The best chain cleaner???

samfailed

A dirty chain really grinds my gears (did you see what I did there?) so I'm always looking at new products to get it as clean as possible. However, I've never really found anything that's amazing and does the job perfectly every time, does such a product exist? Any tips on getting your chain really dirt free?

I find the problem is that most of chain-cleaning devices on the market are basically one-use-only but don't admit it. Once you've cleaned a filthy chain with one of these chain cleaners you just have a filthy chain cleaner instead, and when you go to use it again the muck just seems to get spread around everywhere and you'll never get the same result again.

Are there any products which really do the trick? Or is it best to save my money and use some house-hold items to get the job done (sponges, scourers, tooth brushes, etc.)?

edward.s

I've used a Park one for years and never had an issue - just wash the cleaner out after use. I use a citrus degreaser 50/50 with hot water and wash the cleaner out with the same or sometimes washing up liquid after use.

sniper68

edward.s wrote:

I've used a Park one for years and never had an issue - just wash the cleaner out after use. I use a citrus degreaser 50/50 with hot water and wash the cleaner out with the same or sometimes washing up liquid after use.

+1

Sutton_Rider

I use 'Zep Commercial Citrus heavy duty degreaser 750ml' from Screwfix (no its not a dating site), then hot soapy water and finally fresh water, allow to dry then lube.

Alejandrosdog

The Morgan blue chain cleaner is amazing, but you must lube well after

napoleond

Morgan blue and a brush.
Check out this guide to cleaning your bike-

https://youtu.be/Sf80DnCgHRQ

Darius_Jedburgh

+3 for the Park tool.

thistle_

Franco di Banco wrote:

+3 for the Park tool.

Agree.
I had the Aldi/Lidl one and it worked ok a few times but then something broke on it. Got the Park Tool one and it's much better and seems more durable and doesn't fall over when you put it down and spill degreaser everywhere.
I'm using it with the Halfords Citrus degreaser which does the job, haven't tried anything else yet.

Darius_Jedburgh

I bought a 5 litre pack of concentrated citrus degreaser from Screwfix. Will last for ever. Think it only cost me s tenner or so.

redvee

+4 for the Park Cyclone Chain Cleaner. I currently use Halfords citrus degreaser but have had Fenwicks in a jam jar and left the chain for a day to soak and given it a shake too, obviously with the lid on.

Matthewfalle

jizer and a paintbrush or a stiff dish brush.

part time waster

Diesel and tooth brush.

david7m

£12 cleaner from chain reaction, Elbow Grease £1 a litre from home bargains.

darkhairedlord

A-Stoff mixed with B-Stoff, and a box of swan vesta

shiznit76

Franco di Banco wrote:

I bought a 5 litre pack of concentrated citrus degreaser from Screwfix. Will last for ever. Think it only cost me s tenner or so.

Do you dilute it or use neat?

cycleclinic

Use a lube that does not let your chain get filthy. I never need to clean mine. My chain never get dirty even doing 500km a week.

shiznit76

thecycleclinic wrote:

Use a lube that does not let your chain get filthy. I never need to clean mine. My chin never get sorry even doing 500km a week.

What lube do you use?

Darius_Jedburgh

shiznit76 wrote:

Franco di Banco wrote:

I bought a 5 litre pack of concentrated citrus degreaser from Screwfix. Will last for ever. Think it only cost me s tenner or so.

Do you dilute it or use neat?

I dilute it. Don't ask what ratio. The label has fallen off, and I marked my storage bottle a long time ago. Now I just rely on a fading mark then top up with water.

Cold water of course. A minimum of 3 degrees above freezing, assuming Peckham Spring Water isn't available.

step83

shiznit76 wrote:

thecycleclinic wrote:

Use a lube that does not let your chain get filthy. I never need to clean mine. My chin never get sorry even doing 500km a week.

What lube do you use?

Curious on this, OK it doesnt take long to do but still a chain lube that doesnt go black is always nice.

imposter2.0

A chain lube that doesn't go black is not doing it's job properly...

step83

Imposter wrote:

A chain lube that doesn't go black is not doing it's job properly...

True, maybe it wouldnt be an issue if it didnt some out the bottle in other colours, make it black out the bottle an no one will care anymore!

mugensi

Petrol (95 octane)

Take off the chain.
Pour some petrol into a container.
Put the chain in.
Swish it around a few times with an old paint brush.
Remove and dry with a rag.
Refit to your bike and lube with your preferred lubricant.

A sparkling clean chain guaranteed everytime.

amrushton

Franco di Banco wrote:

I bought a 5 litre pack of concentrated citrus degreaser from Screwfix. Will last for ever. Think it only cost me s tenner or so.

This. Either neat or diluted by a third. Best degreaser I've found and it's cheap. Also removes grease from clothes incl bike stuff. Apply to stain then wash

surfercyclist

MugenSi wrote:

Petrol (95 octane)

Take off the chain.
Pour some petrol into a container.
Put the chain in.
Swish it around a few times with an old paint brush.
Remove and dry with a rag.
Refit to your bike and lube with your preferred lubricant.

A sparkling clean chain guaranteed everytime.

This or kerosene, then I rinse in clean water then apply Squirt. Only needs to be done once.

drhaggis

SurferCyclist wrote:

MugenSi wrote:

Petrol (95 octane)

Take off the chain.
Pour some petrol into a container.
Put the chain in.
Swish it around a few times with an old paint brush.
Remove and dry with a rag.
Refit to your bike and lube with your preferred lubricant.

A sparkling clean chain guaranteed everytime.

This or kerosene, then I rinse in clean water then apply Squirt. Only needs to be done once.

How often do you apply squirt? I switched to it a while back, and it is nice to see the chain not turning into midnight in a few miles. However, after 3 commute days I start getting some squeaks on some gears (say 50x14-11, but nowhere else). So I'm either missing something obvious/doing it wrong or expecting the impossible.

EDIT: I didn't do a full chain degrease with the last chain (assembled early April)

surfercyclist

DrHaggis wrote:

SurferCyclist wrote:

MugenSi wrote:

Petrol (95 octane)

Take off the chain.
Pour some petrol into a container.
Put the chain in.
Swish it around a few times with an old paint brush.
Remove and dry with a rag.
Refit to your bike and lube with your preferred lubricant.

A sparkling clean chain guaranteed everytime.

This or kerosene, then I rinse in clean water then apply Squirt. Only needs to be done once.

How often do you apply squirt? I switched to it a while back, and it is nice to see the chain not turning into midnight in a few miles. However, after 3 commute days I start getting some squeaks on some gears (say 50x14-11, but nowhere else). So I'm either missing something obvious/doing it wrong or expecting the impossible.

EDIT: I didn't do a full chain degrease with the last chain (assembled early April)

If dry riding around 150-200miles inbetween applications. As it happens I "Squirted" my chain today, done around 160ish miles and it felt a bit dry when I rubbed it(oo-er etc). Anyway, I just wiped chain and cassette with clean rag and literally just put one drop on each roller. That's all that is needed on subsequent apllications. The initial application after cleaning with kero etc I put one on liberally, allow to dry and then another lot so chain is well dosed. If chain gets wet during a ride then I dry with rag and reapply. It sounds a faff but it's not.

mamil314

Step83 wrote:

shiznit76 wrote:

thecycleclinic wrote:

Use a lube that does not let your chain get filthy. I never need to clean mine. My chin never get sorry even doing 500km a week.

What lube do you use?

Curious on this, OK it doesnt take long to do but still a chain lube that doesnt go black is always nice.

He`s on Rock N Roll

GrannygearGaz

Another fan of the park tool here. I use it with the green Gunk degreaser, its biodegradable and still works great diluted 50/50.

I use the chain cleaner, pour the remaining degreaser into a cup and use a brush to do the rings and cassette. Then wash the bike as usual and rinse the whole lot down. Dry the chain with a rag, let it air dry properly then use Weldtite wet lube, wiping off any excess. Works for me, nice and quiet for a weeks riding unless it's raining.

I always do it after a ride so the bike sits overnight to allow the lube to bond with the chain, don't get any lube flinging off this way.

davetex

I'm a big fan of the Fenwick's foam and sponge, simple, and quick. Always found the cleaning machine efforts a bit much faff.

First.Aspect

Imposter wrote:

A chain lube that doesn't go black is not doing it's job properly...

Yup. Everything else is a search for a square circle. All you end up with is Squoval.

By the way, how do we know if you are the real Imposter?

cycleclinic

My chains don't go black and my chains are lubed. Not a square circle.