Originally Posted by
himespau
but was sort of surprised that your note said not to use citrus cleaner as that's usually what I see recommended to put into my chain cleaner machine thingy.
I'm following Shimano's lead here and they're probably right. Pure citrus solvent, D-limonene which is a clear (not cloudy) yellow or orange colored liquid is chemically much like turpentine and is probably fine, though it's expensive. But most citrus cleaner are blends of D-limonene in water, with other additives, and that's where the problem is. Shimano warns against the use of acids or caustics as chain cleaners, and some are OK while others may not be, the problem is that it's hard to know which is which.
I prefer naphtha or mineral spirits because I know they're safe for the chain, they dry completely and with some easy management can be reused making them very economical. If you prefer to stay with citrus, don't leave the chain in it for days, and rinse it thoroughly, then dry the chain completely with a hair drier, or off the bike, by baking it in an oven at 200 for a 10 minutes or so.
I might add, that Shimano generally recommends against washing chains, and I never wash chains unless it's absolutely necessary, and never on the bike if I do. I dry wipe the chain as well as possible, and avoiding the entire washing process was a reason that I wanted the maximum service interval when I formulated Chain-L.
I'm not saying that my way is the only way, or even the best way, but It's served me well for 40 years and well over 100,000 miles, so I know it works.
BTW- I used to use pure D-limonene which I sourced by the drum for my business, but when it passed $20.00 per gallon I went back to a kerosene based solvent for the factory.