I take different approaches depending on what I'm up against, but here's something to try:
1. paint on some Finish Line citrus degreaser with a paintbrush, allow to soak a minute or two
2. go mix up a bucket of hot sudsy water with Dawn dish detergent
3. put my big ol' Sterilite under-bed storage bin under the bike as a catch pan
4. now the fun part... spray Simple Green Foaming Degreaser onto everything that's been soaking with the Finish Line citrus degreaser. They undergo "meltdown" and grime begins to pour off the parts like some sort of horror-movie effect.
5. scrub down what's left with the Dawn sudsy water and the big brush from the Finish Line Professional brush set. Rinse with lightly-spritzed hot water, blow out brake & derailleur pivots and chain with compressed air, promptly re-lubricate. Dump out the catch pan in the washtub.
Variations: use the Finish Line degreaser in a Park Tool Cyclone chain cleaner for super-caked chains where you want super-good results. Or don't bother washing items that are slated for replacement, of course. I also have 130mm and 135mm hubs I can throw into the rear triangle if I want to wash up the rear wheel over in the washtub instead of on the bike.
How good are your service writers about adding a cleaning charge at intake, by the way? Mine seem to be in constant "see-no-evil" denial mode
