How To Clean An RC Car?

Introduction

One thing that RC car enthusiasts should always pay attention to is the cleanliness of their vehicles. RC cars are electronic devices that need to be regularly cleaned to maintain performance and improve longevity. However, on the flipside, RC cars are electronic devices that can get damaged when some of its parts come in contact with water. At this point, RC car enthusiasts face a conundrum. How do they get their favorite remote-control vehicles clean without causing them any damage at all? In this article, we will be taking a look at how to clean RC car among other important things.

Before You Start Cleaning Your RC Car…

Know Your Car

Before cleaning your car, knowing your type of car you have is very important. You have to understand all the inner and outer elements that make up the car. If you do not understand the specifications of your car’s model, cleaning it will be very difficult for you. There is also the possibility that you could damage something during the cleaning process by mishandling the vehicle.

Gather Your Cleaning Tools and Products

Depending on the type of cleanup you want to do, the tools that you need may vary. It is important that you have all your cleaning utensils properly gathered into a toolbox. Using detergent and water should not be your first choice if your RC car is not waterproof. Some RC cars come with cleaning products. Other manufacturers have you buy the cleaning products instead. Either way, you can use WD40 to clean your car. This solution is available everywhere.

You also have another option of creating an inexpensive solution at home. All you need to do is make a solution of these supplements:

  • A Squelch of WD40
  • Denatured Alcohol
  • Bleach-Free Cleaner

Pour the solution into a clean spray bottle and you will have your homemade cleaning solution ready.

You have two options when it comes to acquiring a cleaning toolkit for your RC car. The first option you have is to buy an actual RC cleaning toolkit. For enthusiasts that are still new to the hobby, buying an RC car toolkit is your best option. However, if you are held back by budget constraints, you can consider the other option which is to gather cleaning tools from your home. Here is a list of some day-to-day items that can be adapted as cleaning tools.

  • Cotton Buds for reaching inner parts of the car
  • Old toothbrushes for cleaning the wheels
  • Dust Cloths
  • Paper Napkins

How to Clean RC car

Step 1: Detach The Car Parts

Some basic knowledge on how RC cars work can be very useful in this scenario. This is a very important step to follow. The first thing you have to do is remove the casing (top portion) of your car. This way, you can gain access to the inner part of your car. After this, you can go on to separate the small electronic parts of your car.

Step 2: Clean The Wheels

You can use water and soap for this since most RC wheels are made out of rubber. You can soak the wheel in a bucket of soapy water. Use a brush to gently scrape off the dirt. To ensure that there is not much dirt remaining, rinse the wheels by soaking them in warm water. You can either use an air compressor to dry the wheel or leave it out in the sun.

Step 3: Clean The Outside Parts of Your Vehicle

The plastic casing and the chassis of your car are components that make up the outside parts of your vehicle. You can clean the plastic casing of the car by following the same cleaning method as the wheels. The chassis requires a much more thorough cleaning process. This is because the chassis is almost always the dirtiest part of the vehicle. The WD40 solution can come in handy at this point.

Step 4: Clean the Inner parts of your car (RC Car Motor, Bearing, and Gear Box)

This is the most important part of the cleaning process. You have to be very careful because these are the parts that allow your car to function. The homemade solution will come in handy here. Before you clean the bearing, remove the oil inside it. Cleaning your RC vehicle is an opportunity to reoil your bearings to improve the performance of your car.

Step 5: Reassemble your car

Your knowledge of how RC cars work will also come in handy at this point. This knowledge will make the reassembly process easier for you.

This video shows a visual expression of how to clean RC car

Extra Cleaning Tips

There are a couple of hacks that can make the cleanup process easier for you. Here is a list of some of them:

  1. Plan a cleaning schedule for your RC car the same way you plan a racing schedule
  2. Allocate a space in the house for cleaning your RC car
  3. Keep your RC car cleaning kit separate from your other tools
  4. Do some light cleanup after every race

Why should you Clean your RC car?

Regular cleaning of your remote-controlled car comes with a number of benefits. Here are some of them:

  1. Regular cleaning will maintain the speed of your car
  2. Regular RC car cleaning and maintenance will ensure that you will be able to check for any kind of internal or external damages
  3. Regular Cleanup of your car will also ensure that your RC car’s performance remains consistent
  4. Regular Cleanup will save you the extra expense that terrible damages and broken parts will incur. This is because you will be able to easily identify the problems before they become significant

Conclusion

If racing RC cars is one of your favorite hobbies, regular cleaning of the cars should be a top priority. Cleaning will not only make the car look nice and fresh. It will also ensure that the car’s performance is top-notch.