Air Filter---Oxy-Clean, Dishwashing liquid, etc..?

[jeba6208]

Just put a new TwinAir filter in a kdx200 I just bought. I don't want to use gas to clean the filter and really don't want to have to order special filter cleaners like No Toil.....Anybody here have a method of cleaning that they can pickup from their local supermarket, etc...(Simple Green, Oxy, etc..?)

 

[Flechagorda]

I clean my filter just whit water and detergent (i use the dish's detergent)
Then dry very well and wet the filter whit air filter oil...
(sorry for my bad english, im from Argentina.......)

 

[julien_d]

nothing cleans them like gas ;). It really helps to have a petroleum based solvent to clean that sticky air filter oil off. If you can clean it with dish soap or simple green, give it a shot. I'll stick with gas/diesel/kerosene.

 

[mathd]

nothing cleans them like gas ;). It really helps to have a petroleum based solvent to clean that sticky air filter oil off. If you can clean it with dish soap or simple green, give it a shot. I'll stick with gas/diesel/kerosene.

Yeah, petroleum solvent work best.
Its what i do then i rinse with water and let dry very well before re-oiling.

 

[sr5bidder]

I get a large freezer bag and insert the filter, then fill with greased lightening and seal up the bag, then mash.. shake.. rumble...squish...let sit, then go to work on the filter housing and the rubber drain utter (very important) come back and squish and rinse.

I use uni filter oil in the gray bottle ..my trick is to take the cap off the bottle place the filter on the bottle and hold it there while turning the bottle upside down then i just leep the bottle in catact with the filter and "draw" or color the filter with oil till I have the whole thing uniform..it works very well and not to messy as long as you keep the bottle in consant contact with the filter and remember to turn the bottle right side up with the filter still on top when finished!!!!

 

[reepicheep]

I think Oxy Clean bleaches as much as it cleans, and white dirt is still dirt.

I used Dawn on mine, a really aggressive anti-oil soap, and was suprised at how hard it was to clean. Maybe I'll try kerosene next time...

 

[IndyMX]

Special order No-Toil? You should be able to buy that from just about any bike shop off the shelf.

 

[domino dave]

Lemon scent Joy... smells good. Hot water and hot water rinse. I always keep another set of filters so one set can be installed while the other is drying . Dishwash detergent is great at cutting grease . Dave

 

[Joburble]

I use petrol to clean it. Then I oil it the day before or the same day I ride. I use Castrol spray filter oil. No Probs yet. Why don't you wan't to use petrol?

 

[Flechagorda]

Why don't you wan't to use petrol?

In my experience, the glue is dissolved with the fuel, and the fuel ruins the foam (or sponge) filter, i destroyed a filter cleaning it whit fuel....
Never try with kerosene or gasoil...

Again, sorry for my english......

 

[jeba6208]

I use petrol to clean it. Then I oil it the day before or the same day I ride. I use Castrol spray filter oil. No Probs yet. Why don't you wan't to use petrol?

On the last KDX that I had, when I used gas to clean the filter the gas deteriorated the seams of the filter and it finally just started coming apart....I just wanted to see if there is something that I could get from the local supermarket that would do the job just as well, and be inexpensive to boot.

 

[reepicheep]

Makes sense. I guess I will stick with Dawn dish soap (I keep a big bottle around for mounting tires as well) and elbow grease...

 

[Sandman 2.0]

If you use no-toil oil, oyx-clean works as well as the cleaner they sell. I also experienced filter failure at the seams from using gasolene but I concur that nothing dissolves petroleum based oil better.

 

[Joburble]

Filter faliure, I am surprised. Are the filters you are talking about very old or new/new-ish?

 

[Sandman 2.0]

Mine was on the newish side. When I was a kid, I only washed the filters in gas and never had one deteriorate. I have to wonder if its the ethanol in the gas or other additives that weren't used in the 70's. Or maybe its what the filters are glued together with these days. You'd think the adhesives would have improved though.

 

[Joburble]

Good point about the additives, ethanol may be the problem, I must admit I hadn't thought of that one. I don't think we have ethanol in our standard petrol here in NZ so that may be why I have no probs. I have read that some people use turpentine.

 

[glad2ride]

Try kerosene for a few cycles, then switch over to Dawn and hot water. Squeeze and DO NOT wring the filter.

There is no good reason to use gasoline for anything other than a fuel on a KDX.

 

[mudpack]

PJ1 makes a filter cleaning solution that works pretty well.
I have also been happy using kerosene; it's not as aggressive on the glue/foam as gasoline it.

 

[MaverickAus]

I like No Toil

 

[julien_d]

Kerosene or diesel is my cleaner of choice. I won't go buy a gallon just to wash my filter though If I have left over mix from the last ride.....

Maybe not a GOOD reason, but it's my reason darnit!!

J.

 

[XRpredator]

gas (or petrol for you brits, aussies, and kiwis) works in a pinch, but if you really want it clean, dish soap is best. Gets all the old filter oil out (along with the mung and gunk it collected) and leaves just the foam.

These other guys are right, I've had several newish filters fall apart from cleaning in gas/solvents.

 

[DWreck]

Try kerosene for a few cycles, then switch over to Dawn and hot water. Squeeze and DO NOT wring the filter.

I had really good luck doing it this way and switched gasoline in place of kerosene when it became hard to find.

I now use No Toil and wash it with oxy clean in hot water followed by a couple of rinses of plain water. I like the fact that I can do it in my sink with no smell or sticky mess.

My recommendation is to pick a way and stick with it. I tried changing from one to the other and ended up with some kind of gooey crap on the filter that no combination of chemicals would clean. Gave up and bought new filters.

 

[Joburble]

Just dragging up an old thread here, you will see why. I have always used gas to clean my filters never a problem. Then I thought I'd give No Toil a try. It worked well but it just seems a pain to use so I went back to gas, no probs. Last weekend thought I'd try removing the old oil with gas then give the filter a wash using laundry powder. Gas stage went fine, then I soaked the filter in a tub with laundry powder for about 10 mins. Result, a 3 piece filter, it just fell apart in the tub. Doh!

 

[Dirtdame]

I have used all kinds of cleaners designed specifically for foam filters but none of them cleaned my filters as well as dish washing detergent or even car wash detergent. I have used both Stoddard solvent and gasoline on filters, (either of which works the best) and have never had them come apart from using that stuff on them. I don't let the filters stand or soak in a petroleum base solvent though and I still wash them with a liquid detergent and rinse them after the petroleum dunking though. I have also tried Simple Green Motorsports cleaner/degreaser (in the blue bottle) mixed with the liquid detregent which seems to work better than the detergent alone.

 

[domino dave]

Lemon scent Joy... smells good. Hot water and hot water rinse. I always keep another set of filters so one set can be installed while the other is drying . Dishwash detergent is great at cutting grease . Dave

Tried it all... Said it B4.. Say it again... Domino