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I am specifically interested in cleaning my chain and drive train. Will it be too corrosive and degrade my 10 speed chain?

A neighbor mentioned he uses Greased Lightning, but I could not find anything on the product website about being safe to use on bicycles (but most everything else), or on bicycle review sites of people using this on their bicycles, many people using on car engines though.

Note: I have used Simple Green (still do) for most my cleaning, and always rinse it off but have been cautious about using it and looking for alternatives, ever since a friend had chain degrade and break after using Simple Green. Lennard Zinn Q&A article about Simple Green eating chains.

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    That article talks about soaking the chain in that stuff, sometimes for many months. That goes way beyond normal chain cleaning. I'd be conservative with any degreasing product on chains; chains are supposed to be greasy, you just want to remove the surface dirt. – Mike Baranczak Sep 26 '12 at 22:37
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    I think these involved chain cleaning products and techniques are really quite unnecessary. All your chain needs is a periodic rub-down with a rag and little bit of oil. The best thing you can do is to monitor chain wear and replace it before the sprockets get shark-finned prematurely. The time wasted on meticulous chain-maintenance is better spent on other tune-up activities or riding. – Angelo Sep 26 '12 at 22:48
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    What is this "cleaning" thing? – Daniel R Hicks Sep 27 '12 at 1:39
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    re soaking the chain in Simple Green ... for MONTHS.... then riding on it without looking first - That's what Darwin called Evolution. Unfortunately it will take a few million before no one is that dumb and by then Simple Green, along with anything else capable of cleaning our bikes, will be illegal. – mattnz Sep 27 '12 at 4:36
  • I never clean my chain - just use White Lightning wax based lube every week and don't even wipe it down after applying lube, I figure the wax will flake off on its own. I generally ride rain or shine and if it's rainy all week, I sometimes reapply the lube mid-week. I've got about 2000 miles on my current chain with no signs of abnormal wear on the chain or cassette/chainrings. I like the White Lightning since it means no more chain marks on my pants. – Johnny Nov 21 '12 at 19:42
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In the kitchen section of their web site GreasedLightning says to avoid painted or aluminum surfaces. In my case that is 90% of my bike

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I wouldn't recommend using a strong cleaner or degreaser for cleaning a bicycle. I have also used Simple Green as others have, (mixed to a 10 to 1 ratio) for general cleaning of my bicycle using a soft cloth, rather than using soap and water to clean the bike and a hose to spray the bike off with a gentle spray, as I used to. I spray it on the chain and the derailleur and wipe the dirt and chain lube off, then re-lube the chain.

Cleaning the bike and chain this way is quick and easy and can be done post ride in about 15 minutes or so. You're then ready for the next ride. You should always read the label of any cleaner you are thinking of using and taking note of any restrictions as far as metal and paint restrictions. Be sure to use the least amount of material mixed with water as possible to do the job.

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