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Cleaning products
Muc-Off Glue and Sealant RemoverMuc-Off Glue and Sealant Remover

Muc-Off Glue and Sealant Remover

7
by Stu Kerton
UPDATED Sat, Feb 08, 2020 09:46

First Published Feb 8, 2020

1
£7.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Takes a bit of extra work to get some stubborn glue off but easy to use and kind to your rims
Quick and simple to use
Requires a fair bit of rubbing to remove tape and tub glue
Weight: 
228g
Contact: 
muc-off.com
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Muc-Off Sealant and Glue Remover does a decent job of cleaning your rims after you've used tubeless tyres or tubulars. Sealants are removed with ease, although some rim glue can be a little stubborn and require more elbow grease.

Muc-Off says its Sealant and Glue Remover has a non-aggressive proprietary formula which is safe to use on a whole range of material surfaces, although it does recommend trying a small inconspicuous area first. I tried it on both alloy and carbon fibre rims with no issue at all.

Shake and soak

Application is simple enough: give the can a good shake and apply it to half the wheel, allowing it to soak into the leftover glue and sealant for at least 10 minutes.

When that time is up you can soak the other half of the rim and then crack on with wiping it off the first half of the wheel – Muc-Off recommends a microfibre cloth.

The sealant in the pictures had been in the tyre for a few months and the tape had been on the wheel for about a year.

As you can see below from the sections I've used it on, the sealant wiped off with no issue whatsoever after the initial soaking…

Muc-Off Glue and Sealant Remover - tape sealant esidue.jpg

…though the glue from the tape took a little more persuasion and another blast from the can to remove it – as did the glue on a tubular wheel. (The pic below shows what the glue was like before I applied the Muc-Off, as well as the bit it has cleaned.) 

Muc-Off Glue and Sealant Remover - tape glue residue.jpg

On the whole, I was impressed. It did the job I was expecting it to without taking too much time, and it's not going to damage your expensive rims.

Priced at £7.99 it's in the region of other aerosol cleaners like the Peatys XXX Solvent Degreaser or GT85 in a similar sized can. These are both more potent degreasers for your entire bike, but as we haven't reviewed any other glue/sealant-specific cleaners it's a little difficult to gauge overall value. I wouldn't have any qualms about paying the full rrp for it.

Overall, it does the business, isn't harsh on your wheels, and is easy to use.

Verdict

Takes a bit of extra work to get some stubborn glue off but easy to use and kind to your rims

road.cc test report

Make and model: Muc-Off Glue and Sealant Remover

Size tested: 200ml

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Muc-Off says, "A non-aggressive proprietary formula for dissolving sealant and glue.

"This non-aggressive proprietary formula helps remove rim tape glue, sealant or tubular glue residue from inside rims (and many other surfaces) prior to applying Muc-Off Tubeless Rim Tape. Safe to use on most metal, plastic and carbon fibre surfaces."

It delivers on what Muc-Off says it should.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Muc-Off says: "DANGER: Extremely flammable aerosol. Pressurised container. May burst if heated. May cause drowsiness or dizziness. Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking. Keep out of reach of children"

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

We haven't tested any glue/sealant-specific cleaners, but it's about the same price as other aerosol bike cleaners we've reviewed, like Peatys or GT85.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It does a really good job of removing tubeless setup residues.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Works brilliantly on sealant residue.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Takes quite a bit of rubbing to get really stubborn, dry glue off.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

It does the job it's designed to without too much issue, and costs about the same as competitors.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

Muc-Off Glue and Sealant Remover 2020
Muc-Off Glue and Sealant Remover
Muc-Off 2020
Muc-Off
Stu Kerton

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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1 comments

Avatar
ktache | 3 years ago
0 likes

I have just used some of this stuff, and it helps.

The gunk left behind by the previous tape came off nice and easy, preparing the surface for the fresh tape.

Little bit of effort required, but much less than say getting the set rubber off the inside of the tyre.

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