What should i use to clean my air filter

[Brett Gossel]

Just wondering what all you guys use to clean your air filters

[Pipester]

27 views no replies. I’ll help you out dude. 

In the past I usually used a specific air filleted cleaner and oil combo. I have 3 air filters. After a ride I spray and degrease the used filter, wash and rinse it. Once it’s dry I spray it with the air filter oil and keep it in a large zip lock bag. That way I just rotate filters always have a fresh one ready to go. Lots of good companies out there that make the proper degreasing spray and oils. Again this is what I do. I recently bought a big twin air cleaner kit. Comes in a large bucket. Looking forward to trying that out. 

Hope this helps you out. 

[Brett Gossel]

Thanks for all your help

[woods-rider]

Yeah, filter specific cleaners are the best to use. I used to use diesel or kerosene. Those clean extremely well, but they also eat the glue that hold the filter seams together so after a few washes, you end up with an extremely clean filter with gaping holes at the seams.

[BOAB]

K&N air filter cleaner.  The stuff works very well on foam filters.

[Guest]

Mineral spirits work ok and you can get them from the hardware store.

[BOAB]

13 minutes ago, Montanahusky said:

Mineral spirits work ok and you can get them from the hardware store.

That can be hard on the foam and glue.

[ScwhettyNuttz]

Dawn dish soap and really hot water....has always worked great for me.  My wife isnt a big fan of this method....

[SlowDinoDog]

hmm....if I try washing my filter in just soap n water or just a Simple Green type product, it still feels a little sticky when it dries...so I give it a quick rinse with mineral spirits too. Maybe, I need to use hot water?
I've been using the Maxima and PJ1 filter sprays.
I also have two filters for every bike...pull the dirty one out...spray a clean one and install it and then clean the dirty filter during my leisure hours.

[Fitz235]

NoToil oil, and filter cleaner. it's bio degradeable. Nothing better than dumping that used bucket of cleaner in the woods, or on the lawn and being done with it.

[yz250f 78]

Start using No Toil oil, I use red bottle and filter cleaner.  You can just buy the oil and use oxyclean to save money. It works the same.   

[Gflo]

I have been cleaning my filters for the last 40+ years in gasoline.  Pour some in a pan, clean the filter, then leave the pan outside. By the next day, the gas will have evaporated and you can wipe out the leftover oil and dirt.  I have never had gas eat up a filter or affect the glue.  I usually wait and clean 4 or 5 filters at a time.

[chickenboy1347]

Mineral spirit rinse to break down the oil and grease, then I wash with dawn until the water is clear when I squeeze the filter. Never had any problem with it breaking down the adhesives in the air filter. I usually replace the filter outright once or twice a year regardless. 

[EnglertRacing]

Purple power degreaser sprayed inside and out, leave to soak for 15 mins, take it to your kitchen skink, put the water hot as you can stand, rinse only from the inside out try using a zig zag pattern to get every part of the filter rinsed.   Then grab some dish soap and drizzle it all over your filter inside and our then with one clean hand inside your filter and one hand on the outside go around and around the filter working the soap in, then rinse with the same technique previously mentioned.

 

With any signs of deterioration order new filter and throw away the old one

 

Any method that uses submersion is stupid as duck because dirt and debris will float around and get inside the filter.  End of that story.

 

I know my method works because I am on the original factory shims on my 09 Honda, and the lash still measures good.

Edited April 4, 2018 by EnglertRacing

[GasMixer44]

Get the matching cleaner to go with the oil you want to use (same brand for best results). After cleaning I always put some dish soap In a container and clean again, this gets the remainder of small particles out of the filter. Rinse clean and let dry. I recently started using the no toil red spray oil and cleaner, by far the easiest system to use. The cleaner melts the oil off and there's no harsh chemicals, good protection as well

[Gflo]

With whatever method you use, a final cleaning with hot water and liquid dish soap will get out anything left in the filter by immersion in the cleaning medium.

[Hudson Charlton]

Clean mine in gas, then it gets blown out with air and finally rinsed in warm water. Let it dry, oil it up and away you go. Never had a hole in my filters yet.

[Hudson Charlton]

NoToil oil, and filter cleaner. it's bio degradeable. Nothing better than dumping that used bucket of cleaner in the woods, or on the lawn and being done with it.

Nothing better than dumping a bucket of gasoline on the gravel and lighting it up. Trust me, much more exiting.

[BOAB]

Something else that works amazingly well and is dirt cheap and environmentally friendly is this stuff:

I bought some a while back when I was looking for something that would cut grease and not harm aluminum, I was cleaning my swingarm and linkage parts.  I was actually amazed at how well the stuff works, and the spray bottle of it cost me a whole dollar a the dollar store.  And it works great for cleaning about anything, I found my wife cleaning the kitchen with it.

[EnglertRacing]

One more time, 

DO NOT IMMERSE