Bikedued

Not against you personally, but the water based solvent thing in general. They all leave a soapy residue unless rinsed off, at least every one I've ever used. And for some reason I don't know why, simple green
reacts badly with my mucous membranes. Just the smell of it makes me feel like I have a cough coming on. Must be the perfume in it. If it had no smell or a low smell, I would probably use it.,,,,BD

cheaux

Some toxics-conscious people are claiming that the ethylene glycol butyl ether (EGBE) in Simple Green is hazardous. Others who make their living through the manufacture or sale of Simple Green, EGBE or chemicals in general claim that the concentration is low enough to be safe. I'd say the precautionary principle should prevail in this case, especially since there are many alternatives. Let the yaysayers pay for more studies to buttress their case.

Also, there is anecdotal evidence out there that soaking chains in Simple Green will damage them. Just take that bottle to your next hazardous waste dropoff day.

As for rubbing alcohol and chains, running the chain through a rag dampened with isopropyl should do a nice job keeping the exterior free of dust-attracting excess lube.

john hawrylak

I have used Castrol Superclean (also the knock offs like Purple Power) with excellent results. I used a 2 liter with about 200 ml of Superclean, shake vigorously, drain the liquid into a 2nd botle for reuse, add 200 ml of hot water into bottle with chain, shake vigorously, dispose down drain. Repeat 2 more times. Remove chain, rinse with small stream of hot water working each link under the hot water stream. You can feel the link comoing clean as you work each link. Allow chain to dry overnite. Allow the used solvent to settle out, decant and dispose of the gunk at bottom. Reuse the solvent again.

John Hawrylak
Woodstown NJ

cyccommute 

The other issue to consider with water based degreasers and rinsing them off is that water has a high surface tension. On the outside of the chain, the water will come off readily but inside the rollers and in between the plates, the water is going to be more tenacious. That's where the real damage can be done in terms of rust forming anyway. Rust the outside all you want but rust the inside and you're asking for trouble...and a lot of squeakiness

peripatetic

This is interesting. I also have breathing problems around Simple Green; it makes me cough like crazy when only a small amount is sprayed in my vicinity.

Cyccommute, you've now convinced me. Per your post about rust in the chain, I will just point out to those who use water that one of the best ways to avoid having water residue on anything is to make it very hot and therefore quick to evaporate. I find it incredibly frustrating to watch people wash dishes with running cold water when all they need to do is put on some gloves and turn up the hot, it's so wasteful and not as effective.

Oh, and if you're using Simple Green, while the solvent and water are 'bio-friendly' or whatever, they're still slinking down your drain with all that oil sludge and metals, which isn't even great for your plumbing pipes, let alone the sewage and water endpoints.

wroomwroomoops

WIN!!!

Eulogy13x

Isopropanol will work better than methanol or ethanol, but it's still crappy compared to something with long hydrophobic chains like kerosene. The gunk you're most likely trying to clean off is dirt and grit stuck in the lubrication you're using on your chain, which is (usually) oil-based. So best bet is something designed to solublize oils. Paint thinner should work very well, too.

bdaghisallo

How do the citrus based degreasers stack up against the hydrocarbon solvents? Or are they the water-based solvents that have been mentioned so far? Pardon me if I am confused. It's been a long time since HS chemistry class!

wroomwroomoops

Good question, actually. I never used citrus degreasers, but looking around the 'net, it seems that it's a chemical called d-Limonene and that
a. can be used on its own to dissolve grease and oils, in addition to adhesives of various kind and
b. can be diluted in water, in which case it works as a detergent.

These two facts put together fly in the face of cyccommute was saying - he stated that anything that dissolves in water will not work as a good solvent for lubes (I have a different personal experience, but will keep it for myself for now).

JPMacG

Thanks wroomwroomoops. Good information. That is helpful. I use methanol as fuel for small engines and years ago I looked for an alternative lubricant to the usual castor oil. That is how I learned that motor oil would not dissolve. I am aware it is toxic.

mlts22 

What about ethanol, like Everclear?

Pepper Grinder

there are better uses for it.

BikeWise1

FWIW, the guys at KMC say the quickest way to kill a chain is to soak in solvents.

You are far better off cleaning it with a light lube than immersing it in solvents.

JanMM

I've stopped deep cleaning chains; I wipe them down regularly with clean rags, then with ProGold ProLink-saturated rags.

markyore

Actually thats not quite what he said. Yes, like dissolves like but some substances like detergents are organic compounds that are amphipathic, meaning they contain both hydrophobic groups (their "tails") and hydrophilic groups (their "heads"). Therefore, they are soluble in both organic solvents and water!

Its like they are part fat part water and therefore will dissolve in either oil or water

darronb

Another vote for Purple Power and it's caustic kin. You do need to wear rubber gloves with this stuff- it will eat the oil out of your skin and turn it to soap!

I submerge the chain in an old Tupperware container full of PP, and snap the lid on. I leave it for a couple days, though a much shorter time would be fine. Once the PP has worked it's way into the goop, a quick brushing will loosen all the external crud. I then rinse the chain in water and put it back in the container with PP for a good shake. Another water rinse and it seems like new. I use compressed air to dry the chain, but a quick bake in a toaster oven at 200 deprees or so would also suffice.

My chains cleaned in this manner seem very clean inside when flexed. No gritty noises or feel.

If there's substantial rust on the chain, a bath in my electrolytic rust removal tank will leave it rust free.

Darron

Jim Bushard

I'm just going to replace my chain next time it gets diry.

poprad

Use the old SG all the time...it's cheap, effective, and won't ruin the water table. Not sure what everyone is doing with their MEK or gasoline when they're done cleaning that chain....

Jim Bushard

Hopefully not smoking.

wroomwroomoops

Actually, I can read (unbelievable perhaps, but true), and what you are now talking about was his explanation of how detergents work:
I was NOT alluding to this explanation, with which I agree and still remember it from high school chemistry (but much more foggishly than cycc). I was alluding to this:

Bikedued

Amazingly enough, the solvent I use stays in a sealed container, is never poured out, and the worst harm it could do is from evaporation, which happens over time, and I refill the same container. I have never poured it out on the driveway, or anywhere else for that matter. I imagine that's even a little better than simple green and oil mixture making it's way to the nearest river?,,,,BD

Jim Bushard

I think what we need to do is have everyone send their chain to an independent lab to find out whose chain is the cleanest. The winner gets to make the last post on this thread.

mike-on-da-bike

alcohol is much better for drinking i would have thought lol just use kerosene much easier and does better job,i dont find alchol good for removing any grease actually its better suited for paints etc

diff_lock2

I was just looking for a better solvent than these "fuels" and I found this thread. I was just about to go buy a liter a diesel, but now I am looking at "citrus solvents". I have been reading wikipedia articles on solvents, and have not found any info on citrus solvents.

My main problem is that if I have a little bath going on, cleaning my parts, I have no way of disposing the solvent. I have to haul it to this special place where they take care of it.

Is there a solvent that is safe to drain down the sink?

I have tried laundry detergent, while it cleans everything really well, it doesn't really clean out the grime and gunk.

Bikedued

Fuels are to power vehicles? Buy some carb part cleaner like Chemtool from an auto parts store. It comes in a can with a basket, lasts for months and months. A year or more even when used a few times a week.
They key point is to keep the solvent in a sealed container, and it can be used multiple times. There's really no need to dispose of it immediately unless you just want to. If you use the stuff that infrequently, just take your bikes in and let a shop do it.,,,,BD


Solvent down the sink is a horrible idea, unless you don't mind drinking it later.