i am trying to clean my chain. since i got the bike, my chain has gotten really black. whats the best way to remove this? i tried sheldon's method. i filled a smallish water bottle 3/4 full with simple green, dropped the chain in, and shook it for about 15 minutes. then i let it sit while i cleaned all the black gunk off the chainring and cog. i pulled the chain out, rinsed it off, and still found the black gunk. not as bad as before, and most of the other little bits of crud were gone, but its still on the inner crevases. is simple green not what i should be using?

You'll have to use a toothbrush to get it "superclean". And you'll have to be obsessive.

It won't ever be sparkling brand new if you haven't cleaned it in a while and it also depends on what and how much grease accumulated.

You can always start fresh with a new chain.

soak it in olive oil, scrub with a toothbrush, then simple green it to get the olive oil off...

olive oil owrks awesome fer getting the grease off yer hands too...

Well, I use kerosene. Shake it up, let it rest, then wash with dishwashing soap or whatever kind of degreaser you have with toothbrush/sponge, then rinse with water, then towel dry and let rest to air dry. Put it back on the bike, re-lube, let rest, then re-lube again, then wipe down excess.

If you want to get all pro on it, this stuff works well:

https://www.parktool.com/products/det...at=8&item=CB-2

i saw the "citrus" and remembered i had some goo gone. i filled the waterbottle with a shot or 2 of it, and dropped the chain in. the second i started shakin, the liquid turned from yellow to black. i think its doing a much better job getting everything out. thanks

I usually wipe my chain with a rag first, to get rid of the heavy crud. In fact, I do that pretty regularly, so crud doesn't build up very much.

I wipe my chain and cogs/chainring with an old rag, then put degreaser in a gladware or plastic container and set my chain in that. Let it soak for 10 minutes or so and then take a nylon brush and brush the hell out if it. rinse with water, dry. then lube after i put it back on. After i lube i wipe off all the excess lube.

I use a citrus degreaser and soaking. It does an all right job. But then again, I have never really cared to have a perfectly clean chain.

had this organic citrus stuff that was sold in the grocery to get the wax off of produce. best degreaser i ever used — cleaned bike parts up a treat, and your hands too. plus everything smelled all orangey

in our shop we use park chain cleaners and pedros citrus degreaser.

https://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...roogle&show=dd

works wonders if you're looking to invest in a new tool and are anal about having a clean chain.

yuk... anal?