# Soy sauce, olive oil, oh my! Unique yoyo maintenance **URL:** \ **Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance\ **Created:** [October 11, 2025, 12:24am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388 "2025-10-11T00:24:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Benthrowsyoyo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/benthrowsyoyo/32/300522_2.png) [@Benthrowsyoyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Benthrowsyoyo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 12:24am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/1 "2025-10-11T00:24:03Z")
As the descriptor alludes to, I now know one person who uses soy sauce to clean their bearings, and another person who uses olive oil to help lube responsive bearings. Both of these apparently suit their purpose just fine. What are other weird substances used to help maintain a yoyo that are outside of the norm? ---
**Author:** ![SlowThrow](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/slowthrow/32/307451_2.png) [@SlowThrow](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SlowThrow)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 1:30am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/2 "2025-10-11T01:30:41Z")
Immediately came to mind [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/b/0/a/b0ac105651e128c090e34102623f2044cfd4a4d7.jpeg "RCS Dumpster Fire - Special Bearing Treatment Recipe") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCLTnBDSHB8) ---
**Author:** ![Captrogers](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/captrogers/32/647012_2.png) [@Captrogers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Captrogers)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 1:56am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/3 "2025-10-11T01:56:09Z")
Where’s the dislike button ---
**Author:** ![TheThrowingGnome](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/thethrowinggnome/32/14231_2.png) [@TheThrowingGnome](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/TheThrowingGnome)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 3:47am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/4 "2025-10-11T03:47:33Z")
In theory vinegar should remove any rust from troublesome bearings. ---
**Author:** ![Captrogers](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/captrogers/32/647012_2.png) [@Captrogers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Captrogers)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 4:06am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/5 "2025-10-11T04:06:04Z")
I mean if it’s already rusty why not. Idk if I want my bearings to smell like boardwalk fries though ---
**Author:** ![quinton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/quinton/32/376_2.png) [@quinton](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/quinton)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 4:13am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/6 "2025-10-11T04:13:02Z")
I usually pay extra for this ---
**Author:** ![AudreySickburn](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/audreysickburn/32/313292_2.png) [@AudreySickburn](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/AudreySickburn)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 6:19am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/7 "2025-10-11T06:19:29Z")
Diet Coke is more acidic than regular vinegar. I wouldn’t use the sugared version but diet would probably be fine. Simple Green or Bar Keepers friend could do in a pinch. You would have to rinse them out well so you didn’t get left over water or grit. The best degreaser is honestly probably dish soap. If you boiled some bearings with some Dawn and then dried them well it would clean them thoroughly. ---
**Author:** ![StringTheory](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/stringtheory/32/698894_2.png) [@StringTheory](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/StringTheory)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 8:29am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/8 "2025-10-11T08:29:52Z")
I am new to yoyo maintenance, need to clean my bearrings yet. But, when I was skating, I cleaned them hundreds of times and it never failed. I’ll try the same principle with my yoyo bearrings. Soak them in a citrus based dish cleaner, rubb them with a tooth-brush, dry them well, then put on some wee lube. Will this technique be fine, guys? Thank you for your advice and have a great weekend everyone!! ---
**Author:** ![mable](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/mable/32/194074_2.png) [@mable](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mable)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 8:58am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/9 "2025-10-11T08:58:34Z")
I rub dish soap through my dirty bearings and then blast them under the sink faucet for a bit. 100% success rate for cleaning bearings doing this and it doesn’t even take a minute. Needing to clean bearing stopped being as much of an annoyance once I started doing this. One of my friends uses a drop of olive oil to quiet down their bearing. Which still seems insane to me, but they’ve been doing it for years and it works for them. So that’s all that matters I guess. ---
**Author:** ![quinton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/quinton/32/376_2.png) [@quinton](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/quinton)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 1:02pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/10 "2025-10-11T13:02:32Z")
How hot does a yoyo bearing get in use, I wonder? Olive oil has a fairly low smoke point so I wonder if you can get some pyro off of it. ---
**Author:** ![Benthrowsyoyo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/benthrowsyoyo/32/300522_2.png) [@Benthrowsyoyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Benthrowsyoyo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 2:01pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/11 "2025-10-11T14:01:32Z")
Definitely not hot enough in any play except 2a. I haven’t tried 2a enough to know, but I know that unresponsive bearings that function well don’t get above room temp typically. ---
**Author:** ![Benthrowsyoyo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/benthrowsyoyo/32/300522_2.png) [@Benthrowsyoyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Benthrowsyoyo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 2:02pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/12 "2025-10-11T14:02:55Z")
I don’t know how this would work but now I’m curious! As long as the bearing doesn’t get rusty afterwards I don’t see how this would be detrimental to a bearing used for yoyoing either. ---
**Author:** ![Captrogers](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/captrogers/32/647012_2.png) [@Captrogers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Captrogers)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 4:28pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/13 "2025-10-11T16:28:15Z")
I do wonder if evapo rust would help with a bearing that is rusty. I have a few old ones that are if a non standard size that rusted to a fixed axle essentially.. Might try vinegar first but have thought about trying to revive them ---
**Author:** ![daosyn](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/daosyn/32/311107_2.png) [@daosyn](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/daosyn)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/14 "2025-10-11T20:28:24Z")
i used trumpet valve oil back in the day to lube my bearings. has the same consistency as thin lube ---
**Author:** ![kawaii.kaede](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/kawaii.kaede/32/640481_2.png) [@kawaii.kaede](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/kawaii.kaede)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 10:20pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/15 "2025-10-11T22:20:49Z")
dddd ---
**Author:** ![bigstupidbees](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/bigstupidbees/32/210638_2.png) [@bigstupidbees](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/bigstupidbees)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 10:26pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/16 "2025-10-11T22:26:09Z")
Thats basically exactly what I do. I have a datavac for pc cleaning and it happens to be the perfect tool to dry off the bearing after doing the toothbrush and dawn dish soap scrub. I sometimes do a little lube to make them silent but honestly I don’t even usually bother with that anymore. As long as it’s not screaming it’s ok to have some bearing noise for me. ---
**Author:** ![cowmamba](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/cowmamba/32/270859_2.png) [@cowmamba](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/cowmamba)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 5:55am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/17 "2025-10-15T05:55:32Z")
I have used evapo rust and it works quite well for bearings. You just need to make sure the shields of the bearing are removed. It works best if it’s agitated before rinsing. If you have access to a small ultrasonic cleaner, even a cheap “jewelry / ring” cleaner type would work wonders. You can put the evaporust or simple green in it and let it go to town for a bit. If not, an old tooth brush or a small nylon brush from harbor freight works great. Just soak for a few hours and brush it out real good, rinse and oil. I will usually spin test it on the dremel before playing. A few times I have also heated the bearings and dunked them in oil to give them a good coating. Works pretty well as long as the balls aren’t seized too bad. ---
**Author:** ![rkalajian](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/rkalajian/32/672584_2.png) [@rkalajian](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/rkalajian)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 1:25pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/18 "2025-10-15T13:25:09Z")
Fresh goat’s blood. First, I draw some eldritch symbols on the floor with it, then place the bearing in a small chalice filled with the stuff. While it’s soaking, I like to chant a bit to pass the time, and maybe prep a sandwich for any “unexpected” visitors. I usually follow this up with a nice vindaloo! ---
**Author:** ![quinton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/quinton/32/376_2.png) [@quinton](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/quinton)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 1:26pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/19 "2025-10-15T13:26:42Z")
Vindaloo gives me heartburn. Is there a good substitution for that part? ---
**Author:** ![rkalajian](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/rkalajian/32/672584_2.png) [@rkalajian](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/rkalajian)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 1:30pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388/20 "2025-10-15T13:30:52Z")
Kebabs are a good substitute. [Next page](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/soy-sauce-olive-oil-oh-my-unique-yoyo-maintenance/434388.md?page=2)