I am a messy person, and my bikes are especially messy ( because they are well used ). I did wash my high end racing bikes, to keep them looking good. I was told not to use water when washing a bike, because it can penetrate the hubs bearings and cause resistance & wear. Furniture polish is supposedly the go to for bicycle cleaning. I'm an environmentalist, so I will not buy chemicals for cleaning....but this should help some people that want new looking bikes.