Originally Posted by
oneclick
I put the parts in a ziploc bag with whatever solvent I'm using, then hang the bag in the cleaner filled with water; saves on solvent and mess. My cleaner is years old and has only ever had water (directly) in it.
That works as long as your part doesn't poke a hole in the bag.
I now use a Ball jar.
I must say that mineral spirits have done the best job of cleaning grease off of parts for me. With it, you can minimize what you pour down the drain by just saving the "dirty" mineral spirits in a jar and letting the crud settle out. Then, you can reuse it many times by just decanting the clean-ish mineral spirits off the top. Come to think of it, I've never actually poured dirty mineral spirits down the drain!