I also put a little bit of the lubricant on the spacer (this is why I mentioned not to clean the axles; the residual lubricant helps). I basically put the tip of the bottle at the top, squeeze slightly and rotate the bottle around the circumference of the spacer

How to clean a skateboardwheels

What I'm about to describe is not my own creation. Rather, it's a patchwork of suggestions and solutions that I received from both friends and online resources. Unfortunately, there are just too many to name specifically so for all of you who have ever created a blog, a video or a discussion on the topic of bearing maintenance prior to me publishing this, thank you! Your work inspired me to keep my hardware clean and my wheels spinning!

This is pretty much self-explanatory. Basically the first step is to take the wheels off the board and disassemble them. Make sure not to lose any of the nuts, washers or spacers as those should be cleaned as well. As such, when you do take the nuts, washers and spacers off, put them into the glass jar. We'll deal with the bearings next.

How to clean a skateboardwith household items

This is where my instructions tend to diverge from the instructions that come with the lubricant, and there's a very good reason for that! The cost of the lubricant is only about $5 and even if you over lubricate your components, you'll have that one little bottle for at least six months. Generally speaking, my process is as follows:

When I first started riding to work regularly I found that my board would get quite dirty, especially since I work in San Francisco (those of you who live or work here know what I mean). In order to make sure that I properly maintained my longboard I started researching online for methods and best practices. This instructable is a culmination of my findings.

How to clean a skateboardgrip

With regards to "play" or "give" in how loose you ride your wheels, that's really a personal preference. Obviously too loose and the wheels will fall off, so don't do that. Personally I like just a little bit of play but not much. You can see from the photo above where I finally have my nut.

How to clean skateboardtrucks

Lastly, with everything in place, give the wheel a solid spin and sit back to enjoy your efforts! Better yet, hop on your board and ride!

Not all bearings are created equal! I tend to buy bearings based on their ability to be cleaned which is why I bias myself towards bearings like the Bones Super Swiss 6 bearings (which is what is pictured above). I have tried other sets (in fact I just bought a pair of Heady Shake Pro bearings which a friend highly recommended), but for the money and quality, I am a Super Swiss 6 rider for life.

If after reading this you have a different suggestion or a step that you'd tweak, I'd love to hear from you! As I mentioned when I first wrote this, I learned this process from many other sources so it can only help other readers if we share our "secret sauce" for bearing maintenance. Please do post questions and comments and I'll be happy to respond.

How to clean skateboardbearings

With all of the components in the glass jar, pour just enough alcohol into the jar so that they are completely submerged. Seal the jar and give it a good shake. I typically leave the components in the jar as long as it takes me to wipe down the wheels and board (approximately five to ten minutes). As you can see from the pictures above, the alcohol does a bang up job cleaning the components.

To disassemble the bearings with the rubber shields, the easiest thing to do is to take either a SIM extractor tool or a few staples straightened out and push gently through the bearing in-between the balls (NOTE: you should not have to push hard. If you find that you are pushing hard, you're doing it wrong and you may damage the bearings).

Now that the components have sufficiently soaked, it's time to empty the jar and dry the components off. Make sure not to lose any of the small pieces as you pour out the dirty alcohol (nothing sucks more than having to buy a new set of bearings because you lost just one or two rubber seals).

Typically I will clean my bearings once every four to six weeks, depending upon usage. I have definitely noticed a difference in speed and smoothness of my ride when the bearings are clean (I liken it to the feeling you notice when you just had your oil changed in your vehicle). Either way, a routine cleaning will help to maintain the longevity of your skateboard or longboard and allow it to perform at its best.

With the components completely submerged, I generally use this time to wipe down the bottom of the board (just the board; do not wipe down the trucks or axles) and the wheels. Please note that this is a very messy job so your hands will get disgusting (also, don't wear white).