Oxford Mint Brake Cleaner 500ml

Oxford Mint Brake Cleaner spray effectively decontaminates disc brake rotors and callipers and is safe for use on rubberised pads. If you suffer from perpetually squeally disc brakes, this product is a brilliant solution – though not so brilliant for the environment.

The cleaner uses a powerful solvent-based decontaminant to dissolve and remove any impurities that happen to be living on your brake pads and rotors.

It's these impurities – dirt, dust, oil, and so on – that are said to be a main cause of disc brake squealing. At worst, they can also affect brake performance, causing 'grabbing' or 'chattering' when what you want is a smooth application and consistent braking force.

> Buy now: Oxford Brake Cleaner for £5.99 from Skyline Cycles

It's an easy product to use, though somewhat counter-intuitively you should use it after a bike wash, when the bike is dry. It's designed to dissolve contaminants and 'clean' the braking surfaces in the absence of water, rather than before you wash it (where contaminants are often applied to the brakes!).

All you have to do is get your bike up on the stand, drop out both wheels, then apply the solvent to both the brake pads and the rotors, and let it evaporate. If you do need to wipe any excess away, then do it with a clean cloth or fresh piece of kitchen paper. Once done, you're free to refit your wheels.

There's really nothing more to it than that, and I've been impressed with how effective it is – given there's no scrubbing or elbow grease involved. On one bike with a troublesomely noisy rear brake, the squealing has practically disappeared.

In addition, I also cleaned up some used alloy rim brake pads with some success as well, returning their effectiveness to something like they were when new. Note: don't attempt this with carbon pads or rims.

In short, it works, and it lasts a good while too. There's no need to over-apply this cleaner: a couple of seconds spray on each surface (both pads, both sides of the disc brake rotor) is enough to achieve the desired effect.

> Everything you need to know about disc brakes – read our definitive guide

The only downside here is that it's not good for environment. In fact, it specifically carries the 'toxic to wildlife' symbol (unlike even Oxford's Chain Cleaner and Bike Degreaser products). The minty scent characteristic of all the Oxford products in this range is pleasant compared with a typical solvent smell, but it's not a sign of any biodegradability.

Value

One of this product's main rivals is Peaty's Disc Brake Cleaner, which comes in at the same price (up 99p since Jim reviewed it for our sister site, off.road.cc), but is biodegradable.

Fibrax makes a disc brake cleaner that Mike reviewed back in 2017 and thought was very good, with its 'bike-friendly and non-pad-material-dissolving nature'; it's listed as £6 for a 400ml can, though the cheapest price online seems to be £8.99.

Mike was also impressed with GT85's Disc Brake Cleaner when he reviewed it back in 2016; it was £7.99 for 400ml and is still available on ebay, though GT85 makes no mention of it now.

Conclusion

This is a really effective brake cleaner product, lifting and shifting decontaminants from your disc brakes with minimal fuss. It's not good for the environment, but that's the only real black mark against it.

Verdict

Effective and powerful disc brake cleaning, but not environmentally friendly