Sure. However the other theory is that if you clean the chain with a solvent, then it will bring the road grime into the chain. I'm not sure which is worse. I have had the chain for a season (~5000 miles) without any issues in the past. So this lazy method seems to work for me so far. There was another thread where I got this idea from. I just forget which one...

Edit: Its not easy to completely clean the chain. I think the best you can get is solvent or soap and water with a scrub brush to clean the outside. Then use an ultrasonic cleaner once or twice to try and get the gunk out of the inside. Finally, let the chain dry overnight or use a low temp oven to dry faster.