What not to wash a motorcycle with: products to avoid

In autumn, dirt, road salt and damp hit a bike hardest, and it's tempting to reach for something stronger. But harsh chemicals ruin plastic, paint, rubber and lubricants faster than any mud.

• Skip dish soap, laundry powder and household cleaners with alkali or acid: they dull plastic and paint and strip grease from moving parts.
• Don't wash with petrol, solvent or acetone: they eat into plastic, seals and paint.
• Keep a strong pressure jet away from wheel bearings, steering head bearings, the ignition switch, exhaust outlet, air intake and electrical connectors: water pushes out grease and invites corrosion.
• Don't wash a hot engine, discs or exhaust: sudden cooling leaves marks on metal and the cleaner dries in streaks.
• Use mild car or motorcycle shampoo, plenty of clean water and a soft sponge or microfibre cloth; a stiff brush scratches paint and plastic.