Bicycle Mechanics - cleaning your derailers

so winter is almost over, i think baltimore has had the last of it's snow and it's time to give a real cleaning to the bikes... obviously washing the frame, wheels, bars, etc is easy enough, and i know how to care for bearing parts like the hubs, headset and BB, but i was curious as to any tips on how to properly clean a derailer? what about brakes calipers? i obviously don't want (or need, i assume) to dismantle any part of these to get into all the little nooks and crannies that build up gunk. any suggestions? thanks

Baby bottle cleaning brush.

I used to use a toothbrush... my brother's (just kidding). It actually worked better than the Park drivetrain cleaning brush which was really too big for the pulleys and stuff. Even then, I still remove the pulleys and cassette cogs clean everything really well about once a year.

I just spray it with Finishline Bike Wash, scrub with a soft toothbrush and rinse with low pressure water.

I must be lazy, I think. About every 1 or 2 months, I scrape off the crud accumulated on the galley pulleys with a tiny screwdriver. It takes less than one minute and I'm done.

Maybe once a year, I "wash" the springs with some WD-40 and re-lube the derailleur. Neither derailleurs nor my shifting complains.

do you all lube it back up after working it over with the brush? i have a toothbrush i use for cleaning, i just don't want to clean off all the good grease and lube as well as the grime

do you all lube it back up after working it over with the brush? i have a toothbrush i use for cleaning, i just don't want to clean off all the good grease and lube as well as the grime

YES! Usually when I do this I will clean the entire driveline and bike as well. Then relube everything.

I wipe it down, spray with White Lightning Clean Streak or brake cleaner, then when finally get to washing my bike i coat it with simple green or whatever cleaner i'm using and let it sit while i wash the rest of the bike. Scrub a bit, rinse, dry, lube, ride. :)