asqui wrote:

I had a rummage around the garage and found:
Mineralised Methylated Spirit (Funky purple colour!)
White Spirit
70% Isopropyl Alcohol

Which one of these would be the best to pour into the bottle and shake
occasionally to get the chain clean? I plan to leave it on my desk for a few
hours and give it a vigorous shake every now and then.


Everybody settles on their own method after awhile.

I favor taking the chain off every 500 miles or so and soaking it for a
few hours in a solution of water and Simple Green, a citrus-based
nontoxic degreaser/cleaner. I shake the container once or twice, or not
at all, the time seems to be more important than the agitation.

I then take a toothbrush and using the leftover solution give the thing
a quick scrub in the work basin. Rinse with hot water, dry with a rag,
hang it up for a couple of hours or overnight, then put it on the bike
and lube.

It's probably overkill but I like having everything perfectly clean
rather than doing a partial job. I only do this when I have a chance to
give the bike a full cleaning where I get the gunk off the chainrings,
cogs and pulleys.

If they are still dirty they soil the chain quickly; in that case I just
clean the chain as best I can on the bike with new lube and a rag.