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Juice Lubes Dirt Juice Ultimate Workshop Degreaser

6
£11.99

VERDICT:

6
10
Competent cleaner spray for general workshop duties but less potent than some
Versatile – you can use it on most surfaces
Quick and convenient to use
Will double as a release spray
Will work out pricey if you use it primarily as a release spray
Weight: 
480g
Contact: 

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You could think of the Juice Lubes Dirt Juice Ultimate Workshop Degreaser as the maintenance spray of degreasers – a capable all-rounder, designed for a wealth of applications. The careful blend of solvents reflects this, being effective though not piranha-like. This means it won't wreck the delicate seals, bushings, plastics, elastomers and similar components found in suspension forks, seatposts, hubs and the like.

Make no mistake, it will still strip residual greases from headset and other bearings and oils from drivetrains. However, in the latter contexts, it's most economical as a 'chaser' to brush-on concentrate degreasers.

Specification

Juice Lubes was a little coy regarding the degreaser's precise chemistry, except to say it consists of carefully blended solvents – the sort that will blitz grime but are, theoretically at least, safe on seals, plastics and other sensitive components and surfaces.

The brand believes in manufacturing biodegradable products wherever it's practical and where it won't compromise performance. However, Juice Lubes says it couldn't get a biodegradable mix to deliver the desired standard for this degreaser, and the same goes for its bearing grease.

In other respects, it works to the same science as other aerosols. A butane propellant fires the solvent, which hits the surface and cleans it, before evaporating, so there's no need for rinsing and/or drying. Theoretically, the same goes for scrubbing but this isn't always the case and is a testament to modern lubricants, rather than a slight on this and similar cleaners.

Methods/Technique

Much will depend upon the state of components that you're blitzing. If you're tackling a headset, hubs or a seatpost that are protected by grease that's liquified to a greasy gravy, then you can simply give the aerosol a vigorous shake and blast the parts.

> How to clean your bike - from a quick lick to a full makeover

It's much the same story for lightly soiled cassettes, chains, derailleur cages and jockey wheels. Wax-type chain lubricants tend to melt rather than vanish with solvent sprays, so I've tended to apply a concentrate, such as the Green Oil Clean Chain Degreaser, agitating with a stiff brush, beforehand.

Similarly, when it comes to scuzzy cassettes, I tend to remove the wheel, dawb concentrate over the entire block, taking care to angle it toward the ground so solvent flows away from the hub and seals. Though not neurotic, I minimise contact with painted, plated and lacquered surfaces, too. The same goes for Helicopter tape and stickers, since solvents can dissolve adhesives, causing them to lift and peel.

Performance

For the most part, performance has mirrored other aerosol-based, spray n' go strippers. It's on a par with Muc-Off High-Pressure Quick Drying Degreaser Chain & Cassette but lags behind something like Weldtite Jet Blast.

Calling its bluff, it raced through lightweight ISO/PTFE based lubes in around 20 seconds flat, leaving chains and cassettes sparkling. Mind you, any impacted, congealed cocktail of grit, mud and stray foliage will still require a quick helping of concentrate degreaser and tickling with the cassette claw beforehand, and the same is true for derailleur cages and jockey wheels.

I'd fed my rough stuff tourer's Aheadset bearings and crank axles Peaty's Speed Grease for the summer but decided it prudent to switch to Juice Lubes Bearing Grease. First, Since I'd been given that to test, and second, conditions were turning more wintery. In terms of consistency, Speed Grease is closer to 10w/40 motor oil than a grease per se.

Three moderate blasts and a clean rag rub over, and the headset races, bearings and crank splines were stripped of the Peaty's and ready for a proper lick of bearing grease. The Juice Lubes also makes post-fettling tool clean-ups a breeze. Blast, wipe clean, hang up/put away for next time.

However, when it came to purging stubborn sophisticated polymer greases, such as the White Lightning Crystal Clear Grease that I rated, and which is personal, hell 'n' high water favourite, parts needed traditional citrus degreaser, a short (few minutes) marinate, medium-stiff brush agitation, before finishing off with Dirt Juice Ultimate Workshop Degreaser.

In these contexts, concentrated liquids such as the Juice Lubes concentrate that Dave tested or the Green Oil Agent Apple Degreaser Green Oil Agent Apple Degreaser that Stu reviewed are what's called for, when it comes to grot-busting efficiency and economy. However, the latter is not something you want to be sloshing around near pretty finishes, or delicate surfaces (including your skin and eyes) and you should rinse promptly.

> How to clean disc brakes on a bicycle

In common with Motorex's Power Clean Spray, Juice Lubes Ultimate Workshop Degreaser has proven surprisingly good when purging grotty disc rotors and banishing pad-ruining witches' brews from callipers. I'd gone through two sets – on my fixed-gear winter trainer and rough- stuff tourer – with alarming speed, courtesy of roads coated in deep, slimy field mud and bovine dung. Finished off with gritty puddle juice. Old pads out, a couple of short blasts had the callipers gleaming and I could slot the replacements straight in.

The Ultimate Workshop Degreaser has been similarly effective when freeing sticky control cables, locking and other mechanisms. Just remember a quick shot of GT85 or similar afterward, so they've some filmy, corrosion-busting lubricant to keep them happy. Talking of which, I've even employed ours to chase home-brewed corrosion inhibitors through a steel frame's inner sanctum.

These solvent sprays also work quite credibly as release/freeing agents – for example when removing carbon gripper paste from a seatpost or liberating stubborn aluminium alloy posts, quill stems and the like from a steel frameset. The Ultimate Workshop Degreaser is no exception. I successfully freed a mysteriously stuck gusset headlock (a long chromoly bolt and T-bar used to secure and tension Aheadsets) with two short blasts and a firm tap from a rubber engineer's mallet.

Value

The £11.99 price seems competitive for this kind of rapid cleaner. Motorex Power Clean Spray that I reviewed is a more generic workshop blend, and the solvent lingers a little longer, so has greater effect.

I also tested the Tru Tension Cycle Drivetrain Degreaser, which is cheaper at £10.00 for 500ml and perhaps predictably, has a slight edge over the Juice Lubes Ultimate Workshop Degreaser when tackling drivetrain grot.

Muc-Off Quick Drying Degreaser comes in at £14.99 for 750ml. However, though speedy, Jamie found it didn't last particularly long. Weldtite's Jet Blast Degreaser costs £9.99 for 500ml and I found it effective,, although it seems more aggressive than the Ultimate Workshop Degreaser, so I've exercised greater caution around seals and bushings.

Verdict

Ultimately, as a general, speed-orientated workshop cleaner that won't do nasty things to delicate parts, Juice Lubes Ultimate Workshop Degreaser is competent. It's probably best thought of as the degreaser equivalent or WD40, or Motorex Joker 440 that I tested and has rapidly become a go-to when I'm needing to get a winter overhaul done quickly. A headset strip and re-pack, or brake calliper clean and pad swap when the temperature's dropping. Not to mention switching a dry lube for something more seasonal or shifting a silently sticking contact point or two.

Verdict

Competent cleaner spray for general workshop duties but less potent than some

road.cc test report

Make and model: Juice Lubes Dirt Juice Ultimate Workshop Degreaser

Size tested: 600ml

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?

Juice Lubes says: "Dirt Juice Hero, Ultimate Workshop Degreaser is a fast-acting, grease-defeating remedy for anything that needs grease gone. It's your secret weapon in the workshop when you need to clean out old gloop and grime, ready to start again from fresh.

Dirty drivetrains, bunged-up bearings, crusty chains, hammered headsets, you name it. If it's oily, greasy and grimy, Hero will sort it.

Use it when washing bikes to degrease drive trains and rinse away with fresh water or blast it into bearings to send that old grease packing, then simply leave it to evaporate. Use it at close range to blast gunk away and as a general, workshop grab-and-go to clean up components.

Think of Dirt Juice Hero as your superhero helping hand in the workshop. When things get greasy, just reach for the big green can."

My feelings are that it's a useful workshop companion when speed is of the essence and kinder to delicate seals and similar, compared with other aerosol-based lube strippers. However, it's less tenacious on stocky greases so can work out expensive if not used judiciously".

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

Made from a blend of nonbiodegradable solvents. 600ml Does not require rinsing.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
6/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
6/10

As a generic cleaner-cum-stripper, it's effective on lighter grot and saves time when performing component overhauls. However, while the blend appears kind to seals and other delicate components/surfaces, it's less effective on grotty drivetrains.

Rate the product for durability:
 
6/10

On par with similar blends. Easy to exhaust a can very quickly, if not deployed carefully.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
6/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
6/10

Convenient, especially on cold days. However, it can leave skin feeling dry, so if you have sensitive skin you should reach for examination or 'mechanic's' gloves.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Typical of the genre and very useful around the workshop, if used sparingly.

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

The Juice Lubes Dirt Juice Ultimate workshop Degreaser should be thought of as a quick and convenient cleaner for generic, light cleaning duties, not a hardcore drivetrain stripper. With these things in mind, it's been very useful for removing residual greases, freeing arthritic contact points, and cleaning up residual grime a dedicated de-greaser sometimes leaves behind. It hasn't done anything untoward to seals and plastics but some products, such as Motorex Power Clean Spray linger longer and have greater impact on oily, grimy stuff.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Kind to surfaces and it saves time when performing winter strip downs.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Evaporates faster than some rivals, so less effective on more stubborn grime/residual grease.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The £11.99 price seems competitive for this kind of rapid cleaner. The Motorex Power Clean Spray(£11.99) is a more generic workshop blend, and the solvent lingers a little longer, so has greater effect. Tru Tension Cycle Drivetrain is Cheaper at £10.00 for 500ml and perhaps predictably, has a slight edge over the Juice Lubes Ultimate Workshop Degreaser when tackling drivetrain grot. Muc-Off Quick Drying Degreaser comes in at £14.99 for 750ml. However, though speedy, Jamie found it didn't last particularly long. Weldtite's Jet Blast Degreaser is £9.99 for 500ml. I've found it effective, although it seems more aggressive than the Ultimate Workshop Degreaser, so I've exercised greater caution around seals and bushings.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Worth a look but there are more powerful formulas for similar money.

Use this box to explain your overall score

Does what it says on the can and to a decent standard, without doing nasty things to delicate parts. However, it's on a par with, rather than markedly better than several similar formulas I've used in the past.

Overall rating: 6/10

About the tester

Age: 49  Height: 1m 81cm  Weight: 70kg

I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

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2 comments

Avatar
ktache | 2 years ago
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The white lightning crystal clear grease sounds interesting.

Unfortunately I've just invested in a park polylube tub that looks suspiciously like the tins of ghee I get, so my other grease is sorted for a while. Finish line for packing my rohloff click box.

Juicy lubes fork juice works.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to ktache | 2 years ago
2 likes
ktache wrote:

The white lightning crystal clear grease sounds interesting.

Unfortunately I've just invested in a park polylube tub that looks suspiciously like the tins of ghee I get, so my other grease is sorted for a while. Finish line for packing my rohloff click box.

Juicy lubes fork juice works.

White Lightning conjures up a different product in my mind

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Are you sure that you're actually buying grease and aren't slathering cider and ghee onto your bike?

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