Originally Posted by
cyccommute
...Rags that are soaked in bicycle lubricants don't spontaneously ignite. Oils that spontaneously ignite are curing oils like linseed oil or tung oil. Those oils have a chemical functionality in them that undergoes chemical reactions to harden or, more correctly, polymerize. The chemical reaction produces heat which, when confined in a wadded rag can reach a high enough temperature to ignite the rage.
The oils and lubricants used for bicycles aren't that kind of oil. They lack the chemical functionality to undergo hardening. That's probably a good thing since you don't usually want a hard protective layer on parts that need to move.
The above is really interesting. Thank you! Brings me a some peace of mind, too.
FWIW, I tend to focus on the results I'm after versus cost and effort. Clean Streak and similar sprays are like magic, but they cost a lot and I don't like to use them indoors. So I save those mainly for intricate gunky parts, or when other solutions don't work.
My go to for general cleaning is Pedro's Green Fizz. It's just a spray on cleaner like many other brands also have. Almost all my cleaning, even of derailleurs and rings, is done with Green Fizz or similar, and a good rag.
I keep some 90% rubbing alcohol handy for suspension parts and other bits that I want to be sure are squeaky clean with no contamination. The alcohol is also good for installing new grips.
And I soak chains when needed in a degreaser along the lines of Rock-n-Roll's 3-n-1 product. Is that citrus-based? Not sure, tbh. I mix with water as the directions indicate. Works fine for soaking chains, which I don't do much of, but sometimes it's needed. I reuse in the manner others have described.
I go through a LOT of Green Fizz in a season, and a LOT of shop rags. Everything else gets used in pretty small amounts.