Bicycle Mechanics - Wax on chains

A friend of mine told me how he dips his chain in wax rather than oiling it. I was wondering if bee's wax would work also so that I am not using an petroleum oil based product.

You may want to search this forum for wax, chain lubrication, lube, lubrication, oiling, etc., etc.

Chain lube is really personal preference. Many, many things work well. If you keep your chain rather clean and lubed regularly (weekly/after any rainy ride), you'll do a pretty good job.

Searching the forum should yield more info than you could possibly ever process ;)

You may want to search this forum for wax, chain lubrication, lube, lubrication, oiling, etc., etc. ... Searching the forum should yield more info than you could possibly ever process ;)

Yes, of course. You are correct. I should have searched before jumping. Thanks :)

I will venture castor oil as a great chain lube that is non petroleum based. My experience is 9 months running (regular cleaning), from new on an SRAM PC-68 chain that now has 2000 miles on it. I am unable to detect any wear.

The other poster is also correct - this subject has been covered many many times...:)

Cheers,

Ed

Aint quick-disconnect links (like the Connex) GREAT for chain maintenance? With the quick-connect, I don't have to break the chain with a chain tool to clean it! Just quick disconnect, dump the chain in a wide-mouth jar with degreaser, shake, dry, reattach and lube :) . The quick links make chain maintenance doable on a MUCH more frequent schedule. I'm changing EVERY chain I've got to a quick link chain. You?

Using wax on a chain is not new -- but it is a lot of work.

You first need to remove the chain an clean it Then you put the wax in a can and heat it to melt it.
This can be dangerous since wax is flamable.

When the wax is melted, drop the chain in the wax and let it soak for a few mniutes. Then remove it
and hang it up and let it dry and let the excess way drip off.

I supose you could use beeswax, but I just used some cheap candles.

If you want a wax lubricant, you can also use something like White Lightening. It's certainly a lot easier.

BikePro

If for some strange reason you want to use nothing but wax don't use just plain wax because plain wax will last about 100 miles then your doing the wax ritual all over again. You need to add about 3 tablespoons of teflon into the paraffin wax and heat both in a can together till it melts. BUT DO NOT just place the chain and wax mixture on heat...think about this, does KABOOM come to mind? AND NEVER LEAVE the wax unintended! To safely heat this mixture, get a pan that is large enough for the can to sit in. Put an inch or two of water in the pan and place the can in the center. Now the wax will not exceed 100°C unless the water boils off. Place this on your heat source, using just enough heat to start the water boiling and then turn it down a bit. After the wax has completely mixed with the oil, take it off the burner and let it solidify. There should be enough wax in the can to completely cover a chain. When the wax is hard, rub your finger on the surface, it should feel greasy. If it doesn't, add a little more of the engine treatment.

Put the chain on top of the wax and set it into the pan of water again and bring the water to a boil. DO NOT leave the wax unattended. Once the wax has completely melted, stir the chain occasionally to get the wax between all of the parts and remove remaining dirt. Let it cook for at least 15 minutes, the metal has to reach the same temperature as the wax for the wax to bond.

Remove the chain from the wax with a pair of plyers, be careful, it's HOT! Hang the chain above a plastic bag or outside, wax will be dripping until it solidifies. Some people wipe the excess wax off, it will fall off when you use the chain anyway.

Now you did all that work and the your new wax treatment might last 300-400 miles before you have to redo it, and you redo it as soon as you hear chain squeeks or noises. But the chain still will have more friction and will not last as long as a chain treated with lube in a bottle already with teflon in it like Finish Line Teflon Dry Plus. With Finish Line you don't have to cook it, just clean the chain a apply one drop to each link and let set for 12 hours and ride.

Thank you all for your help. It was greatly appreciated.

I had tried one of those wax dip long time ago. Not worth another try. It has very short service life, within a couple of days chain start making noise as if it has no lubricant. It's still better than white Lightning which lasts only an hour so of riding.

My take is that because wax is solid at normal temperature, when it strips off the surface of the metal, no wax will fill in between the metal unlike liquid lubricant. If anybody believes the wax would be absorbed by the metal as the instruction says, they are living in the dream land.

Too much work for no result. I would doubt that anybody use it regularly.

Have used the 'hot wax' method for 30+ years. It works.
However, wax will not 'penetrate' metal chainlinks (neither will oil) but it will penetrate the spaces (in its liquified form) between the roller pins of the chain. That is where you need lubrication.
Living in very dry Arizona has its advantages; will easily get 4,000+ miles off the chain before having to re-wax. In wetter climates, you'll need to do this more often.
I do my chain cooking outside on a one-burner electric hotplate. Pre-clean chain. Put block of canning wax in big coffee can and heat; drop chain in. After it gets about 5 to 10 minutes in the liquified wax, remove chain utilizing long handled pliers. Hang chain to drip, put newspaper (or whatever) under the dripping chain. Wipe down chain with rag after it cools. Re-install chain. For a couple days you may have dark flakes of wax on your chainstay. No problem.
Result: a very clean-to-the-touch chain (leaves no greasy marks on hands) and above all: a noiseless chain.
Works for us!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

Zonatandem; I don't want to cause a riff but I lived in the Mojave Desert of So. Calif and hot wax with teflon added would not last 400 miles not alone 4,000 as you stated before having to rewax; and plain hot wax WITHOUT teflon last only about 100 miles if your lucky, and your post sounded like it was just plain wax not teflon treated wax. I'm sorry but your full of hot wax!

It's still better than white Lightning which lasts only an hour so of riding.



Only good for an hour?? I've never had squeaks yet, and I usually only re-lube every 300-400 miles.

Old british books use to say to use Paraffin .So many Yanks melted wax and dipped their chains---only problem was Paraffin in England is Karosene in the USA!Clean and dip you chain in Coal oil(Karosene)Let drip and wipe dry.Then burn your candle at both ends---sam

Old british books use to say to use Paraffin .So many Yanks melted wax and dipped their chains---only problem was Paraffin in England is Karosene in the USA!Clean and dip you chain in Coal oil(Karosene)Let drip and wipe dry.Then burn your candle at both ends---sam

UHH? The word kerosene (you misspelled it by the way) and paraffin are the SAME word and the same stuff! In fact originally the Greek word for wax was Keros. BUT we here in the US have since dropped the word kerosene when used with wax and went with the British word paraffin when the first jet engines were made so the words would not get confused with each other. I'm not sure if the use of kerosene and paraffin was seperated when jet engines first were made, but that's as far back as I could find when the words were seperated.

Grant Peterson published instructions for lubricating chains with paraffin in the 1992 Bridgestone catalog:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/1992/1992.pdf

UHH? The word kerosene (you misspelled it by the way) and paraffin are the SAME word and the same stuff! In fact originally the Greek word for wax was Keros. BUT we here in the US have since dropped the word kerosene when used with wax and went with the British word paraffin when the first jet engines were made so the words would not get confused with each other. I'm not sure if the use of kerosene and paraffin was seperated when jet engines first were made, but that's as far back as I could find when the words were seperated.


So, how come I have a bunch of "paraffin" tea-light candles here (clearly a solid at room temperature) and a drum of kerosene in my garage used for the emergency space heater?

Aviation diesel fuel is basically high-grade kerosene. I don't really feel good about trying to fill my plane with tea-lights though...

So, how come I have a bunch of "paraffin" tea-light candles here (clearly a solid at room temperature) and a drum of kerosene in my garage used for the emergency space heater?

Aviation diesel fuel is basically high-grade kerosene. I don't really feel good about trying to fill my plane with tea-lights though...

Hey I'm no scientist! so I can't tell you why that paraffin is solid and kerosene is liquid, but at one time kerosene was the same word used for wax, that's why the Greek word for wax was keros, how all that got switched around in the slushing of languages over the last 2,000+ years is beyond me!

If you fill your plane with tea-lights just think how tranquil that will be!

Paraffin Oil (kerosene to us outside the UK and South Africa)
Parrafin Wax, that which we buy at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraffin

How about just using T9 Boeshield? Its got wax in it, and there is no need to go through any hassle. Just apply it AFTER your ride and wipe off as much as possible, and your chain is clean and ready go to for next time with a thin coat of wax.

Kerosene (the liquid) is an incredible degreaser. You can throw your chain in a jar of kerosene, shake it around, and the dirt will just fly off. Pull the chain out, and it's sparkling.

Never actually tried the hot wax chain thing, but the OP mentioned beeswax. I think beeswax would be a bad idea.. it's much stickier than paraffin wax. It's better as a thread locker than as a lubricant.

How about just using T9 Boeshield? Its got wax in it, and there is no need to go through any hassle. Just apply it AFTER your ride and wipe off as much as possible, and your chain is clean and ready go to for next time with a thin coat of wax.

How about just using WD-40?

It works the same way, there is no need to go through any hassle. You only have to re-do it every two weeks or even less often.

There are non-petroleum based lubes available.

How about just using WD-40?

It works the same way, there is no need to go through any hassle. You only have to re-do it every two weeks or even less often.

WD40 IS NOT a lubricant, it's a Water Displacer, note the letters WD in WD40? Once the water is displaced and the WD40 has evaporated then you apply a lubricant.

Wax based lubes do not last, usually around 65 to 75 miles and the chain will start to make noise, and of course where there is noise there is rapid wear going on. Any of the other non-wax based lubes though are all good. I personally use Finish Line Teflon Dry Plus and I think it ranks right up there with the best lubes on the market for bike chains.

Wax based lubes do not last, usually around 65 to 75 miles and the chain will start to make noise, and of course where there is noise there is rapid wear going on. Any of the other non-wax based lubes though are all good. I personally use Finish Line Teflon Dry Plus and I think it ranks right up there with the best lubes on the market for bike chains.

So not true. T9 Boeshield if applied properly outlasts ANY teflon lubricant (I have used nearly every single on available) by about 3-4x. I rode through a torrential rainstorm on a 3 day tour, for about 4.5hrs on one day, and my chain was whisper quiet the rest of the ride, not to mention perfectly clean. White Lightning is probably the worst "lube" I have ever used, but Boeshield is an entirely different animal. I have a nearly full can of Finish Line Dry Plus that gets used to lubricate hinges around the house now.

Your only half right about the T9 Bioshield; your right about it's "probably" the best for wet and muddy conditions, but for dry conditions Teflon lubes are superior in antifriction. Bioshield will have more friction on the drivelined then Finish Line Teflon Plus will have...BUT, will you notice it? maybe not but I can! I noticed a smoother free moving driveline using Finish Line Teflon Plus over any other product I've ever tried including T-9. BUT, if I was going to do a lot of riding in the rain, mud, or snow then you bet T-9 all the way; I use it on my mtb when ever it's going to be a wet ride; but with wider tires, wet conditions, etc, speed isn't necessary thus friction is not an issue.

WD40 IS NOT a lubricant, it's a Water Displacer, note the letters WD in WD40? Once the water is displaced and the WD40 has evaporated then you apply a lubricant.



I would use anything that works, regardless of what it says. Kitchen oil, my own saliva, I use it as long as it works. Only test matters to me is my own experience.

It usually takes a few months, not so quickly, before WD-40 dries out. I don't wait that long usually. Keep spraying every two weeks and wipe it off works for me. Maybe you haven't tried it yet?

Another draw back of the wax dip is it doesn't prevent chain from rusting unlike majority of other lubricant, neither White Lightning.

'mazing how often this comes up.

Lemme (dreaming) settle this once and for all: WD40 is a lubricant, but--for use on bike chains, there certainly are better.

Read the MSDS on WD: http://www.wd40.com/Brands/pdfs/msds-wd40_aerosol.us.pdf

Basically, you're looking at mineral spirits and oil. Call it a spraycan of homebrew, heavy on the mineral spirits. Based on that composition, it's a better cleaner, but to say it isn't a lubricant really isn't correct.

I clean my chain with it, then lube with homebrew. YMMV.

Allgoo: You have to change your avatar. It's making me weep.

Fare you well, my honey.
Fare you well, my only true one.
All the birds that were singing
Have flown except you alone . . . . :(

Just because it has oil in it doesn't mean it's suitable for lubricant, just as cooking oil is oil but it's not intended to be used on your chains, car engines, door hinges etc. WD40 is a 0 weight oil...far too thin in viscosity to be used in anything you want to last a long time. So yes, technically your right, it's a lubricant just as is cooking oil.

Allgoo: You have to change your avatar. It's making me weep.
(

That's the point I'm getting at. :D

Just because it has oil in it doesn't mean it's suitable for lubricant, just as cooking oil is oil

Just because it says it's for bicycle lubrication it doesn't mean it really works for my bike. I believe when I see it's working. Wax dip and White Lightning didn't pass my test, but WD-40 did. I recommend you should try it.

Trust your eyes, not what product advertisement says. You wouldn't trust everything a used car sales man says about the car he's selling, would you?

Just because it says it's for bicycle lubrication it doesn't mean it really works for my bike. I believe when I see it's working. Wax dip and White Lightning didn't pass my test, but WD-40 did. I recommend you should try it.

Trust your eyes, not what product advertisement says. You wouldn't trust everything a used car sales man says about the car he's selling, would you?


WD-40 is a VERY poor choice for a chain lube. The oil in it is very thin and not appropriate for use on a chain. Regular old motor oil works much better, use it if you have nothing else in the house.

Here's my "brew":

1 part (by weight) Lithium Grease
3 parts Beeswax
5 parts Gulf Wax (paraffin)
2 or 3 squirts of powdered graphite

I don't use a doubleboiler, I just use a hotplate and am CAREFUL.

No squeaks for about 300 miles if it's mostly dry, about 1/2 that in the mostly rain.

I don't use a doubleboiler, I just use a hotplate and am CAREFUL.


A trip to Wally-World and $8 will get you a small crockpot. It brings the brew up to just the right temperature, albiet much more slowly.

Boiling chains takes me back to British motorcycles in the 1960s & maintenance chores I left behind decades ago. I now use an auto oiler on my motorcycles & clean my bicycle chains with a Park Chain Cleaner filled with mineral spirits. Much easier then pulling the chain off ever time. For lube I'm currently using Pedro's Dry Lube with teflon which seems to work fine.

Another .02 to an old topic. Eugene Sloan 25 years ago wrote that he soaked bike chains overnight in heated SAE 140 (gear oil) on a hotplate. I have been soaking chains in a mix of parrafin (candle wax), Johnson's paste wax, and SAE 90 in a hot water bath for a couple of hours. The result is quite slick but does collect sand and grit.

The pure hot parrafin soak seems to give a cleaner chain. And I think the wax sticks only if old grease is completely cleaned off the chain before parrafinizing--by repeated washings in solvent. I hypothesize that this is the best method for lubing a worn chain on a beater bike. It may be that a new tight chain will do better with a thin carrier and teflon lube, while a worn chain needs a longer, stiffer hydrocarbon molecule for lubrication (i.e., higher SAE numbers).

Somebody oughta do a scientific study. Grants gratefully accepted!

The finish line Cross country is good, but matched just as well by substitution with castor oil. No joke! I've been using the latter since the start of this year with very good results.

.....Yet another anecdotal homebrew chain lube recommendation!

Attention to chain cleanliness is surely more important than which lubricant one uses.

Ed

The finish line Cross country is good, but matched just as well by substitution with castor oil. No joke!

NO JOKE! Castor oil is a 200 year old lubricating technology left over from the UK days of Imperial Colonialism and forced labour in the cotton mills of India and Ireland.

http://www.answers.com/topic/castor-oil

Castor oil has no anti-wear/AW or extreme pressure/EP additives. No surfactants. No anti-oxidants. No fatty aids. No complex molecular molecule chains. No rust inhibitors. No paraffined waxes. Basically, the 3 in 1, is a viscus industrial grade non-rancid laxative vegetable bean oil.

If it works for you and keeps the demon squeaks at bay...........by all means, use it. Far be it for me to drag anyone kicking and screaming into the 21st. Century, especially if they don't want to go.... ;>)"

Would extra-virgin olive-oil work?

Would extra-virgin olive-oil work?

Probably only with pasta and parmesan cheese added.

Would extra-virgin olive-oil work?

Well............. you wouldn't hold a grudge, just cause it was a little used now, would you ?

14 years ago when I rode trails four days a week I always waxed my chain. At the time the hot stuff was RJ Hock's Chain Wax. At the time I was working at a bike shop and it sold for a whopping 6-7 dollars a can. We kept a plug-in single burner in the back of the shop and just set the can on and warmed it up.
Waxing chains provides for a dry lubricant. Not as easy for dust and dirt to cling to it. I was always amazed how well it cleaned up and sprayed off after ride in or just after a rain.

Kerosene (the liquid) is an incredible degreaser. You can throw your chain in a jar of kerosene, shake it around, and the dirt will just fly off. Pull the chain out, and it's sparkling.

Never actually tried the hot wax chain thing, but the OP mentioned beeswax. I think beeswax would be a bad idea.. it's much stickier than paraffin wax. It's better as a thread locker than as a lubricant.

Which is why I like White Lightening. I think it must be soap and kerosene.

I did the soap thing. There must have been a few of us way back then.

You could buy a master link (two little tiny screws instead of pins) that eased the job of breaking the chain over and over.

:)

How about just using WD-40?

It works the same way, there is no need to go through any hassle. You only have to re-do it every two weeks or even less often.
I comprehensively stuffed 4 bikes' chains using only WD-40. In record time. Lesson learned in the hip pocket.

STV thanks for writing; I've been using the Finish Line Teflon Dry now for about 5 years or so and it's the best I've ever used. But how does the Teflon Dry compare the Krytech (the wax one you wrote about)? Why should I use one over the other? I watched the little video snip at Finish Line but it wasn't real clear as to why one was better or what purpose one was over the other. Thanks

STV thanks for writing; I've been using the Finish Line Teflon Dry now for about 5 years or so and it's the best I've ever used. But how does the Teflon Dry compare the KryTech (the wax one you wrote about)? Why should I use one over the other? I watched the little video snip at Finish Line but it wasn't real clear as to why one was better or what purpose one was over the other. Thanks

First of all, I am not an expert on Finish Line lubes, let alone bike lubricants. I just happen to use two of their products that I am quite satisfied with them.

But I will take a stab at answering your question as best I can.

The main difference I see between the two products, TeflonDry and KryTech is preference. They both utilize two distinctly different lubrication technologies and get similar performance results.

The Dry Teflon uses a light volatile synthetic base oil as a carrier to transport the sub-micro Teflon between the metal links of the chain. This carrier can eventually flash or evaporate off leaving the slippery micro fine Teflon molecules to do the work of reducing friction. It is a very clean product from an additive perspective and it is not tacky or wet and does not attract dust or dirt. Teflon is a very slippery solid lubricant, however the molecule is not a durable molecule for severe industrial service use...however it is quite suitable for bike chains that are less demanding.

The KryTech also uses a volatile synthetic base oil carrier plus a soluble wax component. Mixed in with the oil and wax is a soluble micro fine Moly additive. Moly is an older technology primarily used for shock load applications as in Extreme Pressure or EP and often misused as an anti-wear additive. When applied to the chain the carrier fluid that transports the wax quickly evaporates and the wax sets-up or solidifies quickly. It then behaves much like a grease would. That is, it acts as a seal to keep water and contaminants out of the metal crevices. The wax also holds the synthetic oil and EP Moly in suspension next to the metal on metal parts and filling any asperities in the metal, thus keeping them apart, reducing friction and wear. The side bar to wax is that it also acts like a damper or cushion, often reducing some of the noise chatter associated with a chain in motion.

I have not used the TeflonDry. It looks like a great product. Although they solve the lube job from slightly different angles they both accomplish similar results. The difference between the two products IMHO look to be negligible to me. Just a preference thingy.

My preference though is the wax and the more durable molybdenum disulfide over the Teflon.

NO JOKE! Castor oil is a 200 year old lubricating technology left over from the UK days of Imperial Colonialism and forced labour in the cotton mills of India and Ireland.

http://www.answers.com/topic/castor-oil

Castor oil has no anti-wear/AW or extreme pressure/EP additives. No surfactants. No anti-oxidants. No fatty aids. No complex molecular molecule chains. No rust inhibitors. No paraffined waxes. Basically, the 3 in 1, is a viscus industrial grade non-rancid laxative vegetable bean oil.

If it works for you and keeps the demon squeaks at bay...........by all means, use it. Far be it for me to drag anyone kicking and screaming into the 21st. Century, especially if they don't want to go.... ;>)"

...Well - and I certainly don't mean to start a war here stv :), it was an experiment that I tried and decided to continue. It came about during some work I was doing in the lab, where I noticed that the castor oil was superficially similar to the Cross Country product with regard to viscosity. I then did a bit of reading on its use as a lubricant and decided to give it trial run on my chain (SRAM PC68). 2000 miles later and said chain is still in good condition with little if any wear, despite all weather commuting use. I also like the smooth running and clean shifting it seems to impart to the drive train.

I would venture that the lack of sophisticated additives (the purpose of which I understand) is of limited help to a bicycle chain lubricant that is subjected to extreme levels of moisture and contamination where these agents might be defeated (water in ones engine oil is regarded as very bad news. A simple (and inexpensive) lubricant, replaced often after regular cleaning has served me very well.

Good debate,

Cheers,

Ed

Keeping a chain clean and new oil applied frequently (if you want the chain to last) should be common sense for most people, since you should already know this if you own a car (if you want the car to last).

...Well - and I certainly don't mean to start a war here stv :), it was an experiment that I tried and decided to continue. It came about during some work I was doing in the lab, where I noticed that the castor oil was superficially similar to the Cross Country product with regard to viscosity. I then did a bit of reading on its use as a lubricant and decided to give it trial run on my chain (SRAM PC68). 2000 miles later and said chain is still in good condition with little if any wear, despite all weather commuting use. I also like the smooth running and clean shifting it seems to impart to the drive train.

I would venture that the lack of sophisticated additives (the purpose of which I understand) is of limited help to a bicycle chain lubricant that is subjected to extreme levels of moisture and contamination where these agents might be defeated (water in ones engine oil is regarded as very bad news. A simple (and inexpensive) lubricant, replaced often after regular cleaning has served me very well.

Good debate,

Cheers,

Ed

My humble apologies for coming across so terse. I over stated my case and when I borrowed your "no joke" tag line.

In hindsight, I don't disagree with your observations, Castor oil still is a relatively viable choice. Your cycle uses similar slow moving, low load mechanical technology that cotton ginny's used, which is why Castor was so successfully used then and now still.

This chain lube issue is really overwrought with hand wringing and teeth gnashing. You sir, Ed say it best: "Attention to chain cleanliness is surely more important than which lubricant one uses."

Contamination, whether road grit or water, are greater concerns and detrimental to long chain life than what lube you use. Yak butter, mixed with oil from a Beaver castor gland would work as long as the chain is kept relatively clean from abrasive road grit and corrosive water.

The choices are all over the map, from cheap and dirty to clean and expensive. The "correct" or "best" chain lube to use is really, a moot point.

My humble apologies for coming across so terse. I over stated my case and when I borrowed your "no joke" tag line.

In hindsight, I don't disagree with your observations, Castor oil still is a relatively viable choice. Your cycle uses similar slow moving, low load mechanical technology that cotton ginny's used, which is why Castor was so successfully used then and now still.

This chain lube issue is really overwrought with hand wringing and teeth gnashing. You sir, Ed say it best: "Attention to chain cleanliness is surely more important than which lubricant one uses."

Contamination, whether road grit or water, are greater concerns and detrimental to long chain life than what lube you use. Yak butter, mixed with oil from a Beaver castor gland would work as long as the chain is kept relatively clean from abrasive road grit and corrosive water.

The choices are all over the map, from cheap and dirty to clean and expensive. The "correct" or "best" chain lube to use is really, a moot point.


I agree with the cleanliness thing. :D

Regarding castor oil, two stroke internal combustion engines have been using the stuff for YEARS with good results. It seems to have some real staying power in that high heat, high temperature environment; the castor based oils are known for their ability to keep engine from seizing in extreem conditions. I don't know what this has to do with bike chains, but I find it interesting in an old school kind of way.

My favorate bike chain lubricant is simple motor oil. Yes I know, there are additives in there that are not purpose built for bike chains, but I don't think they hurt either. Oh, and I sprung all the way to the top and bought Mobil One synthetic oil - all of $5 a quart. You only live once. :D

Here's my "brew":

1 part (by weight) Lithium Grease
3 parts Beeswax
5 parts Gulf Wax (paraffin)
2 or 3 squirts of powdered graphite

I don't use a doubleboiler, I just use a hotplate and am CAREFUL.


Very similar to my "brew" -- 1 pound paraffin wax and four ounces of Phil's Tenacious oil. Paraffin doesn't have good lubricant properties, you need to put something into it that does.

What I like about this is that the hot wax is so thin that it acts as a cleaner. What I do is heat the wax and drop the dirty chain in. It comes out clean.

This brew doesn't last long in the rain.