I've used mineral spirits and other high powered degreasers for cleaning my chains in the past. My wife was always complaining about the smell. Last year I did the Citrus or Simple Green treatment and a toothbrush. About 6 months ago I ran out of citrus and used baby shampoo instead.

This stuff clings on to the chain and sprays right off. I've been getting my chain clean without using a toothbrush and it works really, really well. I put a handfull of shampoo (undiluted) in one cupped hand and pull the chain through it with the other. Spray with water and I'm done in less than a minute. I use a hair dryer and lube it right away.

I know alot of folks say water and chains don't mix, but my chain gets more than it's share of puddle water. My toothbrush isn't spraying a fine, black, greasy mist on my clothes any more. I have had zero problems and much cleaner chains in the last 1000 miles. It may work for you as well.

Are you sure it is getting into the places where it's needed most -- between the roller/innerplate bushing/rivet interfaces? Or is it simply doing a nice cosmetic job on the outside to make the chain look all nice and clean?

Refer to this current thread on Bicycle Mechanics to get a better understanding of what I am saying. Cosmetic cleanliness on a chain is worthless if you don't get the stuff out from inside... and as far as I can tell, a solvent and the proven method I suggest in this thread is the only way to do that. No need for toothbrushes and the solvent smell is kept at bay.

I've still got the better part of a gallon of simple-green concentrate. Anyone else use this stuff?

Rowan,
I understand what you're saying. One thing I did notice with those powerful solvents was (if submerged long enough) that the chain links would be stiff. That's when I knew it was completely degreased. I couldn't prove the lube was replacing what the solvents had taken away and it was a concern to me.

In practice, I have used the clip on chain cleaner and then removed the chain. It looked pretty clean. I smeared shampoo on it and rinsed it off. I was surprised at the amount of additional grease that came out of the chain. I did the same "test" with WD40, Gunk chain lube/cleaner, and mineral spirits. Same results...more grease came out.

If you care to duplicate what I've done, use a piece of plastic sheet to lay the chain on as you hose it down. My bathtub was a bear to scrub to get those grease stains out.

I'm going to try that shampoo idea! Rowan's method which he linked to sounds good, but quite onerous for those with long chains (i.e. Xtracycle and recumbent riders).

Baby shampoo, IIRC, is thin enough to penetrate the cracks but thick enough to cling to the chain. A strong blast of water should be sufficient to remove most of the grime from inside the rollers. If not, it's a chain. It'll break eventually anyway.

Sounds like a good idea, I'll try it. Chain degreaser = $15 vs. Baby Shampoo = $3. Thanks.

BTW: What conditioner should I use?

Great idea. I'll try it out first for myself and if it works I'll get gallons of generic baby shampoo and package them in smaller bottles, label them as Chain Shampoo, and sell them on the net.

The kids did it!!!!

Was that meant to come across as facetiously as it seems?

Make sure it's BABY shampoo. Because other shampoos usually have conditioners(oil)

That sounds even better, clean and lube it at the same time!

Be careful of shams and make sure you get real poo.

I buy gallon containers of that on an almost monthly basis. That stuff has a billion and one uses.

Liquid dish detergent works real well, too.

Although, admittedly, the last time I cleaned a chain I used 87 octane.

Ask your cat and see how the lime is working out for him

Don't forget to lather, rinse, REPEAT.

Personally, I find spraying the chain with Teflon or Silicone spray every now and then, and replacing a $5 chain very year or so after about 5000 miles of all weather use, a lot simpler, cleaner and more efficient with my time.

Up until this most recent chain, I was trying to keep it clean (not always succeeding, winter is very rough on chains here with the salt spray, etc). This last chain I decided to not bother cleaning it. I just drop oil in on the rollers, so that the new oil tends to push the old dirty stuff out the sides, then I wipe down the excess crap with a paper towel.

When I was cleaning the chain thoroughly, I'd typically get 2000 miles before the Park tool indicated the chain was too worn and should be replaced. I'm now over 2000 miles with the non-cleaned chain and the tool isn't even indicating 3/4 worn yet.

My LBS guy said that cleaning tended to push the dirt back into the rollers and cause more wear than just oiling and wiping down. So far I'm agreeing with him. Plus it's easier.

I didn't know people cleaned their chains until I got the internet and started reading bike forums. You see what others are doing and it gets you thinkin' about how lax you are on bicycle maintenance.

Now that I started "looking" at my chain, I hate to see it dirty.

This is what I do also although not because its better but because I'm too lazy to clean a $10 part. I figure $10 twice a year for a new chain vs. $10 once a year and a regular cleaning, the twice a year chain replacement is easily worth my time. Ofcourse I use inexpensive SS chains. I guess I might change my mind if I used those 10speed chains.
Craig

Nice Fixer, Nice. Always thinking.

I use 7/8 speed $4 chains from Nashbar. I buy several at a time. I was buying tandem chains for $9 and splitting them, but they recently dropped the price on their standard chain, so that's better since it's the same price for two and I get two master links instead of one.

I oil it basically when it starts to make noise, which is either 3 or 4 weeks, or every time I ride in a heavy rain. The next day after a rain it's always squeaking and that bugs me, so I oil it.

Solvent soakers look out-- many new chains have plastic bushings. Soaking in a solvent will deystroy those.

It gets me to thinkin' how anal some people are.

I've never been able to find the $4 chains from Nashbar you guys are talking about. I spend about $10 for a chain. Mile for mile, it's still a bargain.

my chain gets cleaned every time I hit a mud puddle