Are you wondering the best tips and steps you need to learn to clean a longboard? We’ve got your covered! You may have no other choice if your bearings are noisy and aren’t spinning properly, you need to get them clean.
Without prior experience, you are likely to think it takes high-level expertise to get the deck and bearings clean. Well, I know it isn’t that easy. However, it will be a doable thing after going through this piece. Roll up your sleeves and follow the highlighted details to get the bearings and the deck clean
How to clean the longboard deck
The deck of a longboard is the flat board on which the skaters step. If Bam was asked, I think he would say that the deck is the easiest part to clean. But why should you clean the board regularly?
Cleaning the deck regularly prevents dirt from sticking. Hence, it will save the extra scrubbing energy. With that said, let us dive into the steps of cleaning the deck of a longboard.
Requirements
- Clean water
- Mild detergent
- Bucket
- Nylon brush or a toothbrush
- Sponge
The process
- Detach the longboard from the trucks: Getting the metallic part of the longboard may cause rust. As a result, the fast wasting of the equipment. Flip the longboard, while using a wrench remove the nuts in the wheels
- Mix water with mild dish detergent in a bucket: pour drops of mild dish detergent to the water until it suds up
- Scrub using a nylon brush: While dipping the brush into the water mixed with detergent, gently scrub the deck. Apply semi-circular motions while overlapping the sections. Other alternatives for a nylon brush can be a toothbrush or a sponge
- Rinse with a wet sponge: Dip a clean sponge into a bucket of fresh water, and rinse off the scum. However, without a sponge, you can also use bare hands
- Flip the board and leave to dry: You can flip the board to drain excess water. Also, with a dry piece of cloth or sponge, wipe off the deck to dry. Later, you can leave the board for two to three hours to dry completely
Things to note while cleaning the deck:
- The metal on the underside of the deck should not get wet, least, it will rust.
- Waterlogging the board risks it to cracking, thus dry it immediately
How to clean the bearings of a longboard
Bearings are the round metallic pieces that hold the wheels. They should be cleaned if they don’t spin well or else they are making a lot of noise.
Requirements
- Lubricant
- Hairdryer
- Cleaning solvent, e.g., Alcohol
- Screwdriver
Process
- Unscrew the wheels from the axle; be careful lest you damage the wheel
- Remove the rubber bearing shield; this is the plastic or metallic part that goes round the bearings. Push the shield out using a screwdriver
- Soak in a solvent: the most common solvent for cleaning bearings is Alcohol. Using a tiny jar with the solvent, dip the bearings and soak them
- Remove the bearings; after shaking the bearings for three to five minutes, remove and place them on a dry clean surface
- Dry the bearings; in this step, you will need a hairdryer. Set the hairdryer and move it over the bearings until all the moisture dries.
- Re-grease the bearings; after the cleaning process, now it is time to re-grease the bearings. Using the ideal lubricant, hold the bearings apply the oil while rolling
- Snap the shield back and the bearings: place back the shield to the bearings. Using your hands, push the bearings back to the wheels
What to note;
- To promise longevity of the bearings, synthetic grease is highly recommendable
- Hot bearings can burn, so be careful
- Citrus and orange-based cleaners can also be used as cleaning agents
Conclusion
Learning how to clean a longboard will do you good. You don’t have to wait until the motion of the wheels is unbearable. Why would you have to bear with noise-making bearings while the cleaning process is simple?
Besides, cleaning the deck will also simplify its maintenance. Get the steps in this article and follow the well-detailed guide to get your longboard looking like new. However, if you find out that your longboard is beyond repair, you can check the cheap longboards for a replacement.
