Overall chain lifespan is actually pretty good, since the chain doesn't rust for a long while. It does get very dirty, somewhat quickly. If you're willing to use the method on a chain every month or so, it's great for the chain. The gear oil does sort of gum up the other parts, so you should expect to have to clean the chainrings and the RD pulleys each time you lube the chain. Gear oils are designed to be "tacky", so dirt sticks to it like a magnet. I now use chain wax most times (the motorcycle stuff), but the gear oil runs great until it gets too dirty. Mainly a "race" thing that I do, but I used to use it as my only method of lubing chains and I never had an issue except with the short time until a cleaning is needed.

Well, I can admit that after I took that pic this morning I gave the chain a round of chain lube/run through a rag/re-lube. Good to go for more winter commuting!

I'll admit I've never heard of these embrittlement claims as well.

Me: I soak the chain overnight, or at least for a couple of hours, in mineral spirits in a coffee can. Pull it out, scrub it, rinse, then wipe down clean. Hang on a nail in my basement overnight. Spray it down with brakecleen, wipe again. Put a drop of chain'l on each roller (laid out on newspaper), then let sit overnight. Wipe down in the morning, and install.

Rotate the chain while squirting chain lube only.
Spin it around a few more times.
Take a terry cloth washcloth, and wipe a 6" section until it's shiny- 2 or 3 wipes back and forth.
Rotate the chain that far and repeat with new clean section of washcloth.
Discard the washcloth when done. You can get 18 for $4 at Walmart.

I have actually begun to like the Park Tool chaincleaner. It does a nice job without removing the chain, after that I wipe it dry and apply Epic ride during the summer or Wet Ride during the winter. Having fenders on the bike does a lot to keeping the chain clean.

Marc

I still use my mixture of synthetic gear lube, chain saw bar oil, synthetic motor oil, and mineral spirits. I like it, it stays in the chain, cleans relatively easy, and lasts a long time. I have a qt mixed up, which will prob last me 10 or 20 years..................

My second choice would be Chain L, but I gotta use mine up first. (Yes I tried a dose of chain L from a friend, and it seems just as gooey and smelly as mine....... LOL)

The things I like about my mix and chain L is that it stays on things, like in and on the rollers, and on all the metal to metal interfaces. It's not as clean as the invisible oils, but it seems to work better. Yes, it wipes off the outside of the chain easily while fresh, but seems to leave a better "coating" on whatever it is on, even when wiped. I take that as a good thing, as my chains last forever. (I rotate 3 per bike - one on, one ready, and one usually dirty or ready. Makes for quick changes when necessary)

I'm probably the only one here that uses this:

I'm a continuous linked chain abuser, I guess. I clean it when it looks dirty or is noisy, which is usually about the same time.

Buy a pack of 2 frozen pie crusts.
Use them to make a shorthand version of Cornish pasty, or a pecan cobbler.
Both need to bake a while, but either will leave you one of the empty pans.

Take the empty pan outside.
Take the chain off the bike.
Lay the chain flat-wound, in the pie pan.
Cover by 1/2" with gasoline.
Let soak while you clean and lube the rest of the bike.

Scrub the chain a bit with a toothbrush.
Rinse with water, towel it off with an old towel, thoroughly.
Hang to dry on the recycling roll-out cart handle.

Check the tires, wrap, saddle and calipers.
Adjust the FD, RD if needed, calipers if needed.

While the chain is hanging, spray liberally with WD40.
Spray the inside of an old washcloth with WD40.
Continuously run the chain through the washcloth.
You don't have to get it 100% clean, something will always seep out.

Mount the chain on your clean, lubed, and adjusted bike.
Slowly lube each and every link with your choice of "lube that cannot be named."

Go back inside and eat the pasty or the cobbler.
Burp yourself, rest 30 minutes, and go ride your bike.

This process takes about an hour and a half to 2 hours.
Yes, that's a long time to lube a chain. I do recommend it, though.

For cleaning or lubing? Lubing I presume. I have an old tin of that out in the garage, but use it mostly for squirting the hinges of pliers, etc.
Always liked the label.

I ordered a sample of Chain-L from Francis, and I think it is really good. Reminds me of my old bottle of Phil oil. Makes for a nice, quiet chain.
But I'm re-thinking its use. I found that in this environment, where we have a lot of sand, the thicker lubes tend to pick up and hold road grit.

Hmmph. Over the years I've used Marvel Mystery Oil, automatic transmission fluid, hydraulic jack oil, and a slew of other oils. Can't say I've noticed much difference in the result. ATF is a good cleaning agent, takes foreverrrrrrrr to drain off the chain.

But I started this thread to ask about cleaning, not lubing. Because these wet oils leave such a mess (that just gets worse as I ride) I'm starting think less lubing is better.

Park chain scrubber filled with 50/50 Simple Green original cleaner and hot water. Clean chain with this solution, then repeat twice with scrubber and hot water only. Air run through clean rags and compressed air to dry. Reapply your favorite lubricant, and you are ready to ride.
I've tried other methods, but this is by far the quickest and does the best job with least environmental impact.

Me too.

A simple wipe down when dirty.

But I ride only one bike in the rain. That chain needs more cleaning than the others.

Lubing. I like the formula. It has a cleaner in it as well as penetrant. In my years of use on chains it has been totally satisfactory. Every couple of weeks (200mi max) I firmly wipe the chain and with the small squeeze bottle will drip the oil crossways on each link. It performs well and doesnt leave a huge mess as with thicker oils. My chains last several seasons.

I'm on the bandwagon with the terry shop rags. A single one-foot-square towel can wipe down easily 50 or 60 chains and still works great long, long after it's completely black.

And you can use any lube really, as long as you wipe off the oil that moves to the outside of the links after each of the perhaps first three rides.

You know you have too much oil in the chain when oil flies off and/or when a lot of oil needs to be wiped off after the first couple of rides.
That's where a solvent-diluted lube helps with leaving only the necessary minimum of lube within the links after the initial wiping down and after allowing the solvent to dry overnight. The solvent of course also makes for a good cleaning effect at each lubing session, and allows one to apply the lube in a continuous stream to the moving chain, which is a huge time-saver.
You can get this lube-and-wipe routine down to two minutes or so, done every few hundred miles or after each wet ride. The diluted lube immediately displaces water so should be done right after riding in wet conditions.
The ratio of oil to solvent can be as low as 1:4, or heavier as needed to better hold up to wet conditions.

Environmentally, I'm good with the minimal amount of solvent and oil that gets wasted and/or evaporated upon soaking into the rag. At least no liquid needs to be discarded, and lets not forget conservation of precious time. I use "odorless mineral spirits" for diluting chain lubes of many types, and the resulting mix is also great as a pre-restoration penetrant/lube, and as a lube for cable guides, caliper pivots, freewheels, front derailers, threaded interfaces or anything else where a penetrating lube needs to be neatly applied with a squeeze bottle (with applicator extension tube sized to limit the flow rate).

We couldnt help ourselves. Just mention chain and away we go down the well-lubed slope.

Just remember to store oily rags in a closed metal container, so you have no fires............... same goes for newspapers and paper towels.

I toss them outside on the gravel under my deck to dry out. Or if they get rained on, that's OK too.

Not much has been said about disposal of cleaning agents, which the OP asked about in his post.
It's a tricky and important subject. I've not always followed strict environmentally friendly methods.

Good point. I leave the terry shop rag outside, hanging so it stays aired out with no buildup of dense hydrocarbon fumes. But I don't have snowed-in conditions outside to deal with here.

And while we're on the topic of safety, let's go forward discouraging the use of gasoline for any sort of cleaning.
This is fuel, with a very low temperature vapor-generating flash point that invites accidental fire and/or explosion. Even mentioning it as being a suitable "cleaner" can and will encourage those with limited understanding of accidental ignition to possibly start a serious fire, not to mention that the fumes are horrendous and actually quite harmful to one's health.

Yeah, this. I re-use mineral spirits, filtering it through a coffee filter between uses, but after a while it's just too contaminated to be useful. What do you do with it then, if you're not a commercial shop with Safety Kleen service?

My complex chain cleaning method.

Wipe down with rag every hundred miles or so.

Use a wax based lube so the chain doesn't attract extra gunk.

I tried a pizza box technique once. I saw it online. Works good on really crud caked beach bikes. Bike needs to be on kickstand. This can be done out on the driveway.

Get a large pizza box, some newspaper, toothbrush, scissors, cheap spray oil like PB Blaster. Make box into a wheel guard. Use scissors. Cut notch in box. Fit box behind freewheel so that spokes, rim, & tire are shielded. Cut another piece of box to guard frame & chain ring. Put down a newspaper drop cloth and, you're all set. Spray & scrub away. If you set it up right all the waste oil soaks into the newspaper. Wheels & frame stay oil free. Throw waste paper in trash. Done deal.

It's also helps to wear heavy duty nitrile gloves & eye protection during this process.

I've had it with cleaning chains. I lubricate my chain if it's not too grimy, and then I wipe it down. When it is very grimy, I replace it. This is my one wasteful practice in bike maintenance, and that's my defense. Try my method. You will love it. It keeps your hands and your space so much cleaner. Also, you get to put a nice, fresh chain more often this way.

For lubricant, the best stuff I've used is Chain-L, though chainsaw oil is pretty good, too. With both of these very thick oils, you don't have to apply it often, and they don't attract dirt as much as other lubricants.

I would add that you could cover the oily rags with water in the metal container. There might be enough oxygen in a closed container to feed the oxidation and the can could explode.

Probably not available everywhere, for sure…but here, at our "transfer stations", read: dump….we can take hazardous materials like paint thinners, oils, gasoline, etc. Unfortunately, they only do it two or 3 times a year so I sometimes miss it.