TESTED: Krush Illuminate Waterless Wash and Wax

Climate change and water use are a pretty hot topic, especially here on the driest continent on earth. While the latest bike cleaning product from Krush avoids using extra water and busting out the hose and bucket, the main aim for the new Illuminate Waterless Wash and Wax is to add in some easier cleaning between major washes – and as such it really suits bikes that don't get as dirty. This could your road bike, or bikes that you're just a bit wary about full hose down washes – such as an eMTB.

The Illuminate comes in a spray bottle, and it's meant to be used on dusty and dirty bikes, not filthy bikes. If your bike is covered with a lot of dirt, dry mud, and general gross trail grime, then it's time to get the Krush bucket out and go to town. The Illuminate Waterless Wash and Wax is more about the in-between cleans to clean, protect and detail your bike.

Want to go all in and clean your bike like a pro mechanic? Try these tips.

I could easily class myself as a better bike cleaner than bike rider, and some weeks it feels like I do more of the former than the latter. After a few really dry months at home, all the bikes in my shed were pretty filthy. Dusty and dry filthy though, no caked on mud or anything like that. After brushing off the big stuff, I used a couple of fresh rags to go over my bike frame with the Illuminate spray. There's a bit going on with this, and it's not just a product to spray on and wipe off.

Shaking the bottle gets the wax parts mixed in, and you spray the bike bit by bit with a fresh microfibre cloth at hand. It's important that it's a clean cloth. Working over each part of the bike, you wipe the dust and grime away, always moving to a clean part of the cloth. You need to be pretty particular about it. If you don't use a clean part of the cloth, you might just end up scratching your frame with the crud collected on the cloth.

Once you've done the whole frame, grab your other fresh microfibre cloth and buff away. The spray had the wax particles in there, and that's what you're activating now. Like most waxes and bike polishes on the market, this will build up over time. But the idea is that the finish will also make your bike easier to clean the next time as well, as it builds up that smoother finish.

In short, the Krush Illuminate Waterless Wash and Wax works. If you follow the instructions and do it all properly, it works nicely and you don't need to get the hose and bucket. This is a big win for working in the shed at night, or on an apartment balcony, or any other area where slopping soapy and dirty water around isn't ideal. It's actually pretty good for doing a proper clean and detail after hosing down your bike after a really muddy ride, and realising once it's dry that it's not actually clean, just cleaner than it was.

Who is Krush Illuminate for?

If you pay attention to the maintenance of your bike, and have the time and patience to do things properly, chances are you'll really like the Illuminate Waterless Wash and Wax. For me, it moved two products into one. I'd often use diluted Krush Rapid Wash to clean a frame down in my work stand, and the use the After Wash Spray to polish it. The exact process isn't quite the same but it's not a huge leap. However, if you would prefer an all-in-one product that you can spray on and blast off with a hose, then this isn't. The products that let you do that are probably a bit too harsh to use on bikes, with small seals and fine bearings. But I reckon this is a great addition to the Krush range, and suitable for those who like detailing their bikes, and for bikes that just don't need a bucket wash that often.

RRP: $34.95

From: krushoz.com

Hits:

Cleaning product for the detailer!

Suits waterless work areas

Handy for eMTBs

Gives a great finish

Misses:

A bit finicky for the impatient