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Review: Muc-Off Pressure Washer blows the foam party onto US, EU & UK bikes

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayer
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We’ve been blasting Nano Tech cleaner foam onto dirty bikes for several weeks now, and can attest to the Muc-Off Pressure Washer as a fun & effective way to knock the mud off our rides. Muc-Off showed us their pink pressure washer last spring, but at the time it was a UK-only deal. And we wondered if we really did need a “bicycle-specific” pressure washer…

Muc-Off bicycle-specific Pressure Washer with Snow Foam

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayer

Muc-Off’s Pressure Washer is being billed as both ‘bicycle-specific’ & ‘motorcycle-specific’ to two different groups of consumers. What that amounts to is that in includes two medium-pressure nozzles (labelled as BICYCLE & MOTORCYCLE) that each deliver a less intense stream of water than a standard pressure washer. That makes it much safer for the regular end user to blast away at their bike’s bearings, pivots, suspension & drivetrain components without fear of blowing out critical grease. Then, Muc-Off also includes a third adjustable nozzle for more stubborn grit & grime.

But do we really need a bicycle-specific pressure washer?

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayer

In truth, you don’t really need a bicycle-specific pressure washer. I’ve been carefully washing bikes for over two decades (including many hastily & more carelessly washed cyclocross bikes at cross races) with much success. And as long as you don’t aim the jet of water directly at bearings & seals, you just need to regularly maintain (read: relube & regrease) anything that is supposed to move on your bike to keep it spinning smoothly.

With that said, this new Muc-Off Pressure Washer is probably the most user-friendly solution I’ve used for cleaning both wet mud & hardened dirt off of a bike. It totally simplifies the cleaning process, and then packs away easily when you are done.

So how does the Muc-Off Pressure Washer work?

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayer

Like most high-quality pressure washers, Muc-Off’s uses interchangeable nozzles that have different power output – they call them Lances. Muc-Off doesn’t list detailed specs for each nozzle, rather rating them overall with a regular operating pressure up to 70bar (1000psi) with peak max pressures of 100bar (1450psi), all with a 5.5L/min standard water consumption.

The different ~20cm lances (which build in the different fixed nozzles) are proprietary and only attach to the trigger mechanism with another ~25cm extension. It’s a relatively easy process but requires a bit of aligning small arrows to make it all work, so a tad finicky.

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayer

Instead of vastly different spray patterns, the Muc-Off Pressure Washer has a middle-pressure Bicycle Lance (stronger than any standard hose, but using less water concentrated to a more controllable area), a medium/high-pressure Motorcycle Lance (that feels about half again more powerful and close to a wide 30° stream from an average home pressure washer), and lastly an adjustable custom Muc-Off Lance that goes from just spraying mist to focusing even higher pressure.

The bike nozzle knocked pretty much all mud & caked dirt off my bikes, and the moto nozzle easily picked off the worst grime when I needed to get in close. I haven’t really need to do much at all with the third, adjustable one.

But what about that foam party?

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayerBut probably the best thing about the entire Muc-Off Pressure Washer has been the Snow Foam Lance that blows tons of mud-eating foam when you attach a liter bottle of Muc-Off Nano Tech cleaner. They tout the pink Nano Tech as a powerful cleaner that breaks down dirt & grime, but you need to let it sit on the bike for 3-5 minutes.

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayer

The Snow Foam Lance makes it easy to just coat the entire bike quickly, then walk away for a break while it does its magic. It is also biodegradable and free of solvents, so it’s been safe to just wash away into the grass in my yard.

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayer

Then once five minutes is up, I quickly swap back on the Bicycle Lance and blast away willy nilly.

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayerLooking at grit I’ve allowed to cake on & harden, it all comes off in a single pass once the Nano Tech has done its job.

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayer

And watching the scrubbing bubbles drip down the bike is a relatively entertaining way to pass the time while you wait, or go for a beverage break….

Final thought on the Muc-Off Pressure Washer

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayer

If you already have a pressure washer and are comfortable with being careful when you clean you bike, it probably doesn’t make sense to go buy a new one, just because this is pink & made for bikes. But if you put off buying one for fear of destroying bearings, it may be time to give Muc-Off another thought.

The Muc-Off Pressure Washer is nice and compact, plugs into a regular outlet & connects easily to most hoses with a standard quick connect. A side mount stores 3 lance attachments (or I put the two I use most there, plus the required extension) and coils up the 5m power cord.

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayer

Then, everything tucks nicely into its own custom made drybag. That means it travels well, and comes into the house without making a mess. (But you still have to figure out a way to properly dry it before storing for any period of time, lest something starts to grow inside.  I’ve taken to giving the Pressure Washer its own 3m piece of hose (that fits in the rear external mech pocket with its own high-pressure hose) so I can quickly set it up to clean bikes without pulling out my regular hose. That’s especially useful since much of my bike cleaning happens in cold winter cyclocross & slushy gravel & MTB months.

Inside there is plenty of room for the Snow Foam Lance, a 1L bottle of Nano Tech cleaner, and the pistol grip/wand, all of which don’t get specific internal storage pockets but are more securely packed inside.

Muc-Off Pressure Washer Pricing & global availability

Muc-Off Pressure Washer review, bicycle-specific bike& bearing-safe compact electric regulated-pressure pressure washer with Snow Foam soap bubble attachment sprayer

All-in-all, combining the Nano Tech foam sprayer with a medium-pressure electric pressure washer has made this a faster, easier way to clean my bikes than any hand method. And it requires much less care & attention than any conventional high-pressure washer I’ve used. And now the best part is its broader availability…

The Muc-Off Pressure Washer is available today to order direct in the UK, EU & US, with shipping to head out next week. In the US it is only offered in the complete kit like we’ve been using, for $175 including the Pressure Washer, drybag, Snow Foam Lance, 1L of Nano Tech bike wash & a 1L. In the UK the same kit sells for £120, and in the EU 140€. The UK also offers the Pressure Washer, the drybag & Snow Foam attachment individually, but those aren’t currently in stock due to high demand for the bundles.

Muc-Off.com & US.Muc-Off.com

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19 Comments
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Bewer
Bewer
5 years ago

It makes no sense to advertise for a pressure washer because the washer is out of stock at the muc-off.com website.

Hilarie
Hilarie
5 years ago
Reply to  Bewer

It’s online now!

some guy
some guy
5 years ago

Say good bye to all of the bearings in your bike.

K-Pop is dangerous to your health
K-Pop is dangerous to your health
5 years ago
Reply to  some guy

Shhhh!!! Quiet!!! Bearing replacement is part of my paycheck. By all means, soak those bearings!

mtbinavl
mtbinavl
5 years ago

Opinion nobody asked for: get the Worx instead. About the same price, better nozzle, and is cordless so you can actually use it as races and at the trailhead.

Eyal
Eyal
5 years ago

Sad! Nobody needs to use this much chemicals to clean a bike

threeringcircus
threeringcircus
5 years ago
Reply to  Eyal

No doubt.

Joshua Benefield
Joshua Benefield
5 years ago

Anyone know the brand of the tan gravel bike in the above pics?

Stéphane
Stéphane
5 years ago

Must be this one…
https://opencycle.com/wide

Andrew
Andrew
5 years ago

The big drawback to me is that this still requires a hose connection…. If I’m going to buy a pressure washer for my bike, its mainly because I’d want to use it either A) in CX season after I’ve shut off my hose connection for the winter or B) at MTB races in remote locations …. Looks like there are other options, although Ive heard mixed reviews of options like the Worx Hydroshot…

shadub
shadub
5 years ago

These pollutants are the last thing we need in our forests and water supply. Please don’t wash your bikes at the trailhead.

fbhidy
5 years ago

Can we just avoid using the term ‘lance’ in anything bike related (unless you’ve got a boil due to not taking care of a saddle sore)?

xc_racer
xc_racer
5 years ago

I have dry cleaned bikes for years now. (Or at most, bucket & wet rag).

My road bike (2009 model) is still on it’s original cables & casing and all original bearings. And they’re working perfectly, hence not replacing them yet. (I actually have a cable & casing set sitting waiting to go on my road bike. And I did replace my hub bearings SKF low friction seal bearings – just because I wanted to install better bearings. The bearings that came out were still in perfect condition).

My most recent mtb (also a 2009 model) was sold it a few years ago with all the original cables & casing & bearings. Again, they were all in perfect condition, so I didn’t bother replacing them.

I don’t know where the idea of blasting your bike with a hose, let alone a pressure washer, is a good idea. It never was, and never was necessary.

Bike Nerd
Bike Nerd
5 years ago

That sort of spray treatment will get your bike real clean while simultaneously removing every bit of grease from the bearings on your bike. Don’t do it!

Rob
Rob
5 years ago

Anyone know what tires are on the gravel bike. WTB??

Ernesto Di Betta
Ernesto Di Betta
5 years ago

I think wtb sendero

Jared
Jared
5 years ago

The tires are Challege’s Dune – Team Edition

Gillis
Gillis
5 years ago

I have a pressure washer, but use it for my house/property. I use a regular hose to clean off the heavy mud and grime, wipe down the rest. For cyclocross races, I use a hand-pump pesticide sprayer (mine is 2 or 3 gallons). I fill it with hot water before leaving, and use it on my bike and myself.

John
John
5 years ago

Interesting. I’ve used a $15, one gallon garden sprayer for years. Portable, no hard water stream, no hose or electric needed (although you will need to fill it in advance. One gallon does at least two very dirty bikes.

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