How To Clean Your Electric Scooter

If you own an electric scooter (like the Varla electric scooter), you are likely looking to keep your investment in the best shape possible. When you consider the rigors of use, it is likely that before long your scooter will build up dirt, grime, and grease. In the interest of keeping your electric scooter in good working order and looking sharp, you are likely looking for the proper methods of how to clean your electric scooter.

Necessary Cleaning Supplies

While some may think that a quick water rinse off is sufficient, the truth is that is not quite as extensive as a thorough cleaning of an electric scooter should experience. The scooter has various parts, some are better insulated from damage by liquid than others, so it’s important to address each component accordingly.

As with any preparation, before you begin cleaning the scooter it is important to get all the necessary cleaning supplies together. The following are the supplies that you will need to have on hand:

• Warm, clean water
• Cleaning solution comprised of biodegradable soap (preferably the type used for vehicles) preferably in a spray bottle
• Microfiber cloths (2x)
• A small paintbrush with long bristles or an old toothbrush

Cleaning The Electric Scooter Correctly

Whether you are using a standard or dual motor electric scooter, the cleaning process itself requires some patience. It is not a particularly lengthy or time-consuming process, but cleaning around the electronic parts need to be performed with caution and diligence. An off-road electric scooter will likely require some more attention due to the terrain it travels and the dirt that is liable to cake up on it. The following is the recommended process of cleaning the electric scooter in the best way. 

Run The Scooter

This may seem like a strange first step, but before cleaning the scooter it is recommended that you run it, or even take it for a ride assuming the conditions are dry. The reason for this is that if you rode it last in the rain or through puddles, dirt mixed with water can become trapped in certain crevices. The additional ride helps shake most of that water loose to allow the scooter to be the most dirt free as you can get it prior to the cleaning.

1. Cover The Sensitive Electronic Parts 

Unplug the scooter before cleaning it. In fact, a good way to assure it’s not plugged in is to perform the cleaning outdoors, unless it is raining. The charging port is the one area you should do your best to avoid getting wet as you will encounter an unwelcome and painful surprise when you next try to plug the scooter in. Wrapping the charging part area in a dry towel or even a plastic bag usually does the trick.

1. Clean Handle Grips

You can start cleaning the scooter from the top down, beginning with the handle grips. You should dampen one of the microfiber cloths and give the handles a thorough wipe. Gently wipe any brake wiring as well and softly dust off the LCD display on the dash is one is present. 

1. Dust The Scooter’s Body

Before applying anything wet to the scooter, use a dry microfiber cloth to thoroughly get all of the dust and dirt off of the scooter. Much of the grime is barely clinging to the surface, so a good portion of it can be loosened enough to come off with just a typical wipe down. 

1. Spray And Wipe Down The Body

Once you have been able to get most of the dust off, use the cleaning solution mixed in a spray bottle to spray down the majority of the scooter’s deck, then wipe with up and down motions getting around all the metal parts thoroughly. Avoid circle motions when cleaning as they are sometimes known to generate scratches. When spraying be careful to avoid having the cleaning solution from coming in contact with the electronic portions of the scooter as even a few droplets can result in the slow corrosion of those parts. Put the scooter on its side after, and thoroughly wipe the undercarriage as well as it will have gathered a significant amount of dirt and debris. Carefully wipe any electronic parts and go around any wiring with caution.

1. Spray And Wipe The Tires

Next, spray the soap solution on the tires and the parts adjacent to them. Seeing as the tires are in contact with the ground, they will certainly be the dirtiest part of the scooter. After a good wipe to get the top layer of dirt off, wet the tips of the brush or toothbrush, and get in the tire ridges and grooves as there will be packed dirt in there that will not be easily reachable or removable with a single wipe. Spray the brush with the soapy combination and get the soap in those hard to reach tire spaces as well. 

1. Inspect For Other Places

Once the tires are clean, look around for any other places that may have been hard for the initial micro cloth wipedown to reach, and try to get at them with the brush. Avoid sticking the wet brush into any electronics to avoid rusting. 

1. Fully Dry

Use the other microfiber cloth (the dry one) to wipe down all of the wet parts. Leave the scooter for a bit in an area where it can dry. If possible, lay it on its side on a plastic tarp or a towel to allow any excess water to drip off. Once fully dry, have fun riding! 

Hope you enjoyed this guest post that we published for Varla Scooter!