Cleaning Skate Bearings

Getting Started

If your skate bearings are starting to spin like rocks, and you’re looking to save some money, a little tedious cleaning can help bring some life back into them.

Although this guide is mainly based from what’s on Bones’ support page, it should work with other brands. Just be sure to look up their recommendations on what solvents you can clean with.

Materials

The most important materials for cleaning are solvent and lubricant. You can get by without the cleaning unit since it’s more for quality of life.

Materials for cleaning bearings scattered around a work area which include 8 purple wheels with bearings in a container, a T-tool handle wrench, a hobby knife, a bottle of nail polish remover, Bones Bearing Cleaning Unit, and Bones Speed Cream

  • Dirty bearings
  • Bones Bearing Cleaning Unit
  • Lubricant: Bones Speed Cream
  • Solvent: Acetone, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Citrus cleaner, or Denatured alcohol
  • Hobby knife or an object with a thin tip

Removing the Shield Cover

Three bearings lined up. Going left to right, first one has a hobby knife wedged into the shield gap, second has the knife partially popping the shield out, and third has the bearings exposed with the removed shield placed beside it.

Before exposing the bearings to solvent, you’ll need to remove their shield cover as this helps to get a deeper clean. Keep in mind, depending on the materials of the shield cover, your solvent can damage it.

If you’re unsure how to remove it, look here.

Shields with rubber (like the ones here) should only be cleaned with soapy water.

Cleaning with Solvent

When working with solvents, ensure you’re in a well ventilated space with proper precautions as they’re typically toxic/flammable and can dissolve containers that are not meant to store it.

Looking back, I should’ve been using chemical resistant gloves here.

A hand pouring an acetone bottle into a Bones Cleaning Unit that’s next to it’s cap which has 8 bearings attached with a spacer separating each. Overlaid is the hand drawn text “Fill to here” with an arrow pointing at the Bearing Cleaner label on the bottle

Load your bearings in the cleaning unit with a spacer between each. Exposed bearings should face towards the cap so that the solvent drains through.

You can start filling the container with solvent to where it says “Bearing Cleaner”.

Before you place your bearings in the container, take this time to remember that SHIELD COVERS MAY HAVE MATERIALS THAT CAN BE DAMAGED BY YOUR SOLVENT SO DOUBLE CHECK!

A GIF of the Bones Cleaning Unit being shaken Close the cap and give it a good shake for about 20 seconds!

A GIF of bearing shields and exposed bearings scattered around a paper towel with a hand drying one by slamming it against the surface Once you’re done shaking, take the bearings out lightly tap them against a soft lint free surface to help them dry.

Lubricating and Closing Up

After your bearings are dry from cleaning, they’ll need a little lubrication to help them both spin and protect against rust.

Scattered bearings on a paper towel with 2 bottles of Bones Speed Cream that are applying one drop to a bearing

With Bones Speed Cream, normal bearings need 2 drops while ceramic types take just 1 drop.

If you’re unsure which type you have, check the box your bearings came in. Still unsure? There’s no risk in applying 2 drops as you can dip the bearings again in solvent to remove it.

A GIF of 2 hands spinning a bearing around and then flipping it upside down before spinning again Next, spin the bearings around to help evenly spread the lubricant. You can stop when you feel it spin smoothly at every orientation.

A GIF of 2 hands applying a bearing shield to the exposed side of a bearing by pressing it on All that’s left is to place the shield back on each bearing! Just ensure that the shield is flat with no warping.

A hand holding a newly cleaned bearing with an out of focus background of bearings on a paper towel with their shields removed.

And you’re done!

Aside from having to deal with harmful chemicals, the cleaning process isn’t too bad. One thing to point out is that I used a paper towel to dry my bearings which isn’t ideal as tiny fibers could get stuck inside the bearings.