Originally Posted by FBinNY

I'm a big believer that the best alternative for degreasing chains that were oiled with a petroleum product (most chain lubes in one form or another) is petroleum distillate, ie. mineral spirits, naphtha, or similar. These do a better job dissolving greases and oils and washing them free of the chain, then dry completely leaving the chain ready for oiling.

As to being eco-friendly, consider.

Petroleum solvents can be stored and reused after allowing a few weeks for solids to settle, so those who carefully use them introduce very little to the ecosystem. OTOH it takes much more of products like simple green, which don't lend themselves to reuse, so large quantities of caustics go into the waste stream along with whatever was washed off the chain itself.