Gum is the best, right? Except it is not the best when somebody decides to leave it on the sidewalk. Gum in roller skating wheels is the worst thing to clean. Our first tip is that you should never leave it. That only destroys your wonderful roller skates. Here are some tips for how to get gum off roller skate wheels.
The Consequences of Bubble Gum
Let’s be honest, bubble gum is a hazard for roller-skating parks. Gum gets caught in the wheels. Never chew gum while skating. You may choke on it or somebody may get injured if they skate into it.
What Materials Do I Need?
Gather all the needed materials together so you don’t have to keep getting up to find a product. The first thing that you should know is that you have to remove the wheels on the skates to clean them better. Here are the tools and supplies that you’ll need.
- Roller Skates
- A Skate Tool (You can find one in a skate store)
- A bowl
- Two towels
- Dish Soap
- Paper Towels
Why Should I Clean the Wheels?
First things first before we start in on the cleaning process of removing gum. It’s important to clean your roller skating wheels. Yes, we understand that it is a chore. Routinely cleaning your roller skating wheels keeps the wheels rolling. And it also saves a lot of money.
How to Remove the Wheels
Wait, remove the wheels? Did I read that right? Yes, you did. We know that you intend to clean the wheels, but the only way you are going to able to clean the wheels is to remove them. Using a skate tool, remove the wheel and take the bearings out. Don’t use just any old piece of metal, because you could end up damaging the bearing casings.
The only way that you are going to get that gum out is by removing the wheels. We understand that not everyone is a mechanic. However, it is very easy. Here’s what you have to do.
- Step 1: Loosen the nut on the wheels with the skate tool by turning it to the left. Once you can loosen it by hand.
- Step 2: Pull the wheels off the base of the skate after removing the nut.
- Step 3: Remove all the wheels on the skate. Keep the nuts in a pile nearby so that you don’t lose them. Trust us, it is the worst-case scenario if you lose one of the nuts. Then the skates won’t go back together.
- Step 4: Set the skates off to the side so you can work on the wheels. Don’t let them get wet during the cleaning process.
Removing the Bearings
Now that you removed the wheels, let’s move on the bearings. For deep cleanings of the wheels, you have to remove the bearings. You don’t want them to rust.
- Step 1: Using a bearing tool, insert the angled end with the rubbery band into the hole of the bearing. Then, gently pry it open.
- Step 2: The best thing that you can do is not to force anything. Pry open the skate from a different angle and drive it in a circular motion.
- Step 3: Repeat this process until all 16 bearings are removed. Like the nuts, keep the bearings close by so you will not lose them.
How to Clean the Wheels
Now it is time to clean the wheels. Taking care of your roller skates is very important. Roller skating is fun. And they are your transportation. Which is the reason why you should take time to clean the wheels every so often. Wheels easily rust.
Give your wheels a nice scrub with warm water. Warm water is the best. Cold water is not going to do anything. Take a soft rag and get in all the nooks and crannies to make sure that no dirt spectacles are left behind. It’s best not to get metal wheels wet. Just wipe them instead without water.
Never clean the wheels on metal/aluminum cores. The metal easily rusts. Before you go begin cleaning hum off the wheels of roller skates, know what the core is made of.
- Step 1: Fill a bowl with warm water, and add a few drops of dish soap. Soon the mixture should be soapy. But not too bubbly. Otherwise, it will go everywhere! If you need to, add more soap, but always start small.
- Step 2: Soak one of the towels in the soapy water. After, then wring the towel out. The towel should be damp and slightly sudsy, but it should not be sopping wet.
- Step 3: Scrub the exterior of the wheel. Remove all the gum that you see. Aside from gum, this is an opportunity to clean off other dirt that piles up on the wheels. Don’t be turned off by the discolored wheel after cleaning it. There should still be a big difference between your dirty wheels and your clean wheels.
- Step 4: If you want to do a good cleaning job, use the towel to clean the hole inside the wheel, and then dunk the wheel in the soapy water and swish it around.
- Step 5: Set each wheel aside after cleaning them so you don’t end up giving one of the wheels a second wash.
How to Clean off the Bearings
A simple way to clean the gum off your bearings is to take a paper towel and wipe off all of the dirt and grime. Scrub hard. That gum is tough to remove. Use your fingernail to get in the crease of the bearing. Another way is to roll the paper towel into a small tube to clean out the hole in the middle.
Once the bearings are clean free from any gum, dry them on a lint-free cloth or paper towel. You should let them air dry for some time. Just make sure that they are 100% gum-free dry before reassembling the wheels.
Tips for Cleaning Roller Skate Bearings
Use alcohol to clean the bearings of the roller skates. If the alcohol you are using looks dark and dirty, it’s okay to drain and refill it with a fresh solution.
- If you have a sealable container, you can close the lid and give it a shake to agitate all the grime. Make sure the wheels are thoroughly rinsed and dried before inserting them back into the bearings.
- The rubber seals should be easy to clean the gum off with a bit of alcohol and a paper towel. If the wheels are very dirty, then you should let them sit with the bearings for a few minutes. You could also try another soap. Remember, never give up. That gum needs to come out.
Replacing the Bearings
Once the wheels are clean and dry, drop a bit of lube onto each bearing. Then give them a spin. The wheels should roll smoothly.
Remove the bearing covers and replace your skate bearings in a small container. A Tupperware bowl should be just fine. Be sure that you have a lid. Have some bearing cleaner solution with you.
Repairing and cleaning roller skates is easy or hard. No need to worry, replacing the bearings is easy. Take the bearing and gently push it back into place in the wheel until it pops into place is flat. Before putting the wheels back on your skates, replace the bearing covers and reassemble the wheels. Hooray! You did it! You just assembled your very own roller skates.
Now to Remount the Wheels
Take one of your skates, and place the wheels back on the trucks. Slide the wheel onto the posts of the skates. Then, take nuts that you put off to the side and screw it on by hand until you can’t anymore. Remember, never force it because something could break.
After screwing the nuts back in, taking the skate tool, tighten the nut in a clockwise turn, ratcheting motion. Pinch the nut until you can’t move the wheel.
Repeat with the other seven wheels until you have successfully tightened all of them. Make sure that they don’t roll. Once the wheels are tight, then you can loosen the wheels evenly to your preference.
How to Adjust the Wheels
Once all of your wheels are secure, put your skates on. Utilizing the skate tool, loosen your wheels in increments of a quarter turn until your wheels are back to the way you prefer them.
There is no benefit or wrong tightness of wheels. However, make your wheels loose enough to roll freely, but the wheels should be tight enough so that they don’t rattle around or fall off. Nobody wants that when skating down a hill. Every skater has their preference. If you ever feel you don’t know how loose your wheels should be, it is recommended that you find someone who can help you get a feel for what is right for you.
