First, I would appreciate recommendations for a good chain lube, good for the chain, and even better if it's less harmful to health when you breathe it in (I keep and lube my bike inside apartment).
Second, I suppose the chains get minor lubing, say once a week, and a major lubing when one thoroughly cleans the bike (such as after riding in rain). My question, during the frequent "minor" lubing, should I still clean the chain and remove most of the previous lube and dirt? Does it do much harm if I just add new lube on top of the previous one? (apparent, excess dirt will be wiped off first)
The so-called "dry" lube, do you remove it the same way as wet lube?
(If it matters: mine is a hybrid bike and I ride on city streets in NYC)
In your case, I'd use something like Finish Line's One Step. It's a product that both cleans and lubes your chain and eliminates the need to use a citrus-based degreaser to clean your chain and a separate lube. If you use it regularly, say every 3 rides or so, and use it sparingly, your chain doesn't get dirty and will run well.
As an aside, since this thread comes up in the forum a lot, I thought I'd mention that while watching Paris-Nice this weekend, I noticed an ad for a new line of WD-40 products that are specifically designed for bikes. The "variety" looks to be much like the various products in Finish Line's lineup.