[Closed] Park chain cleaner

You can buy 5L of citrus degreaser online, screwfix etc for less than £10.

Paraffin?

Screwfix, i've used the Swarfega stuff, then the Screwfix stuff which is ok but the Swarfega stuff is better. I get car shampoo from Screwfix too and use for the bike.

Ah, never thought of Screwfix!

Paraffin, yes works well but difficult to dispose of and makes a mess on the ground etc.

I don’t change the degreaser much in mine.

I use a cheapy spray on degreaser to shift the bulk of the muck, then use the Park Tool. Most of the bunk sinks to bottom in mine.

Screwfix have the swarfega stuff at £7.99 so I'll give that a go.

I'm really impressed with the machine itself but I'm slightly obsessive about keeping my chain clean at this time of year so i do it after most rides.

White spirit can be used

Personally i prefer to remove the chain and scrub it in the sink using washing up liquid and then a good rinse and hang it up to dry before re oiling

Tried the chain cleaning tool way before and was never happy how clean it got the chain

Been using the sink and scrub method for years with no downsides (apart from a little mess if your too vigorous!)

Once I used up the Park Tool degreaser and witnessed the mess it made of my patio, I now only use Muc Off in my chain cleaner.

I find it works very well.

I start with neat, then dilute gradually until I am just using water.

I use the fenwicks concentrate. The screwfix stuff sounds good though

Another one here with a big 5l tub of Screwfix degreaser. I stick it in an old muc-off bottle and spray onto a chain sponge and apply to the cassette and chainrings with a nail brush. Takes about 30s as I'm washing the bike and then it all gets rinsed off with the soap on the rest of the bike. I have a Park cleaner, but tend not to use it so much any more as this works well enough for me.

I have tried chain cleaners they are ok but if the jockey wheel, cassette and chain ring are dirty you are on a hiding to nothing as far as I can see.

I tend to clean my chain etc by hand in the sink with fairy, but i will be getting some proper degreaser as its a lot cheaper.

I've got some MucOff spray and they must have changed the formulation because it seems to do absolutely nothing!  I used to use Hope Sh1t Shifter which was very good but again, as its got Bike on the label its expensive.

The Park machine gets my chain spotlessly clean with very little effort.

Rockhopper - good to hear it's not just me that has found that the performance of MucOff spray has changed considerably for the worse. Used to work quite well but now it doen't seem to do anything much.

Another tip is to use a bike spray or polish as it creates a slight non-stick coating and make sit easier to clean off the muck that does cling.

I've been impressed with the chain sponge that daern mentioned. Easy to use and much cheaper than the chain cleaners I've used before.

I bought a litre of the Lifeline Citrus degreaser when I bought one of those park chain cleaners, I've no complaints with either product. Thanks for the tip about the Swarfega degreaser though, reckon I'll try that as I'm almost out of the Lifeline stuff (it's lasted nearly a year though).

Screw this forum and it's redirects!!!

I have 2 chains that I alternate, just put unused one in an old water bottle with some petrol for a few days!

Too much time and faf, chain wax and quick links here.

I have 2 chains that I alternate, just put unused one in an old water bottle with some petrol for a few days!

I like that idea

Bearing in mind the time of year and the conditions of late my chain gets cleaned every ride. After the bike is either thoroughly rinsed down or properly washed I then use a park tools long super stiff brush to scrub the cassette. I then turn the bike upside down and use the same brush on the jockey wheels. Flip it back over and rinse off. Load up the park tools chain cleaner and clean the chain. While it’s soaking I tip away and rinse out the cleaner and leave to dry. Use the hose one last time to rinse off the degreaser and bike of spray and leave chain to dry. Once it’s semi dry I chuck on some wet lube and put bike away.

I have a two litre pop bottle in the garage ready diluted with the degreaser from screwfix. I ride a lot and am miles off finishing the five litre bottle. Really happy with the results and the speed/ease off use.

I use the mucoff chain cleaner fluid in mine, works a treat. Though since swopping to W&S No 3 lubricant I haven’t needed to use it at all.

Diesel rather than petrol.

Quick link chain take it off, tub just big enough to get the chain in and just enough diesel to cover chain.

Comes out all spangly clean and oiled too

Is it right that you are only supposed to use powerlinks once?  According to GMBN thats the case.

Is it right that you are only supposed to use powerlinks once?  According to GMBN thats the case.

Officially, no - they are one shot only. That said, in my experience, both SRAM and KMC links are equally reusable and I've never had a problem. They get chucked with the chain anyway and I've never had one fail on me yet.

Is it right that you are only supposed to use powerlinks once? According to GMBN thats the case.

Depends on the quick link in question. Many are now listed as non reusable. The non reusable ones tend to work multiple times before failure (in my experience, wouldn't do it to somebody elses bike)

Yes, I've often reused SRAM Powerlinks, I've also rejoined Shimano chains multiple times without using the black pin snap off pin...

I did use white spirit but it tends to leave a slight smell in the garage.  Citrus degreaser followed by water leaves everything clean and fragrant.  For less pong perhaps Coleman fuel (instead of white spirit) or (for diesel advocates) lamp oil would be more refined (literally) and less pongy.