I am old and old school, and thus ride and collect the "wrong" bicycles, so I do expect my method is equally wrong in the eyes of those that detest Chicago's most durable creations.
Anyway, here is how I do it:
OUTDOORS-OUTSIDE ONLY!!!! I first take an empty Coca-Cola aluminum can (12oz/355ml) and I get the Kitchen Scissors and puncture the empty can and then I cut the can so that you are left with Only about 5cm or 2 inches of a cup made from the cut Coke can...............5cm or 2 inches from the bottom of the can............................ FILL THIS TINY LITTLE CUP THAT YOU JUST MADE FROM THE COKE CAN BY CUTTING IT AROUND 2inches or 5cm up from its bottom.............FILL THIS TINY LITTLE CUP WITH Gasoline from your Lawnmower Gas Can.
Use old cotton t- shirt rag, or old sock, or small rag ripped from an old towel........and then one or two old toothbrushes......generally the more worn out that the toothbrush is, the better it cleans.......................................GASOLINE WILL REMOVE everything that sticks currently to the chain.
-----WEAR PROTECTIVE GLOVES, like an oil change technician might wear....disposable type.....
Keep Pets Clear of you while you're doing this. I'd recommend wearing goggles or safety glasses if you're the type that might get aggressive with cleaning your chain. YOU DO NOT NEED TO GET AGGRESSIVE IN TRYING TO SCRUB THE CHAIN, BECAUSE THE GASOLINE BREAKS DOWN THE ATTACHED GRIME/GUNK/OLD LUBE and THE MOIST RAG WILL GATHER IT.
Obviously, I do this while the chain is on my schwinn bicycles, I do not remove the chain.
I use new automotive motor oil as bicycle chain lube after I clean it using Gasoline.
I make certain every part of the now cleaned chain has been thoroughly Oiled and then I turn the bike upside down and crank the pedals and run the newly oil saturated chain through all the gears several times, a process that takes about 4 minutes. I then wipe Excess Oil off of the chain. I am certain that the oil has worked itself into every portion of the links and coated every chain wheel tooth and rear sprocket tooth, as well as derailleur pulleys.
Hey, I said this likely is the "wrong" way in the eyes of most of you, but it does work, and once upon a time it was how folks who rode Chicago's finest would do it. I routinely do these "Oil CHANGES" at regular intervals as the chain needs it.
This method does work well.
Disposal of the old rags is perhaps the most difficult issue that you'll encounter.
You DO NOT NEED VERY MUCH GASOLINE TO CLEAN YOUR CHAIN WHILE IT IS IN PLACE ON YOUR BICYCLE.
Thus, this is why I say use a Coke can cut down to 2 inches, and that is all the Gasoline that you will need........................if you do find that you might need more, just fill the cut Coke can again from your household Lawnmower GAS CAN.
WEAR OLD CLOTHING WHILE YOU PERFORM THIS CHORE! KEEP PETS AWAY! Wear gloves and Eye Protection. DO NOT SMOKE and Do Work Outside away from any ignition source.
*****You can alternately use RONSON Lighter Fluid (type used to fill cigarette/cigar lighters....) as that is less combustionable and less likely to have fumes that are as dangerous....... The RONSON lighter fluid has a squirter tip that folds out......squirts out a tiny hole like a squirt gun does and thus makes it easy to distribute the Lighter Fluid....
Gasoline is probably at least as effective if not better than Ronson Lighter Fluid or even Kerosense.
Gas is $3 per gallon and you already have it in your household Lawnmower gas can.
Stale gas that has been sitting in a weedwacker trimmer, lawnmower, go-cart....whatever can also be used as a cleaning agent, even though stale gas is terrible for use in engines................Stale gas = gasoline that has sat around and aged....................you don't want to use gasoline in your lawnmower that has sat around since the last use in the fall/winter to perhaps mulch leaves, --when you begin to use the mower again in April.......but stale gas can be used to clean gunky/grimy parts etc.
Gasoline isn't that terrible for the enviroment.....you aren't using much of it and you aren't going to spill much of it.
Just another tip, gasoline is perfect for eliminating Yellow Jacket nests...................long neck beer bottle filled with gasoline, wait until sundown and the nest hole(s) are quiet.......walk up and tip the beer bottle completely into the hole and leave it there, so the bottle is completely upside down....plugging the hole...... Leave the bottle there overnight at least. Yellow jackets gone............................Gasoline also effectively kills small fire ant holes....but it also kills the surrounding vegetation about an 16" circle around the center point.... Al Gore might not approve but it does the job. Gasoline has very nasty chemicals in its make-up, but so do many other products. Protect yourself. Remember that Gasoline could get on your clothing and perhaps ignite if there is any ignition source. You pump gasoline at least once a week, I'm sure so you've read the warnings posted on the gasoline pumps. Use at your own risk. DO NOT EVER EVEN THINK ABOUT USING GASOLINE INDOORS!-----------------outdoors only--------------avoid breathing the fumes-------------avoid getting gasoline on your skin, or on your clothing..........wear gloves and eye protection!