Today’s article is going to be short and a bit different. Mainly, we wanted to tackle a topic, we’ve promised to follow up on in our “5 secrets” guide: "A cheap and effective cleaner for your bike, that you may already have in your bathroom."
SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) soaps, which are the topic of the discussion, have their roots in industrial applications and become an essential ingredient in cleaning industrial machinery, as they effectively remove grease, oil, and grime from complex machinery parts.
The foaming action of SLS soaps help to penetrate and loosen dirt, making it easier to wash away, while its excellent grease-cutting ability ensures that machines are thoroughly cleaned. This makes SLS soaps ideal for use in the automotive and manufacturing industries, where machinery parts need to be kept clean and functioning properly.
For the very same reasons, SLS soaps are also commonly used in everyday cleaning products, such as laundry detergents, car wash cleaners, or… your shower gel.
I am not kidding here. The same foamy and highly caustic ingredient used for machinery cleaning is most probably at the 1st or the 2nd place of your shower gel ingredients list, and probably a few other products too. Just turn the bottle and have a check for yourself.
Such products have been just recently the subject of some health concerns due to their potential to cause skin and eye irritation, or even allergic reactions and other negative effects.
So, as much as we would recommend using them for cleaning your bike with minimal effort, better get yourself SLS-free products for yourself.
Revolubes™
Know How Division