Even the best of those things make an awful mess on the garage floor, and, unless you go really, really slow several times, you can't be getting the dirt that's way down, deep within the rollers (if it's there, that is). When you really want to get the chain clean-as opposed to just "pretty", you have to remove the chain, put it in a bottle, immerse it in solvent (not detergent, SOLVENT!!), and shake vigorously. My chains last at least 4k miles. Some longer. Powerlinks make chain cleaning quick and easy.