Cheap and effective degreaser recommendation?

manglier

Screwfix No Nonsense Heavy Duty Degreaser £8.99 for 5 litres. Use it neat as a degreaser or dilute 1:10 with water as a general cleaner. Works very well in a Chain Pig and because it is water soluble, no disposal problems. Good stuff I tell Ye.
https://www.screwfix.com/c/auto-cleaning/degreaser/cat12630002?cm_sp=managedredirect-_-cleaning-_-degreaser

mercia_man

Never found any need to use a degreaser. I just spray some WD40 or GT85 on a rag and wipe the chain to remove gunge. I then apply chain lube and wipe off excess with a clean rag. I also use a clean rag to remove muck from chain rings and cassette. I did try Muc Off degreaser after receiving some as a Christmas present. More trouble than it was worth.

pilot_pete

mercia_man said:

Never found any need to use a degreaser. I just spray some WD40 or GT85 on a rag and wipe the chain to remove gunge. I then apply chain lube and wipe off excess with a clean rag. I also use a clean rag to remove muck from chain rings and cassette. I did try Muc Off degreaser after receiving some as a Christmas present. More trouble than it was worth.

I found Muc Off to be next to useless. I have used GT85 and WD40, the issue being that they are sprays, so lots is wasted, they are expensive and you have to be careful with overspray (discs, rims, pads etc). As I said earlier, a 5ltr industrial degreaser, such as Jizer, or the Screwfix one work out incredibly cheap per application and simply pouring a bit into a suitable container and working it in with an old paintbrush is very easy and you shouldn’t get any on your disc brake rotors using that method, plus of course it washes off with water...

PP

mercia_man

pilot_pete said:

mercia_man said:

Never found any need to use a degreaser. I just spray some WD40 or GT85 on a rag and wipe the chain to remove gunge. I then apply chain lube and wipe off excess with a clean rag. I also use a clean rag to remove muck from chain rings and cassette. I did try Muc Off degreaser after receiving some as a Christmas present. More trouble than it was worth.

I found Muc Off to be next to useless. I have used GT85 and WD40, the issue being that they are sprays, so lots is wasted, they are expensive and you have to be careful with overspray (discs, rims, pads etc). As I said earlier, a 5ltr industrial degreaser, such as Jizer, or the Screwfix one work out incredibly cheap per application and simply pouring a bit into a suitable container and working it in with an old paintbrush is very easy and you shouldn’t get any on your disc brake rotors using that method, plus of course it washes off with water...

PP

There’s no risk of contaminating rotors with my technique because I spray a small bit of WD40/GT85 onto a corner of rag, not directly on the chain, and then wipe the chain clean with that rag before lubing. Economical and effective at removing gunge. I first read about this technique years ago in a magazine article on maintenance tips from a pro team mechanic.

Do this regularly and a degreaser is superfluous. I can understand that mountain bikers or all-weather commuters who only clean their chains occasionally might need degreasers. I don’t. In my old motorcycling days, I used to clean chains and other parts by sticking them in a jar of petrol siphoned from my fuel tank. It’s also a good way to clean ball bearings from cup and cone hubs. I do accept, however, that petrol is nasty stuff on your hands and a fire risk.

pilot_pete

I suppose the only issue with your method is you will not be removing the crud from inside the plates and rollers, merely cleaning the outside of the chain. This is probably fine during a daily maintenance routine by a pro mechanic during stages of a dry race. Others would prefer to spray directly onto the chain or want a degreaser to really clean inside the chain as well.

PP

mercia_man

I get good life out of my chain and sprockets by keeping them clean with the technique I’ve described. I can always use a toothbrush to clear any muck from inside the plates although I don’t normally need to. I like the silence and smooth running of a shiny and lubricated drivetrain. Applying lubricant regularly to a clean chain and then wiping off excess helps to flush out any dirty stuff inside, I reckon. Degreasers just don’t seem to be worth it for me personally. But I’m sure they are useful for people who let their chains get really dirty.

campag531

toasted whippet said:

for a quick wipe down of the chain to get rid of crud without having to remove anything, or threaten to degrease bits that shouldn't be degreased - use baby wipes (seriously)


Best thing for frame is furniture polish - cheap as chips

i have been using baby wipes for years for a quick wipe down for the bike.

yellowv2

I

campag531 said:

toasted whippet said:

for a quick wipe down of the chain to get rid of crud without having to remove anything, or threaten to degrease bits that shouldn't be degreased - use baby wipes (seriously)


Best thing for frame is furniture polish - cheap as chips

i have been using baby wipes for years for a quick wipe down for the bike.

How do you dispose of the baby wipes?