Your off-bike chain cleaning technique

[rek]

Okay so as my chains have worn out and gotten replaced, I've put on some SRAM Powerlinks onto the new ones, to make removing the chain easy. I was hoping this would take me to maintenance utopia; a magical state of mind where I could simply dunk and shake the chain in a gatorade bottle full of degreaser, and everything would be clean, wonderful and mess-free, the sun would come out and birds would start singing, etc.

Well, no ... after getting more messy than using the on-bike chain cleaner (and getting the chain stuck in the bottle, meaning I had to cut the ****ing thing to bits to get it out), and using way more degreaser than with an on-bike cleaner, I ended up with a "somewhat clean" chain. Nowhere near as good as the on-bike brush cleaner tool.

So, for those who are veterans to the off-bike chain cleaning thing, what do you do? Is it a matter of having to do it about 5 times (using about a litre of degreaser each clean cycle), a special sort of container, an ultrasound cleaner, what ?

 

[daveornee]

Originally posted by rek
Okay so as my chains have worn out and gotten replaced, I've put on some SRAM Powerlinks onto the new ones, to make removing the chain easy. I was hoping this would take me to maintenance utopia; a magical state of mind where I could simply dunk and shake the chain in a gatorade bottle full of degreaser, and everything would be clean, wonderful and mess-free, the sun would come out and birds would start singing, etc.

Well, no ... after getting more messy than using the on-bike chain cleaner (and getting the chain stuck in the bottle, meaning I had to cut the ****ing thing to bits to get it out), and using way more degreaser than with an on-bike cleaner, I ended up with a "somewhat clean" chain. Nowhere near as good as the on-bike brush cleaner tool.

So, for those who are veterans to the off-bike chain cleaning thing, what do you do? Is it a matter of having to do it about 5 times (using about a litre of degreaser each clean cycle), a special sort of container, an ultrasound cleaner, what ?

Dishwashing gloves, Dishwashing detergent that is 7.0 on the ph scale, very warm water, used tooth brush, clean cotton rags, piece of #14 solid electrical wire, your plastic "gatorade" bottle, and hair dryer.
I start be putting on the gloves.
I wipe off as much as I can with the rags. I do this regularly to prevent any build up.
Take the link off and remove chain when I am getting serious about the process... about every 300 - 500 miles.
I clean the cassette, jockey wheels, and chain rings carefully.
I wash the chain in a warm water detergent bath after running the #14 solid wire through the ends of the chain. I put the chain in the bottle and put the wire in the neck of the bottle where I ask it to stay while I shake the bottle. I have rigged a wire holding eyelet that I "bolted" to the bottle cap.
I retrieve the chain and repeat until with bath comes out clear.
I rinse with water and dry with cotton rags.
I fling the chain around to encourage the remaining water out of the inards of the chain.
I "blow dry" the chain with hair dryer.
I then carefully apply my chain saw oil mix with the chain back on the bicycle.
I then pull of those wonderful gloves.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by rek
Okay so as my chains have worn out and gotten replaced, I've put on some SRAM Powerlinks onto the new ones, to make removing the chain easy. I was hoping this would take me to maintenance utopia; a magical state of mind where I could simply dunk and shake the chain in a gatorade bottle full of degreaser, and everything would be clean, wonderful and mess-free, the sun would come out and birds would start singing, etc.

Well, no ... after getting more messy than using the on-bike chain cleaner (and getting the chain stuck in the bottle, meaning I had to cut the ****ing thing to bits to get it out), and using way more degreaser than with an on-bike cleaner, I ended up with a "somewhat clean" chain. Nowhere near as good as the on-bike brush cleaner tool.

So, for those who are veterans to the off-bike chain cleaning thing, what do you do? Is it a matter of having to do it about 5 times (using about a litre of degreaser each clean cycle), a special sort of container, an ultrasound cleaner, what ?

A suitable non breakable container and mineral spirits. Sheldon Brown has the complete drill.No need for making rocket science out of it.