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Most winter rides end up in an remote car park with no hosepipe or jet wash to hand, but with the latest and greatest portable washers, that’s no longer a problem when it comes to cleaning your bike.
A thick (and long) pair of rubber gloves won’t go amiss, but if you really want to make the cleaning process a lot more pleasant, try the best mobile pressure washers. Even if you use any of the best mountain bike mudguards to keep yourself from getting with filth, your bike can never escape the muck.
Best mobile pressure washers
- Worx Cordless Hydroshot – Best portable solution
- Bosch Fontus 18v Cordless Washer – Best All-In-One kit
- Mobi V-15 Portable Bike Pressure Washer – Best Value
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Worx Hydroshot Portable Pressure Cleaner
In terms of cleaning power, the Hydroshot is a go-anywhere jet wash
Price: £164.99 | Weight: 1.85kg | Pressure: 25 bar/360psi
Pros: Compact, cordless, you don’t need to lug around a heavy tank of water
Cons: Not everywhere has ready access to water
Unlike the Bosch Fontus (below), the Worx Hydroshot doesn’t have a water tank but it does have a 10m water hose, which you can dip into any third-party water source. It also has a filter on the end, so you even run it from dirty water, like a stream or puddle. You also get a fold up bucket, into which you can collect water, you can also clip a standard garden hose and there’s also an adapter for the bottom of the lance to screw on a mineral water bottle. If there’s water out there the Hydroshot will let you access it.
The Hydroshot lance has three pressure settings and the nozzle rotates to offer five different spray features from a powerful jet stream to a wide fan spray for dousing the bike. Worx claims 2.5Mpa water pressure (about 25bar), which is twice that of the Bosch but in use both units felt pretty similar. Don’t worry though, it’s plenty powerful enough to blast away filth without doing damage to any bearings if you’re careful.
Powering the Hydroshot is one of Worx’s Powershare 20V MAX lithium-ion battery batteries, which means it can be shared with other Worx devices. The Hydroshot is even available as a ‘body only’ for around £80, should you have a device with one of the batteries included.
A brilliant product for a quick spray down in the car park after a ride, or in the garden/on the drive when you can’t be bothered to faff around setting up a mains-powered jet wash.
Rating: 10/10
Read our full review of the Worx Hydroshot portable pressure washer.
Bosch Fontus 18v Cordless Washer
Bosch Fontus 18v Cordless Washer
Top quality, with a greater run time than most
Price: £269.99 | Weight: 7kg | Pressure: 20 bar/290psi | Tank capacity: 15L
Pros: All-in-one solution. Powerful spray. Plenty of battery life
Cons: Heavy when filled. Not as portable as the Worx Hydroshot. Expensive
At 7kg the Bosch Fontus is about the same size and weight of a medium wheelie bag, it even comes with a pull-out handle and sturdy wheels so you can drag it about. However, once you fill the tank it tips the scales at over 20kg so getting it in and out of a vehicle is an effort.
There’s built-in storage for the hose, spray gun, smart brush head and battery pack. The spray gun is small and easy to handle and comes with four different spray patterns. Combine these with the three power modes and you to really dial down the pressure when cleaning delicate areas like bearings and suspension or boost it for stripping dirt from your frame and tyres. There’s plenty of power, too.
Plugged into the Fontus is one of Bosch’s standard 18V Lithium-Ion batteries, which is interchangeable with other Bosch tools and accessories. The company claims a one hour run time, but the water in the tank will drain long before the battery (10-15 minutes in our experience).
The Bosch Fontus is heavier, more expensive and less portable than the Worx Hydroshot but it’s a great all-in-one option if you want an integrated water tank.
Rating: 9/10
Read our full review of the Bosch Fontus 18v Cordless Washer.
Mobi V-15 Portable Bike Pressure Washer
Mobi V-15 Portable Bike Pressure Washer
Good value mini washer
Price: £99.99 | Weight: 5kg | Pressure: 9 bar/130psi | Tank capacity: 15L
Pros: Cheap. All-in-one solution. Powered by car battery.
Cons: Not as powerful as the Bosch or Worx. Build quality isn’t great.
The Mobi V-15 is one of those bits of kit that deserves a space in the boot of every rider. Simple to use and with neat attachments it makes cleaning your bike at the end of a ride a much less painful process.
Capacious reservoir, easily enough for cleaning two bikes. Powerful and consistent water delivery. Extra attachments are a bonus. Hose connections are a little fragile. Removable power cord.
Rating: 9/10
Read review of Mobi V15 Mobile Washer
Verdict
Portable washers have been around for several years and most feature an internal water tank, mini hose and plug into the cigarette lighter. However, most are not very powerful and cleaning can often be as involved as using the bucket and brush, your hands will still get cold.
Thankfully things have moved on and the very latest units now feature cordless batteries and powerful pumps. These are not cheap but the best two washers featured here can hose off a bike in a matter of minutes and if that means less time freezing your arse off, we definitely think it’s a price worth paying.
Although the difference between these two cordless cleaners is basically having a water source included or not, in reality it’s not much of a big deal simply because you can buy a 23 litre plastic container online for about tenner. Stash this in the boot of your car with the Hydroshot and you’ll have more than enough water to clean several bikes.
The Bosch Fontus is slightly less portable than the Hydroshot but it feels better quality and has some really nice features, like the compact brush/gun, pull out handle and internal storage. It’s also a proper standalone system, which makes a difference if you don’t want to lug around lots of separate containers or have to scout about for a water source.
Either the Bosch or Worx cordless cleaners will make washing your bike less of a chore, but the Hydroshot will cost you less and is the better choice if you’re pushed for space or struggle to access a reliable water source.
FAQ
What pressure is safe for cleaning my bike?
While mains powered, mains-water fed pressure washers can kick out a whopping 70-100 bar (1,000-1,400psi) that kind of pressure can be damaging to the precise seals and delicate internals of a modern mountain bike, particularly electric mountain bikes. It’s impossible to say that there is a single safe pressure, as any water ingress is bad news, most bikes will cope with moderate pressure of around 15-20 bar (220-290 psi) as long as you don’t hold it at point blank range at the same spot for a long period of time. To put this to the test, we aimed Muc Off’s bike specific lance at a freshly greased front hub from 60mm away for one minute – something no one is likely to do in the real world. And we found that, while some water had got past the seals, it was not a large amount and the grease was still in place and working as intended. If you have an e-bike, however, we’d recommend avoiding a jet wash altogether and sticking with mains water pressure.
What do I need to look for in a good mountain bike pressure washer?
Assuming you’re looking for a portable unit, you’ll probably be looking for something you can use immediately after a ride. In this case, power is not the number one consideration, as the mud should be wet enough to wash off without too much effort. But you’ll need a reasonable size water tank (around 10L should suffice), a long enough extension cable if you’re taking power from your car battery and a simple, robust design that lets you assemble and disassemble quickly.