CLeaning K&N Air Filter

[Sven]

Just replaced the air filter, and moved from the OEM disposable (which was pretty clean surprisingly, after a year of use) to K&N permanent.  The K&N people want to sell you their cleaner and oil.  For those of you have have used K&N filters, how have you cleaned your filters?  Do you oil them?

[Mongo]

I have a K&N in every vehicle I own, I use a garden hose to clean them spraying through the back side to force all the dirt out I use Simple Green as the cleaning solution then rinse it again with a hose then allow it to dry out then spray it down with K&N oil.

[kako]

i thought about using my dads air filter oil on my cars k and n... but i didn't want to run the chance of ruining it on its first cleaning so i just bought the k and n kit. its not that much anyways and gives you a little peace of mind that its done right.

[smooth operator]

  I use their cleaner and oil just as the instructions say. I have one for my van as well.

[Sven]

Thanks all for your responses.  Interesting that in a crowd that is usually "make-do", most of you actually use the K&N cleaner and oil.  I guess it will be thise time next year before I do whatever I'll do, but I appreciate the input.

[PitterB4]

The K&N cleaning/oiling kit isn't that expensive and gives you enough of both to last FOREVER if you just have the one filter to maintain.  Seems silly not to follow the factory program, IMHO.

[B6mick]

The K&N cleaning/oiling kit isn't that expensive and gives you enough of both to last FOREVER if you just have the one filter to maintain.  Seems silly not to follow the factory program, IMHO.

 
I wish the filters where as cheap to buy as the cleaning kit.

[GooseMan]

I think you can get away with cleaning the filter with water and a mild cleanser of some sort, but I believe there is no real substitue for genuine K&N filter oil.

I think its about $15-20 for the cleaner/oil kit, which, like everyone said, should last you quite a while. I actually had a K&N on my Saturn about...ohhh...almost 10 years ago, and I recently bought a used Kawaski ZZR which came with a K&N filter. Guess what? I dug up my old K&N cleaning kit from 10 years ago, and it still had plenty of cleaner/oil left! :D