickier. A regular wash in the washing machine won’t be sufficient to remove the stain. Before it, you need to remove the grease with a degreaser like elbow grease, a dish soap, baking soda, or a liquid detergent.
Greasing is not limited to just chains, it is also necessary for other moving parts of your e-Bikes like the bearings, motor, shocks, gears, derailleur, brakes, etc., to maintain fluidity in their motion. They will run smoother without any squeaks and last a lot longer.

How to remove e-Bike grease from your clothes?

While around your e-Bike for cleaning or tuning, you’re bound to get grease stains on your clothes. You just have to start the treatment soon as it’s easier to get rid of a fresh stain. Sometimes, you don’t notice a stain earlier and it got soaked into the fabric. Removal of this stubborn stain might require some grinding but it’s not impossible as many claim it to be. Thankfully, there are several techniques available to get rid of these stains. Let’s have a look at some of the tested ones.

1. Use dishwashing soap for fresh grease marks on your clothes

Using dishwashing soap is one of the best methods to remove stains as it has the inherent properties of a degreaser. Directly apply a small amount of soap onto the greased area. Rub it gently and then leave it to soak for ten to fifteen minutes. Run out the grease by washing the clothes with hot water. You can use a bristled brush for tougher stains. Repeat the above process twice or thrice until the grease is gone completely.

2. Use baking soda to remove fresh stains on delicate clothes

Harsh treatments could damage delicate clothes. To avoid this, the use of baking soda was introduced to remove fresh stains. No rubbing or brushing is required. Just pour a small amount and wait for the magic. Leave it like this for 8-10 hours or overnight. Baking soda, being basic in nature, will suck out all the grease from the clothes through osmosis. Wipe it off and rinse the clothes with water as directed. No heat dry, just leave it to air dry and you’re all set.

3. Use a combination of WD-40 and a liquid detergent to remove stains from a water-washed fabric

You can use any liquid detergent but WD-40 is something highly recommended to get rid of grease stains. WD-40 itself is a lubricant oil and its usage recommendation may seem counterintuitive. But believe me, it is the finest method to get rid of stains from the clothes that have been washed with water. It has a great water-replacing ability that allows reinvigorating the dried stain so these can be washed easily. Spray a large amount of WD-40 onto the stain and let it soak for 30 minutes. Then wash it with hot water. To get more finishing results, you can wash it again and again with a liquid detergent until the stain is gone completely.

Pin these points

• Wash the grease marks as early as possible. Act fast and save your clothes from any potential damage.
• Gently handle the clothes. Rigorous rubbing or brushing might damage the cloth from the area of the stain.
• Try a method several times as it won’t work on the first try. You need to repeat the process at least thrice to get the desired results.
• Try different cleaning methods to get rid of the stain completely. If one method won’t work effectively, try another method.
• Always check the labels on your clothes. Different types of fabrics behave differently to the same type of stain. They may have different handling and wash criteria as well.
• Always pre-treat the stained clothes with the above methods. Don’t wash the stained clothes in the washing machine for a regular wash. It will lock the oil in the fibers of the clothes making them stickier than before.
• If you’re traveling and the destination is not close, keep a single-serve wipe on hand to get the grease off your clothes. These wipes are served with a degreasing component that will help to remove the grease to some extent before you do laundry.

Some preventive measures

• Clean your e-Bike’s chain twice or thrice a week to prevent the build-up of oil and grime. Your pants usually got grease stains from your e-Bike chain. Lubrication used to keep the chains in a healthy condition might end up being ridden hard through gravel and mud puddles. Use a degreaser for cleaning purposes and then apply lubricant.
• Using an e-Bike Chain Guard or a gearcase is ultimately a lot less effort than brushing a grease stain on your clothes. It will cover the outside of the chain and also help to prevent you from getting soiled.
• While cleaning or tuning, consider swapping your dress with a black one. No visible stain, no issue. Or you may roll your trouser leg up while riding an e-Bike.

Last words

After reading our guide, you know how to get rid of the grease stains on your clothes. Keep in mind that stain prevention is better than stain removal. VELOWAVE e-Bikes are very easy to clean and configure. Ride with confidence!