# Will any degreaser work on a chain?



## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

Will any degreaser work? I picked up some degreaser in a spray bottle from work and I'm curious if it would be safe to put on my chain. I think it will be, but I thought would ask for opinions.


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## dan0 (Oct 12, 2005)

Rod said:


> Will any degreaser work? I picked up some degreaser in a spray bottle from work and I'm curious if it would be safe to put on my chain. I think it will be, but I thought would ask for opinions.


pretty much, chains are made of steel, thats it, theres no magic secret things inside
each link has 2 side plates 2 rollers and 2 pins. as long as the product wont dissolve steel youre all set

some are more ecologically sound than others (bio degradeable)


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## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

Thanks for the reply Dan. I was thinking the same thing. I just wanted some confirmation.


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## [email protected] (Feb 3, 2008)

i've used floor degreaser from where i work and it works _quite_ well


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## comptiger5000 (Jun 11, 2007)

I usually use either Gunk engine degreaser spray or carb cleaner on mine. Works great, although do it outdoors, as they are both (especially the gunk) very potent and smelly.


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## rice_smuggler (Feb 2, 2008)

Kerosene can also be used as a degreaser. I've also used it for years on my motorcycle chains without any problems.


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## KevinBicycle (Mar 20, 2008)

I've heard of people using all kinds of different degreasers, from engine degreasers to oven cleaners.
I've always just used kerosene
I've been using it for years to clean all my motorcycle and bicycle chains.
Safe for all bicycle chains and all motorcycle standard roller, o-ring and x-ring chains.
It's inexpensive and simply works great


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## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

Mineral spirits (aka, paint thinner) works great, is cheap, and readily available. You can filter it for re-use, too. Finish up with a rinse of 99% isopropyl alcohol and you're good to go.


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## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

Thanks for the replies everyone.


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*I stopped...*



Rod said:


> Will any degreaser work? I picked up some degreaser in a spray bottle from work and I'm curious if it would be safe to put on my chain. I think it will be, but I thought would ask for opinions.


... degreasing my chains long ago. I found they would wear out much faster when I degreased them.

Problem is, there is no way to remove all the degreaser from inside the chain pins and rollers. When you lube the chain, that trace of degreaser breaks down the lube in short order.

I found its better to use a light cleaning kind of oil, like ProLink Gold. I use ProLink to chase the junk out of my chain, rag it off then put a coat of DuMonde Tech chainlube on there. The stuff lasts just about forever.

Now instead of 300 miles out of a chain, I get closer to 800-1000 before it wears past its limits, and I ride in bad weather or dry dusty stuff with a nice smooth quiet chain.

Using kerosene is probably a good idea. It is made from refined petrolium and leaves an oily residue. But watch those fumes and skin contact. Wear gloves and work outside. That stuff will give you kidney cancer faster than you can say..... (whump... falls on floor dead).


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## Nocturnus (Mar 28, 2005)

Simple green soak, water rinse, dry, install and oil..


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## yoyodyne5 (Mar 30, 2008)

I was just about to ask if anyone used Simple Green...like that stuff for the car engine bay, figured on a bike would work well, too.


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## tduro (Jan 2, 2007)

I bought a gallon jug of citrus degreaser from the home center. As far as I can tell, it's very similar to the citrus degreasers sold in the bike shop for 10X the price. I use it undiluted in a chain cleaner device, then rinse well with water and let dry before lubing. I do this on my front lawn. No solvents, no fumes, no dead grass, no mess to clean up.

I wonder if this method would solve pimpbots issue with degreaser not being completely removed.


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## KevinBicycle (Mar 20, 2008)

WD-40 works good as a *cleaning and degreasing solvent*, since WD-40 is 50% stoddard solvent (white spirit). Similar to, but not the same as kerosene.
Some people use WD-40 for cleaning (but not lubricating) motorcycle and bicycle chains. Even some motorcycle chain manufacturers recommend WD-40 to clean and / or displace water on all types of chains, including sealed ring types.
I just use a container with the kerosene (as mentioned in earlier post in this thread), but know many people use the 1 or 5 gallon size jug of WD-40 for cleaning & degreasing chains.


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## onegymrat (May 31, 2006)

What do you guys think about brake dust degreaser, as for your car that you spray onto your rims then rinse?


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## Imaginate (Apr 2, 2008)

MileHighMark said:


> Mineral spirits (aka, paint thinner) works great, is cheap, and readily available. You can filter it for re-use, too. Finish up with a rinse of 99% isopropyl alcohol and you're good to go.


I work in a warehouse full of paint and thinners, so I have got easy access to paint thinner. That's really ok to use? I knew working at this place might pay off somehow.


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## comptiger5000 (Jun 11, 2007)

Paint thinner is just fine.


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## alex55 (Jul 29, 2007)

*Simple Green*

I used simple green once. As far as I could tell, it worked great. It also won't kill you like the kerosene.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

Paint thinner works great. Just make sure to rinse the chain with isopropyl alcohol after you clean it with the paint thinner.


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## dan0 (Oct 12, 2005)

MileHighMark said:


> Paint thinner works great. Just make sure to rinse the chain with isopropyl alcohol after you clean it with the paint thinner.


curious as to why you think you need to use alcohol after paint thinner


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## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

dan0 said:


> curious as to why you think you need to use alcohol after paint thinner


It helps rinse/purge the chain of the solvent (paint thinner). No matter how well you dry the chain, some of the mineral spirits will be left behind. Then when you lube the chain, the lube gets diluted from the paint thinner. You can use hot soapy water if isopropyl isn't handy, but I've found that the latter works better. I also use an ultrasonic cleaner, which makes cleaning chains quicker and easier.


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## dan0 (Oct 12, 2005)

MileHighMark said:


> It helps rinse/purge the chain of the solvent (paint thinner). No matter how well you dry the chain, some of the mineral spirits will be left behind. Then when you lube the chain, the lube gets diluted from the paint thinner. You can use hot soapy water if isopropyl isn't handy, but I've found that the latter works better. I also use an ultrasonic cleaner, which makes cleaning chains quicker and easier.


I see, I work with solvents daily and I think your alcohol rinse while effective is overkill.
kerosene/ fuel oil/diesel fuel are all pretty much the same and are considered a cool solvent, meaning they evaporate fairly slowly and are pretty greasy, paint thinner (high quality) is better in that its more refined and evaporates quicker and leaves a very slight oily residue. Now there are several cheaper paint thinners on the market , the Canadian ones smell and feel like kerosene, the Mexican ones smell of sulfur, there are even some " orderless" types that leave almost no residue. 
Alcohol , especially 99% pure is extremely flammable and IMO a fire waiting to happen
its also quite corrosive and will damage plastic, paint and some rubber seals

I would recommend a bio degreaser( like finish line) which rinses with water and wont burn or damage anything.
You have a valid point about the solvents getting into the chain, but I have always cleaned the chain and dried it as much as possible then, after setting overnight , apply the lube
I also don't recommend soaking a chain for just that reason, several chain manufacturers also don't recommend soaking .
I read a study not long ago regarding bicycle chains and lube and they concluded that the principle benefit to lubing a chain was to fill the crevasses with lube to keep grit & dirt out
and (in a lab) there was no less friction or loss of power whether a chain was lubed with wet/dry or no lube at all


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## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

Thanks for the info--much appreciated. Next time I go to Lowes or Home Depot, I'll check to see if there's a country-of-origin listed on the mineral spirits.


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## upNdown (Jan 12, 2004)

*I seem to remember simple green concerns a few years back*



Nocturnus said:


> Simple green soak, water rinse, dry, install and oil..


Seems to me there was quite a bit of concern a few years back that simple green was killing chains, specifically SRAMS? Something about the sram chains having aluminum in them and the simple green (and other degreasers) eating the aluminum? Anybody remember this?


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## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

Thanks for all the info. I still haven't gotten around to degreasing my chain even though I'm sure it needs it after my last ride.


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## Guest (Jul 31, 2008)

What about Brake Cleaner? It's cheap, high pressure aerosol, and works FANTASTIC. I've been using synthetic motor oil and brake cleaner forever on chains.


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