Originally Posted by JohnDThompson

No, it's fine. Pick up some odorless mineral spirits from the hardware store and a shallow pan to soak the parts in (an old baking pan from the thrift shop works fine). Strip the bike, soak the parts, and use an old toothbrush to dig out the stubborn areas. When they're clean, spread them out outside in the sun to allow the mineral spirits to evaporate. Pour the used spirits from the pan into a jar and let the crud settle out so you can decant the clean spirits off the top to use again and again.