I suggested alcohol as an alternative to "chemicals". I am afraid I rely on chemicals but alcohol will work just takes longer and more effort.
All substances are "chemicals". Some "chemicals" do a better job than others because of their properties. The
chemical mixture of grease doesn't have much in common any
chemical that can be called "alcohol". It does happen to have a lot in common with the
chemical mixture call mineral spirits.
"Alcohol" is a class of
chemicals (
). What alcohols share in common that make them a class of chemicals is a hydroxyl group attached to a carbon chain that is not part of a benzene ring. Depending on the alcohol, they can be as deadly than other "chemicals". Odorless mineral spirits are fairly benign. The risk of hazard are mostly do to contact and any other risk is relatively long term, i.e. decades. If they cause harm (and that's a big "if"), mineral spirits are known as chronic toxins.
Alcohols...especially shorter chain alcohols and ethylene glycol (a dihydroxy alcohol)...are acute toxins. Their effects show up within at least 14 days of exposure. In the case of methanol (one carbon alcohol), ethanol (2 carbon) and isopropanol (3 carbon), the effects are felt in much less than 14 days. Their effect is almost instantaneous...it's the reason some people drink ethanol. Methanol, in particular, can be toxic upon skin exposure. Ethylene glycol falls within that 14 days but it as least as deadly as methanol.
I wouldn't suggest using mineral spirits willy nilly nor would I suggest doing shots of it. Wear gloves. Use it in a well ventilated area. Avoid using it around open flame. But, in general, it's a safe mixture to use and it's far more effect...which means you need a whole lot less of it...than alcohol when it comes to grease.