Lifeline Citrus Degreaser 1000ml

Lifeline Citrus Degreaser is designed to strip transmissions of oils, grease and other gunk en route. Cheap as the proverbial portion of chips, it's ruthlessly efficient, non-flammable but potentially cruel to paint, skin and eyes in its neat form – you have been warned.

The exact ingredients are a closely guarded secret, but don't be fooled by the water-soluble formula's sweet, fruity aroma – citrus concentrates can be very nasty, so long sleeves and gloves are sensible precautions.

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When tackling chains, Lifeline recommends pouring some in the solvent bath, leaving them marinating for 30 seconds or so, then spinning the cranks. PTFE fortified lubes and 10w/40 motor oils were dismissed first time, while ceramic and fully synthetic stay-put polymer blends required 60 seconds and around 6-8 full revolutions.

Going the brush route reaps similar rewards, but beware of residual spatter – while I was scrubbing grime-encrusted cassettes, my eye took a direct hit, inducing excruciating pain and commensurate cursing. Doused with cold water, there's no lasting damage, but I've been less casual about eye protection since!

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Having decided that my beloved fixed-gear winter bike/trainer's wet spray livery was looking a little tatty after 10 years, I left the frame at the paint shop for a two-tone powder coat transformation and set about sprucing the drivetrain components.

Brushing in several overlapping neat coats shifted all trace of spent lubes from its crank spider and sprockets, without hurting the silver anodising or similar coatings.

That said, I never exceeded 30 seconds and rinsed them liberally in cold water. Gungy cartridge bottom brackets also responded well to this therapy, although for best results you need to agitate stiffer synthetic greases with a firm brush midway through the standing phase.

Also, resist the temptation to use hot water. Yes, it will accelerate cleansing but also the caustic side, which isn't good news for decorative finishes, seals and other rubberised components.

>> Check out our guide to protecting your bike from the wet, salt and crud of winter

So long as splashes are rinsed quickly, there's been no fading, or damage to powder coated or two-pack finishes, but beware that if left unchecked on some cheaper stove enamels and rattle-can acrylics it can lead to localised fading.

You can, of course, dilute it with tap water. Mixed very carefully in a 1:10 (degreaser/water) ratio results in a very passable bike wash.

Citrus blends certainly shift muck and grime, but they can nibble through protective polymer waxes, or result in dulling/streaking. This was easily sorted with a quick furniture polish blow-over and buff up, but spotting in matt colours needed more specialist preserves.

Verdict

Cheap and versatile workshop staple, but use and store carefully