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So a bit of chai latte (yes, it was mine; I don't like coffee) got spilled over the front of my bike yesterday (NOT MY FAULT, I swear). My bike didn't care... but my combination lock did. The numbers don't want to move independently of one another now, and don't like to line up properly either.

Cleaning suggestions? I honestly have no clue.

Possibly related: "How to deal with lock that keeps jamming" (but that's for a U-lock, not a combo lock)

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    Write it off as a bad investment maybe, and buy a more substantial lock ;-) Seriously, you might have some joy with WD-40, certainly don't think it would do any harm.
    – PeteH
    Commented Jun 19, 2013 at 22:14
  • It's not so bad combined with an AXA Defender on the back wheel.
    – D.Salo
    Commented Jun 19, 2013 at 22:58
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    It's probably just from the sugar, so you'll want something that will dissolve the sugar, like warm water. Add some WD-40 to get rid of the water after it starts moving again.
    – Kibbee
    Commented Jun 19, 2013 at 23:15
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    This is god's punishment for drinking pretend coffee.
    – Carey Gregory
    Commented Jun 20, 2013 at 0:32
  • A lot of people discourage WD40 on locks, it either turns into a goo that's worse than what it displaced, or disappears completely leaving the lock dry and stiff. Wash it out with warm water and dry it thoroughly, maybe in the boiler room or a very low oven.
    – alex
    Commented Jun 20, 2013 at 2:37

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Probably, flushing with plain water followed by some lube should work. Good luck!

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