how to clean a longboard
Take your longboard trucks off the board
Before you begin cleaning your board, you need to make sure that your trucks are removed. If water gets onto the metal section of your board, you run the risk of it rusting and corroding. Because the trucks are very enormous, they will make it more difficult to wipe the board because they will be in the way. Turning your board on its back and using an adjustable wrench to loosen the huge nut that is located between your wheels is the first step in removing your trucks. To remove your trucks from your board, first you will need to wiggle them until they become dislodged. Carry out these steps on the front as well as the rear wheels.
The grip tape can be cleaned with a nylon brush, some water, and some soap
To make a dishwashing solution, take a bucket of water and add a few drops of a gentle dish soap or detergent. Then, agitate the solution until it begins to foam. Start by scrubbing the surface of your grip tape with a medium-to-hard nylon brush that you have dipped in the bucket of cleaning solution. When you are cleaning the surface of your skateboard, you should use motions that are tiny and semicircular. The grime and dirt ought should start peeling off at this point.
As an alternative to a nylon brush, you could try using a toothbrush instead
There are also grip tape erasers available, which can assist you in maintaining your board in the time between thorough cleanings.
Run a damp sponge over the grip tape to clean it
Soak a sponge that hasn’t been cleaned with soap in some water. When it is completely soaked, move it to the grip tape of your skateboard so that any remaining suds or soap can be removed. As soon as the last trace of soap has been removed, you are free to proceed to the subsequent procedure.
If your board becomes soaked, you should dry it out as soon as possible since a board that has been waterlogged might cause warping and splitting.
After turning the board over, clean the underside of it with some water and a sponge
To clean the bottom of your board, all you need is some simple water and a gentle sponge. Since longboards aren’t often intended to be used for tricks, the bottom of your board should still have a degree of smoothness to it. As you clean, it is important to remember to remove any built-up dirt or debris.
It is important to keep the metal components that are located on the underside of your board dry.
Use the towel to dry off the board.
To ensure that there is no trace of moisture left on the board, thoroughly wipe it down with a towel. When doing this, use a towel made of cotton.
If you rub paper towels or napkins against your grip tape, you will make a mess of the area.
when waiting three hours, reattach your vehicles when the board has had time to dry.Put your board in a dry location for three hours, and let it air dry completely during that time. After it has had time to dry, you will need to use an adjustable wrench to put your trucks back where they belong.
2. Cleaning Longboard Skateboard Bearings
Take your bearings out of the game.
The spherical pieces of metal that may be found inside each of your wheels are called bearings. To get to the bearings on the wheels, you will first need to completely unscrew the wheel from the axle. The next step is to place the wheel over the end of the axle, and then use that wheel as a lever to pry the bearing out of the middle of your wheel. It is possible that it will take more than one attempt before the bearing can be entirely removed from the wheel.
There is a good probability that your wheels need to be cleaned if they produce a lot of noise or if they don’t spin very well.
Remove the bearing shields with a peeling motion.
In most cases, a plastic or metal shield will be placed over your bearings in order to protect them. To get rid of the rubber bearing shields, you’ll need to take a pin or a screwdriver with a flathead tip and wedge it under the rubber. To remove the shield from the bearing, give the screwdriver a downward push in the direction of the arrow.
Be careful, because you run the risk of significantly damaging the shield if you continue doing this.
Soak your bearings in some kind of liquid, like alcohol or a solvent.
After you have successfully separated all of the shields from the bearings, you will need to clean the shields by soaking them in a solution or solvent, such as acetone, that will remove the grime and grease that is on them. Put the bearings and the solution in the bottle or jar, and make sure the lid is on tight. Shake the bottle vigorously for a period of two minutes, or until all of the dirt has been cleaned from the bearings.
When it comes to cleaning your bearings, another option is to use a cleaner that is based on citrus, such as orange oil or lemon juice.
Use a hairdryer to get the bearings completely dry.
Take the bearings out of the solvent and set them down on a piece of paper towel or a rag that is dry. Put the bearings under a hairdryer that you have turned up to its highest setting and leave them there until all of the moisture has evaporated.
When handling the heated bearings, exercise caution because you run the risk of getting burned.
Re-grease the bearings on your vehicle.
When you skateboard, the right lubrication will ensure that your wheels continue to turn in the correct direction. It is important to lubricate the bearings on a skateboard with oil or grease that is designed expressly for this purpose. Utilizing a dropper, introduce one or two drops of the lubricant into the bearing. After that, you can roll the bearing on its side to distribute the grease throughout the entire bearing.
Oil will speed up the rotation of your wheels, but it will also make the bearings in your vehicle less resistant to dirt and debris.
The use of synthetic grease in your bearings will extend their lifespan and reduce the amount of maintenance that is required, but the wheels’ rotational speed will be reduced in comparison to when oil was used.
Put the bearing shield back in its original position.
Put the metal or rubber bearing back where it was, and then snap it back into place. Be sure that it is not only fastened securely but also that there are no holes in it; otherwise, dirt and dust could get into your bearing. Depending on the type of bearings you have, the bearing shield that you use will be constructed differently.
Put the bearings back into the wheels of your vehicle.
After the bearing has been reassembled, it is prepared to be reinstalled on the wheels of your vehicle. You should then be able to reattach the wheels to the axle of your longboard from this vantage point.
Maintenance on your bearings should be performed on a regular basis, especially if they are noisy or if they are not spinning in the correct manner.
3. Cleaning a Longboard Surfboard
After you’re done surfing, give your board a good soaking in water.
If you don’t give your board a good rinse after you surf, the salt water could end up damaging it. As soon as you get off the beach, immediately rinse off your board at a public water source to remove the salt water that has accumulated on it.
Allow the wax to warm up in the sun for an hour so that it can soften.It is recommended that you take off any wax that may be present on your longboard before attempting to clean it. When your wax is at room temperature or cooler, it will be more difficult to scrape off than when it is warmer. Allowing the heat from the sun to soften the wax first is one strategy for getting around this challenge. When the wax is ready, take your board to a location outside where it may be cleaned.
Remove the wax by scraping it off with a credit card or a wax comb.
Using a scraper, carefully remove all of the wax that is on the surface of the board by working your way down from the top of the board to the bottom. You may remove the wax from your surfboard more rapidly with the use of an industrial instrument called a wax comb. You are able to use a credit card in its place if you do not have that. Remove the layer of wax that is on your board by working your way from one side to the other of the board.
If you are having trouble removing the wax from your board, you might try to loosen it by dripping some liquid coconut oil onto the surface of your board.
You should use some water and a gentle dish soap to clean your board.The use of soap on your board will keep it clean and will help prevent bacteria and mildew from forming on it. To clean your board, saturate a sponge with soap and water and then use it to scrub the surface. After you have finished covering the entire surface of the board, you should clean it with a hose.
There is also the option of using inflatable boat cleaning.
Use WD-40 to remove the last of the wax and debris from the surface.The use of WD-40 will assist with removing any existing grime as well as any wax residue that may still be present on your board. After applying some of the solution with a spray bottle to the dirtier parts of your board, wipe those areas down with a rag. After applying the WD-40, you should thoroughly clean the area by rinsing it and then wiping it down.
Instead of using WD-40, try cleaning with citrus cleaner for a more natural option.
Dry your board down with a rag.To remove the remaining moisture from your longboard, you can use a dry cotton cloth to wipe it down. When it’s dry, hide your longboard from the sun by wrapping it in a sock or a piece of fabric and storing it in a shaded area.
Don’t forget to re-wax your longboard before you take it back out into the water for another session of surfing.
Quick Guide : How To Clean a Longboard
First Things First
Longboard skateboards and Longboard surfboards are both offered as alternatives to the standard model. When it comes to cleaning, it doesn’t matter which kind you do because the same rules apply to each of them.
Before beginning the cleaning procedure, you need to have a clear understanding of which components of this process require cleaning. The deck area, the surface, the bearings, and the wheels are the primary targets of the cleaning operation.
Gathering the Supplies
At this point, you will need to assemble a few items in preparation for the cleaning process. It’s not much; only a few tools and cleaning supplies are all that are included.
- Socket wrench
- Mineral spirits or Kerosene
- Nylon brush
- Dish soap or detergent
- Clean water
- Sponge
- Towel
When we have finished gathering them, we can go on to the cleaning step.
The Deck is Our Starting Point
To begin, our attention is going to be drawn to the deck of your longboard. The deck may be in jeopardy if it is subjected to water or if it receives an excessive amount of sun exposure. It will become brittle as a result of the water, and it may even crack or break. If it is wet, you need to dry it off as soon as possible.
On the other hand, if the board is left out in the sun for an extended period of time, the deck runs the risk of becoming brittle. Therefore, you will need to make sure that the deck is kept a safe distance away from them.
The next step is to scrub the deck. The vehicle must be removed from both sides of the board before proceeding. Utilize the socket wrench for completing this task. Mix soap or detergent in water. The surface of the deck should be scrubbed with the soapy water using the nylon brush after that. Make use of a circular motion with the brush in order to clean the area on the grip tape side.
Now scrub the deck well with the sponge and fresh water to remove the soap residue. Carry out the exact same process for the area of the surface as well.
After giving it a thorough cleaning, pat it dry with a clean towel to remove any lingering moisture, and then set it aside to air dry for at least three or four hours.
Bearings are Worth Cleaning
You are aware that the bearings require special attention because they are responsible for ensuring that your ride is both smooth and quick. If it starts to make any kind of squeaky noise and it doesn’t operate smoothly, then there is definitely something wrong with it.
You will need to remove the bearings from the wheels before you can clean them properly. After that, take out the rubber shield that was supposed to be inside of the bearings. You can use a pin or a screwdriver with a flathead to remove them. Take special care not to damage the shield in any way.
Now, in a saucepan containing mineral spirits or kerosene, dip the bearings until they are completely covered. Stir the contents of the saucepan vigorously for a few minutes. If there is any dirt or oil on the surface, it will remove it. In addition to this, it will protect the bearings from rusting over time.
After the process is finished, make sure they are totally dry. You can accomplish this task by making use of a hair dryer.
Checking The Wheels
It is recommended by professionals that the wheels of a longboard be rotated once every few weeks to ensure that they are able to handle the pressure in an equal manner. There is a greater possibility that one side of the wheel will deteriorate more quickly than the other. If your wheels are showing symptoms of wear or tear, you should replace them as soon as possible to reduce the risk of getting into an accident.
You now know how to maintain the gleaming cleanliness of your most cherished vehicle. Check up on them at regular intervals to ensure that there is nothing that might cause you concern.