Isopropyl Alcohol

What Can I Clean My Skate Bearings With?

Bearing Fundamentals, Cleaning

A list of bearing cleaning solvents

Here are some options for solvents to clean your bearings. We’ve added more details for some of them including how to use them safely, compatibility with materials found in bearings and pros and cons of the solvent, so click the links if you want more details.

Do you have a favorite solvent for cleaning your bearings that we have not listed. Leave a comment below to tell us about it and have it added to the list.

Alcohol (Rubbing Alcohol) For Cleaning Skate Bearings

Bearing Fundamentals, Cleaning

Isopropyl Alcohol, sometimes known as rubbing alcohol, is similar to petroleum based products and is good at breaking down oils and greases. When using it with bearings some caution should be taken as it may be incompatible with components of some bearings such as nylon cages.

General comments on Isopropyl Alcohol

The Good

  • Good at breaking down and removing oils and greases
  • Reasonably safe as it is used in medical environments, however please read the safety section below and the MSDS of the product you are using.

The Bad

  • Pure Isopropyl Alcohol can attract water vapor from the atmosphere so bearings should not left to soak should be dried quickly or it may promote premature corrosion of your bearings
  • Non pure Isopropyl Alcohol (eg 70% Rubbing Alcohol) is typically diluted with distilled water so bearings should not be left to soak and should be dried quickly or it may promote premature corrosion of your bearings
  • It is has poor compatibility with nylon so should not be used on bearings with nylon cages
  • It has poor compatibility with polyurethane so keep it away from you wheels when cleaning
  • It can have an affect on Nitrile rubber so it may have a slight affect, such as discoloration, of rubber shields on some bearings

Safety

You should always consult the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for the specific product before you use it and be familiar with the safety measures stated. General precautions for Isopropyl Alcohol:

  • It is flammable so keep it away from ignition sources and use in an area with good ventilation
  • Causes eye irritation
  • May be harmful if swallowed
  • May be harmful in contact with skin or may cause an allergic skin reaction

Using Isopropyl Alcohol To Clean Your Skate Bearings

Here are some typical steps for cleaning your bearings using Isopropyl Alcohol:

Continue reading →