Juice Lubes Dirt Juice double pack

The Juice Lubes Dirt Juice double pack gives you a 1L spray bottle of diluted bike wash and 1L of citrus concentrate. The concentrate can either be used neat on filthy drivetrains, or mixed to make a whopping 11L of wash. It's biodegradable and effective either way – if not as effective as potentially harmful chemicals – and, thanks to a decent foaming action and a controllable nozzle, will last the average cyclist absolutely ages. There are slightly cheaper options, however.

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This twin pack comes packed in recycleable cardboard, while the bottles are reusable and recycleable. The Dirt Juice itself is fully biodegradeable, while the carbon footprint of transporting concentrate is far lower than pre-diluted wash. Well done to Juice Lubes for thinking of the environment.

The nozzle is adjustable and creates a controllable foam spray, so it's easy to squirt in the right places without wasting loads as overspray.

Bottom brackets are a harsh test for bike cleaners. I tried the diluted version on a steel bike that had not been washed for a month and, after leaving it to foam up for a few minutes, it rinsed off to leave a pretty spotless and shiny frame. Don't be tempted to rinse it off straight away, though – it definitely needs a little time to work.

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The concentrate can also be used to clean chains and sprockets. It works pretty well, if not as instantly as harsher degreasers – it takes an extra minute or so of scrubbing before the plates and bushings come up nice and silver again. But it gets there, and is a lot less toxic than the harsher degreasers, which often feel like they're doing my lungs no good. It has a pleasant citrus lemon smell, too.

The 11L you can get from this pack will last a very long time. One bottle lasts around 15 washes, meaning the pack should last around 165 washes. That's amazing value, and enough to most riders a year or more.

There are other environmentally friendly, concentrated options. Muc-Off produces a 500ml refill of its Nano Gel Bike Cleaner Concentrate for £8.99, though that's only enough to make two litres of bike wash.

Fenwicks do their excellent FS-1 bike cleaner as a concentrate too, and the 1L bottle (enough to make 11L of wash) is just £11.99. Bear in mind the Juice Lubes pack comes with a trigger-action bottle as well, though, while the FS-1 is simply a refill.

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The Juice Lubes Dirt Juice is excellent value for money, if not quite the cheapest option. For £16.99 you get an environmentally friendly, recyclable product that's biodegradable. Its effectiveness and the decent nozzle means little is wasted, and the pack should last most riders a year or more.

Used neat on chains and drivetrains, it doesn't have quite such an instant effect as potentially more damaging degreasers, but gets there and is absolutely worth the effort.

Verdict

Effective yet environmentally-friendly cleaner in a high-value bundle