I just remove the chain and put it into an empty two liter soda bottle with a couple of inches of "environmentally friendly" solvent in the bottom of it. Put the cap on the bottle, let it sit for a couple of hours, then shake the @#%! out of it and pull the chain out. It works great. I used to have one of the clip-on chain cleaners and found that it didn't last all that long. This method seems to work just as well. I've never noticed any adverse effects from removing the chain.