A gleaming motorcycle

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The Harley Davidson Owner’s manual, the bikers’ bible, recommends keeping sodium bicarbonate – aka baking soda – and water close at hand when working on your bike. So, if baking soda is good enough for Harley-Davidson, it’s good enough for Raymond. The dear boy was overwhelmed when he found out that he could prepare his own car/motorbike/boat/bicycle cleaner.

Miracle cleaner

To concoct this little marvel, tell Raymond to mix ¼ cup baking soda, ½ cup Castile soap (or soft olive oil soap) in a gallon of water and pour it into a nice big can. To wash a dirty bike, all he needs is a cup of this cleaner mixed in a bucket of hot water. 

Regarding relentless squatters resisting this big clean – i.e. kamikaze insects stuck to the bike, resin drops, grease and other nasties – a lovely little baking soda treatment should get rid of them in no time. Tell him to prepare a paste, half baking soda half water, and spread it on the strategic spots with a damp cloth. He should give the mixture 5 minutes to work its magic before rinsing it off with water.

Chrome beautifier

To scintillate chromes, The Harley Davidson Owner Manual gives a little recipe that Raymond welcomed with open arms.

Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with 1 cup vinegar. After the big fizz, pour into a lovely water spray bottle. Spritz the lack-lustre chromes and shine them with a soft dry cloth.

Or

Make a paste, half baking soda half water. Spread on the chromes, rub, leave to dry, rinse with warm water and polish with a soft cloth This marvellous mixture works like a charm to clean wheel rims, hubcaps, bumpers, etc.

This clever little white powder is a mega cleaner for most vehicles as well as a handy hand cleaner. After working on his bike or after spilling some petrol while filling up his tank, Raymond sprinkles a little baking soda into the palm of his favourite hand, he rubs it against the other and dries both of them with tissue paper.

                     For other equally amazing recipes, check                      Le Dictionnaire à tout faire du bicarbonate