JANUARY 15, 2008
By Rob McCullough
The Product:
No-Toil Filter Cleaner. Air filters used for the test were Ignition Racing's Disposable filters.
Origin:
Like most riders, I’m sick and tired of washing filters; the mess associated with it and then the difficulty associated with finding an environmentally friendly location to dispose of the waste.
Track (and washing machine) Tested:
Although I’ve been in possession of the No-Toil filter cleaner for over six months I’ve been reluctant to try it even though we have a washing machine in our basement that is dedicated to washing dirty motocross gear only. What finally changed my mind was the simple fact that I no longer had any clean filters and was going riding the next morning at NEMX in Ohio.
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Be sure to check with mom or the wife before tossing your dirty air filters into the washing machine. |
Simply put, the idea of collecting my dirty filters in a garbage bag and then going out in the cold and driving to my shop to wash them was less than appealing. So due basically to procrastination coupled with a dose of holiday laziness on my part, I took the chance and began the simple process of placing eleven soiled filters in my laundry machine with a low, warm water setting, adding equal amounts of laundry detergent and filter cleaner and then pressing start.
A short time later, with the washing machine having completed it’s cycle, I was pleased to find a tub full of very clean filters absent of any odors or residue. That said, some of the filters had their rubber grommets fall out and at the bottom of the tub some grit remained, although this had no effect on the cleanliness of the filters. I would attribute this more to the machine and the fact that a few of the filters had mud caked on them.
Once I reinstalled the grommets and let the filters dry I, as I have always done, I attempted to remove any of the remaining fine particulate but was surprised that none existed which was encouraging.
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Isn't that amazing? And Rob didn't even get a dash of dirt on his hands! |
Summary:
Based on the results I experienced throughout the washing process, I have since thoroughly washed all my reusable filters and applied No-Toil filter oil to them knowing that once dirty, cleaning them will be no more difficult than washing a load of laundry. With respect to costs I believe No-Toil biodegradable oils and cleaners are competitively priced if not less expensive than the leading traditional filter oil suppliers while offering a significant labour savings whether you choose hand or machine washing.
Please Note: Although I chose to clean my filters in a washing machine, hand washing in a laundry tub or bucket filled with warm water will provide the same results albeit with a little more effort.
Rating:
Function/Performance: 10
Special Thanks:
Justin Moore of Ignition Products/ Ultimate Toyz
Randy Dodig of WPS
