Life According to JC: Cleaning Anodized Frames

Both my downhill and cross country bikes are black anodized aluminum frames. When it comes to cleaning them, I long for a clear coated painted bike. Nothing shines when clean like paint. The process of anodizing aluminum is dipping the bare metal frame in acid and letting the acid etch the top layer of metal. During that process, the color of the acid is impregnated in a very thin, very hard upper layer of the metal. It's resistant to scratches and holds up very well over time. However, there's never a "showroom shine" thanks to all those little pits etched into the metal.

Since the top layer of metal isn't smooth, when oily, slick, wet clay coats the frame, the pores in the metal are filled. Washing the bike off with a soft brush, rag or sponge doesn't dig deep and pull out that crud. The bike looks great when wet, but once dry, you can see the mud splatter design in the anodized aluminium.

I did some research and tried some new products this weekend to help spruce up the apperance of my bikes. The first product is Tutle Wax ICE Car Wash - a new "2-n-1" pH balanced car wash. Having a pH balanced wash is important because if the wash is too acidic, it can fade the anodized paint over time. This wash foams up very well and cut through the grime on my bikes without a problem.

However, once dry, the bikes still looked splotchy. So after drying the frame, I tried Tutle Wax ICE Liquid Polish. This is a new, gentler, silicone-based wax. It comes with a foam applicator and a microfiber towel. I made sure the frame was dry before applying the wax. It went on very easy - it's a clear liquid that's maybe a hair thicker than water. I wiped it on generously making sure to catch any runs or drips. I waited 5-10 minutes and used the supplied microfiber towel to wipe down the whole frame. It looks great! I've had the bike for over nine months and now the bike finally looks clean.

Not only does it look clean, but it should be easier to wash the bike next time since the frame is covered in a wax. Oh, the wax is a UV protectant, so that will help keep the anodized color from fading.