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I tried Wurth Chain and Brake Cleaner yesterday. I bought this because I was being lazy and I saw lots of really great reviews. My chain was looking grubby and the idea of spray, wipe and done was very attractive. So, I bought the combo cleaner, lube and cleaning brush.
I removed the chain guard, went for a fifteen minute ride to warm up the chain, stuck the bike on the stand and got spraying. Dirt was definitely coming off and I was pleased. I left it for about ten minutes and then sprayed the chain again and used the cleaning brush. More dirt came off. Great! I finished the job by spraying the last of the can onto a lint-free cloth as I wiped the chain. A little more dirt came off. 15-minutes after I started, I was done.
The only problem was, the chain wasn't really clean. It looked "OK", but between the links and around the 'o' rings I could see dirt.
After sighing heavily, I did what I should have done in the first place. I got a jar of paraffin/kerosene, an old toothbrush and (another) cloth and started cleaning the chain properly. This time it took me about 30-minutes, but at the end of it the chain really was clean.
Summary; I think that the Wurth stuff is good for a 'quick' clean, but it really isn't good enough. Paraffin/kerosene is cheaper and better. It takes about two to three times as long to clean with paraffin, but if you load up a good album on your MP3 player, take a deep breath, and get focused on the job, it's actually quite good therapy. Also, if I hadn't waited 1,200 miles since the last time I cleaned it, it would have been easier still.
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