Review: Release 'eco' Orage bike cleaners

Baby wipes aren't just a simple thing for road cyclists who want to give their bike a shine, more and more riders are relying on disposable wipes for a daily (or weekly or monthly) cleaning solution. Orage wipes are a big step above baby wipes and will give the bike clean and grippy oil, grease and grime. For $39.90 you get a tub of 65 wipes and a microfiber cloth. If you don't want the fabric, the tub is just $37, these prices include Australia wide shipping.

Orage bike wipes from UNPASS cleaners are made in France and are multi-purpose with a label indicating that they are suitable for almost any material (vinyl, leather, metals, carbon fiber and more). I tested them on a clear coated titanium bike, a carbon fiber bike and car parts.

They are not clean

For my test, the bikes weren't dirty, just normal road grime and an accumulation of oil on the chain and parts. One towel is enough to easily clean the whole bike and the instructions suggest starting with clean areas before moving on to dirty areas, A wet towel is good for cleaning as long as it stays wet and a micro-fiber cleaning towel is the accessory I recommend as it gives the best finish. If you need a deep cleaning and are dealing with the chain again, you will need to wipe the second bike.

Normal dirt and grime come off easily with a wipe, anything oily or greasy may need more attention but usually dissipates. The time when the Sula collects dirt and oil, you need to take care as this can be greasy. A microfibre towel should be used before the surface dries to provide final cleanliness. In the frame, using microfiber gave a better final result (than the outside), especially in the carbon fiber frame and it will give you a showroom finish.

A matt carbon fiber frame requires a little more work and polishing with a microfiber towel than a titanium frame. Since titanium was smooth, it was easy to remove dirt and clean with a cloth to finish the surface.

For parts of the frame that change color (from sweat, drinks or neglect), surface stains can be removed although deep-seated stains are difficult to remove. The wipes work well on oily parts like the chain, chain rings and cassette. I think a separate and clean degreaser for these parts first will provide better end results, but wiping does the trick. If the wipes get greasy, this will transfer to your hands so you should wear gloves or grab another towel.

I also wanted to test the cleaners in the car and a fresh towel quickly picked up the excess dirt. Car areas close to the road that attract stubborn dirt are difficult to clean and soaking and washing will help. Paint and black on well-cleaned wheels although the streaks will therefore require a lot of wiping. It is wiser to wash with soap and water and use these wipes for details.

Results

Overall I was happy with this and found my mind changing. To be very clean I will still use a bucket of soapy water first and degreaser on the chain, but to finish or clean quickly, wiping the bike is easy and gives a good result combined with a microfiber cloth. When selling a bike, wipes and polishing cloths will help you present the bike well.

It wipes off something that I usually only think of when traveling but the tub is simply too big to be the perfect travel companion. It is a garage or workshop. UNPASS doesn't have any other compact options, but it would be easy to put a few towels in a ziplock bag to go.

The pack is fiddly, it doesn't have a dispenser (like baby wipes) so you can't just remove one towel. You might try to roll out and get an edge. Be careful, at the bottom of the tub is a cleaning fluid that will spill into the tub at the very top. If your hands are oily and you reach for another towel, it will rub off on other towels. It's not a deal breaker, but it could be improved.

The website suggests that the wipes are environmentally friendly, “Our wipes are natural beauty, silicone oil free, non-flammable, low VOC, and endocrine disruptor free.” I couldn't make out the specific 'ingredients', although it has a peachy smell and not a chemical smell. Director of UNPASS Australia, Jonathan Mecque says these chemical compounds are not environmentally friendly, although the dirt and particles they pick up when they are cleaned are not contaminated so used wipes should be disposed of carefully…. this means they go in the general waste bin.

'Made in France' and the strict rules of the European Union are a reliable indicator of high quality and clean production although part of the eco value disappears in transport Down Under. To be fair, local production can be difficult to cost-effectively and the 'bulk' container format of Unpass Orage wipes is suitable for a long-term cleaning and detailed solution.

Short of a comparison test with other brands, my independent test confirmed that the wipes are effective and easy to clean, actually much better than a hose and a sponge. It was a pleasant surprise to use a microfibre towel (while the surface was still wet) and see how much it improved to the finish.

Orage wipes from UNPASS are available for purchase online.