How do you wash your bike? Any special tips that get that plastic clean, or the aluminum sparkling?? Please share.
I'll start it.
Start with a simple rinse with a stream spray getting all the mud/dirt off.
Coat the entire bike with a degreaser, tires too,(usually the cheapest largest quantity degreaser I can buy). Make sure to have the soap bucket full on hand. Soap mixture with a shot of concentrated liquid wax. Without letting the degreaser sit on the metal surfaces too long, start soaping down the metal parts with a nylon washing brush. Move to the plastics and thouroughly scrub everywhere reachable.
Rinse and if necessary repeat.
Use Wesley's Bleach-White and spray the tires.
After the tire is coated, quickly start scrubbing the rims on each side and work your way to the meat of the tire. Follow up with scrubbing the rear sprocket and spokes using a small amount off Bleach-white. Bleach-white removes the chain wax and dirt very well.
While the bike is still wet, apply wax-as-you-dry and wipe off with a clean towel. The wax helps the next time you wash. Some of this Michigan mud stains like ink and sticks like cement.
Got a better way to wash???