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Can you use vinegar to clean skate bearings?

Author

James Craig

Published Jan 17, 2026

EDIT: you will also need a can of compressed air to get all of the ipa and/or vinegar out of the bearing. (2) Pour enough white vinegar into a jar so that the bearing can be completely submerged. Make sure you use WHITE vinegar, not cider or balsamic.

What can I use to clean my skate bearings?

Acetone, isopropyl alcohol and mineral spirits are all good options. When using solvents, wear gloves and avoid contact with your skin. Use a dish or wide-mouthed bottle as a container to soak the bearings for several minutes, occasionally swirling the bearings around in the cleaner.

What can I soak bearings in to clean them?

The best bet is to use methylated spirit or just soak the bearings in some solvent or alcohol. If you can find a spray-on degreaser, you can blast all the crap out of your bearings to great effect. Lemon juice works well too!

Can I use alcohol to clean bearing?

Soak bearings in isopropyl alcohol

Take a disposable cup or a ceramic cup and fill it about an inch or enough to submerge all 8 of your bearings. With the bearings completely relieved of their shields, place each bearing in the cup and let the alcohol work its magic.

Can I use 91% alcohol to clean bearings?

Yup, 91% is good.

33 related questions found

Can you clean bearings with 70% alcohol?

Well, pure isopropyl alcohol will clean your bearing nice and fine without damaging it, but if you use let's say 70% isopropyl alcohol, your bearing will start to rust. This is because the other 30% is water, which can lead to rusting and slowing down of the bearing.

Can you clean bearings with water?

Keep your bearings dirt-free, moisture free, and lubricated. Water will rust your bearings and dirt will destroy the smoothness of the super finish on your bearing races, increasing friction.

Can I use nail polish remover to clean my bearings?

“You'll need to remove the bearing shields if your bearings have them. Just poke them out with a paper clip. Then soak your bearings in acetone, nail-polish remover or rubbing alcohol. Spin them dry and make sure all the dust and dirt are out.

Can you clean skateboard bearings with dish soap?

Once all shields are off, they should be placed in a bowl of warm water and dish soap. Do not place the shields in acetone/solvent. Solvent will dry out and destroy the rubber/nylon compound of the shields that helps keep dirt out. With your fingers, simply rub the dirt and grease off with the soapy water.

How can I make my bearings spin faster?

The maximum speed can be increased by use of a high speed lubricant and also with a high speed retainer. Rubber contact seals will reduce the maximum bearing speed. High precision bearings will run at higher speeds thanks to the superior roundness and finish of the balls and bearing rings.

Can you clean bearings with acetone?

Pour enough acetone into the container to cover the bearings. Place inside and securely fasten the lid. (Follow the instructions with your cleaning kit carefully). You can leave them to soak and give them a good shake to remove all the dirt.

How often should you clean skate bearings?

Remember, bearings only need to be cleaned about once every two to three months depending on the environment you are skating in. If you primarily skate inside several times a month but the surface is not cleaned often, you might have to shine up your bearings once a month.

Can you use Dawn to clean bearings?

No. Google how to clean your bearings. There are plenty of guides, including from the Bones website or even tutorials on YouTube. DO NOT use soap and water.

How long do skate bearings last?

The average lifespan of skateboard bearings is 1 to 2 years if given proper care and maintenance. Bearings get tired too, and remember that too much of anything isn't good at all. Too much wetness, sliding, and fast jumping will cause your skateboard bearings to wear out faster.

How do you lubricate bearings?

The air/oil method of lubrication, also known as the oil-spot method, uses a similar air and oil combination to provide lubrication to bearings. This method uses compressed air to move a precise amount of lubricant directly into the bearing, but unlike the oil mist method, there is no atomization of the air or oil.

How long should you soak bearings in alcohol?

Put the bearings in a container WITH A LID and fill it to the brim with isopropyl alcohol. Cap the container and shake for 5 minutes. If your bearings are still coated in nasty, repeat the process. Set the bearings out to dry.

How long should I soak my bearings?

Now the bearings are ready to be put in the cleaning solution. Swirl the bearings around in the solvent for about five minutes, then let the bearings sit in the liquid for about ten minutes.

What household items can you use to lube bearings?

If you don't have a skate bearing lubricant at home, you can use either sewing machine oil or oil for electronic gadgets. Don't use motor oil, WD-40, petroleum jelly, or cooking oil because they're unsuitable for bearings. Also, be careful of the amount of oil you'll be putting on each bearing.

Do I need to lube my bearings?

The super quick and dirty way to make your bearings run faster is to just chuck some Bearing Lube in there. This might do quite a good job of pushing any moisture out and preventing any rust - but it will not remove any dirt from your bearings, which is what causes them to wear and run slowly.

How often should you replace your bearings?

Most serviceable wheel bearings need maintenance every 25,000 to 30,000 miles, or during every brake service. But, the average life of a sealed wheel bearing and hub assembly is about 85,000 to 100,000 miles, without the opportunity for a technician to repack the bearings.

How do you remove bearings from skateboard wheels without tool?

If you don't have a skateboard tool, or it doesn't have a socket, use a crescent or socket wrench. Wheel nuts are usually ½" (13 mm), so use that size. Take the nuts off of all four wheels at once if you are changing all of the bearings.

Does WD 40 help skateboard bearings?

Never use WD-40 to clean your skateboard bearings.

WD-40 is designed for removing rust and grime, however, it's not a lubricant. Even though it might seem great at first, WD-40 will dry your bearings out quickly and then you need to keep reapplying it until you're in need of new bearings. Don't be tempted to use WD-40.

Why are my skateboard bearings slow?

Why does lube slow the bearing down? The lube has mass that has to be moved out of the way while the bearing rotates. During a hand spin, those little balls don't have much mass behind them to push the lube out of the way. Thus hand spins are fastest when the bearing has very little or no lubricant.

How do you clean bearings with wd40?

Using some WD-40® Multi-Use Product, spray the entire surface of the wheel and ball bearing, and leave it to work for a few minutes. Next, submerge the parts into a bowl of clean water, and leave them to soak for an additional few minutes. Your wheels and bearings should now be grime free.