Bike chains play a crucial role in your bike’s performance, ensuring a smooth and easy ride, even on challenging terrains. However, they often go without proper maintenance, leading to a buildup of dirt, grime, and wear over time.
The best bike chain cleaners are the Park Tool CB-4 Bio Chainbrite Bicycle Chain and the Cyclone Chain Scrubber from the same company. The CB-4 is gentle enough to be used on carbon fiber, rubber, and plastic safely. The Park Tool scrubber works well with the CB-4 and has a sturdy handle.
This article is a well-researched compilation of some of the choicest bike chain cleaners available in the market.
Best Bike Chain Degreasers
- CXWXC Store Bike Cleaning Kit (High End)
- Finish Line Grunge Brush Chain
- Simple Green Bike Cleaner/Degreaser
- Oumers Bicycle Cleaner Brush Kit
- Jtshy Bike or Motorcycle Chain Washer (Budget Buy)
- Park Tool CB-4 Cleaning Fluid (Top Pick)
- Park Tool Store Cyclone Chain Scrubber
- Finish Line Speed Bicycle Chain Degreaser
Compare Top Bicycle Chain Cleaners
| Product | Overall Score | Bottom Line | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 CXWXC Store Bike Cleaning Kit | 76 |  Best biodegradable and non-corrosive formula | Check Out On Amazon |
 Finish Line Grunge Brush Chain | 83 | Best bristle blocks that simplify the cleaning process | Check Out On Amazon |
 Simple Green Bike CleanerDegreaser | 75 | Best gentle and effective formula | Check Out On Amazon |
 Oumers Bicycle Cleaner Brush Kit | 78 | Best 6-piece bike cleaning kit | Check Out On Amazon |
 Jtshy Bike or Motorcycle Chain Washer | 82 |  Best 3-sided bristles that make cleaning easy | Check Out On Amazon |
 Park Tool CB-4 Cleaning Fluid | 88 |  Best 100% plant-based, natural, and biodegradable | Check Out On Amazon |
 Park Tool Store Cyclone Chain Scrubber | 84 | Best wicking sponge that draws solvent from the chain | Check Out On Amazon |
 Finish Line Speed Bicycle Chain Degreaser | 78 | Best turbo sprayer design that gets rid of contaminants | Check Out On Amazon |
Detailed Analysis of the Best Bike Chain Cleaners
After a lot of testing and researching, we’ve come up with the following selection of cycle chain cleaners for you to choose from.
1. CXWXC Store Bike Cleaning Kit
Overall Score: 76
The CXWXC Store Bike Cleaning Kit is fully equipped with a wheel brush, claw bicycle cleaning brush, chain cleaner brush, chain scrubber, degreaser, and lubricant.
The unique chain scrubber is built with durable, high-quality transparent ABS plastic for better grease and dirt-busting than ever.
The best part is that the degreaser is biodegradable and is made of non-corrosive formula. It does not harm alloy, plastic, rubber or carbon fiber and wet lubricant oil.
It’s also versatile and you can use our cleaner kit on two wheelers or four.
Advantages
- Reliable and comes with a lot tools.
- Durable and made from good quality materials.
- Convenient and versatile.
- Works for any bicycle and parts.
Disadvantages
- Complaints of use of cheap plastic.
2. Finish Line Grunge Brush Chain
Overall Score: 83
Finish Line talks a good game when it comes to their Grunge Brush Chain cleaning tool. That’s because it’s one of the most trusted and widely utilized tools.
This is no surprise considering the fact that this tool comes with an ergonomically designed brush handle and full surround bristles.
Although gentle on your bike’s components, these brush bristles can handle the most severe chain grime.
Just make sure to use the end of the brush in order to get into those nooks and crannies like derailleurs and sprockets.
Advantages
- Offers deep cleaning at an affordable price.
- You can remove the bristle blocks to simplify the cleaning process.
- Easy to use.
- Comes with a multi-purpose brush designed to scrub different bike components.
- Bristle blocks allow for four-sided cleaning.
Disadvantages
- It’s flimsy.
3. Simple Green Bike Cleaner/Degreaser
Overall Score: 75
This is more of a park tool chain cleaner from Simple Green that’s specially formulated with a type of chemical that has the ability to cut through all types of contaminants.
This includes trail soils, mud, grease, grime, and oil.
Because of its gentle yet effective formula, this cleaner can be utilized on different components of the bike. Whether it be the chains and derailleurs or painted surfaces, metal, rubber, and plastic alike.
This specially formulated bike degreaser is designed to deal with contaminants that affect different types of bikes whether it’s for mountain biking applications or daily commuting.
The best part is that this formula is non-corrosive and non-flammable.
Advantages
- Safe for use on plastic and rubber components.
- It won’t damage the painted surfaces of your bike.
- Non-corrosive to metals.
- It has the ability to cut through oil and grime.
Disadvantages
- It’s overpriced.
4. Oumers Bicycle Cleaner Brush Kit
Overall Score: 78
If your bicycle chain requires a little more than your average brush, there’s the 6-piece bike cleaning kit from Oumers.
This set is designed to keep your bike working like a well-oiled machine by taking care of its most important component – the chain.
Thanks to their ergonomic handles, these tools are perfect for cleaning your bike if you’re a beginner because they’re so easy to use.
Included in this kit is a wide range of different brushes, including a scraper for the gear, a brush for your gears, a tapered detail brush, a tire scrubber, a cleaning brush, and a bike cleaning mitt.
Plus, the kit has a stylish design that’ll make you look cool when you take it out.
Advantages
- Comes with ergonomically designed handles.
- Features sturdy tools.
- Comes at an affordable price point considering how many tools you’re getting.
- You can apply it on any kind of bicycle.
Disadvantages
- Soft bristles aren’t as effective as expected.
5. Jtshy Bike or Motorcycle Chain Washer
Overall Score: 82
The best chain cleaner tool from Jtshy is a complete bicycle chain washer that comes with two color-coded brushes – one with a blue and one with a red handle.
It’s compatible with bikes and motorcycles and it’s easy to use thanks to the U-shape of the included brushes. Moreover, each brush is 10 inches long so you know it’s ergonomic and easy to maneuver.
Each brush features a long bristle at the end which allows it to reach those hard-to-reach places such as derailleurs, sprockets, and brakes.
Advantages
- The brushes are designed to get to hard to reach spots.
- Features two brushes.
- Comes at an accessible price point.
- They make it easy to clean bike chains thanks to the 3-sided bristles.
Disadvantages
- Based on the thickness of your bike chain, you might have to use some elbow grease with the cleaner.
6. Park Tool CB-4 Cleaning Fluid
Overall Score: 88
Next in our list of the best bike chain cleaning tools, we have the biodegradable cleaning fluid from Park Tool. This is one of the purest products on the market. It’s plant-based and mostly natural.
You don’t have to dilute it and yet it’s gentle enough to use on different components of your bike including those made from alloy, rubber, and plastic.
All you need to do to get the most out of this degreaser is to use it in conjunction with a cleaning brush. Otherwise, it comes with a convenient 16-ounce bottle that’s easy to carry and use.
Advantages
- Comes in a 16 oz. bottle.
- Gentle enough to safely use on carbon fiber, rubber, plastic and allow components.
- Formulated for use in Park Tool Chain Scrubbers.
- 100% plant-based, natural and biodegradable.
Disadvantages
- It’s a bit pricey.
7. Park Tool Store Cyclone Chain Scrubber
Overall Score: 84
The Park Tool Store Cyclone Chain Scrubber is a versatile tool that works with all multi-speed bikes. Not only that. it has a sturdy handle which makes the cyclone easy to use and control.
The wicking sponge design draws solvent from the chain as it exits. This reduces minimizing and avoids the mess involved in the chain cleaning process.
Aside from that, the scrubber has a magnet at the bottom of the Cyclone’s solvent reservoir that draws particles scrubbed from the chain.
It also has a reversible handle, allowing the chain to pass through in either direction for compatibility.
Advantages
- Great wicking sponge design.
- Easy to use and efficient.
- Custom fit sponge wiper.
Disadvantages
- Not durable.
- Does not deliver a deep cleaning effect.
8. Finish Line Speed Bicycle Chain Degreaser
Overall Score: 78
What makes the Finish Line speed bike chain degreaser the best bicycle chain cleaning tool for eco-conscious cyclists is the fact that it’s formulated from largely natural ingredients.
This includes soy-based extracts and orange peel.
Effectively, this is a biodegradable cleaning solution. It’s safe to use on different components of your bike including the ones made from plastic and rubber.
You can even dilute it with water for an even gentler clean and all without compromising its performance.
Keep in mind that this formula has low surface tension. This means that it has the capacity to reach into those difficult-to-reach areas of your bike to give you a whole-bike clean.
This degreaser is made from advanced technology that enables it to gently yet effectively break down grease, oil, and wax from the bike’s drivetrain.
That’s what makes it the best bike chain cleaner brush in our opinion.
Advantages
- No water rinsing or brushing needed.
- Turbo sprayer design gets rid of contaminants using mechanical agitation.
- Useful at decontaminating disc brakes.
- It won’t leave any residue behind because it’s a dry-style degreaser.
- One of the most popular and powerful degreasers from Finish Line.
Disadvantages
- It has toxic elements.
What is a Bike Chain Cleaner?
Perhaps the most important step in finding the right chain cleaner for your needs is to understand why you should use it in the first place.
You don’t need to use a toothbrush to clean your bike chain anymore because dedicated chain cleaners are available.
They’re made precisely to simplify the process and to ensure that your bicycle components get a thorough clean.
To use these devices, most of the time all you have to do is clip them onto your bike chain and pedal your bicycle as usual while they do most of the work.
Use them in conjunction with a good liquid degreaser and Bob’s your uncle!
When to Clean Your Bike Chain
Ideally, you should clean your bike chain regularly to make sure that it doesn’t get any corrosion or rust build up over time.
You’ll know that your bike chain is damaged when your bike starts squeaking when you ride it. This means that it needs a clean urgently and you should’ve maintained it better.
You can clean the bike chain while it’s still on the bike using a firm brush or even your toothbrush.
This will only do for more regular cleaning but shouldn’t replace the more thorough clean that you should give your bike once every three months.
This means removing all of the bike’s main components using special tools in order to brush the chain from root to tip. You can also dip the chain into a special solvent to get rid of oil and grime.
Make sure that the solvent has enough time to work its magic by leaving the chain there long enough. Then you need to wipe the chain clean with a rag before you lubricate it.
You can also use household products to clean your bike chain. My guide on how to clean a bike chain with household items will walk you through the process.
How to Clean a Bike Chain
There’s no better way to clean your bike chain than submerging it into a good quality solvent. The dirtier it is, the longer you should leave it in there, especially if you’re using a degreaser.
Most chains come with a quick-release master link that makes it easy to slide it in and out of the bucket with the degreaser.
Bike chain degreasers are great for keeping your bike chain in good condition. For recommendations, you can refer to my article on the best bike chain degreasers.
A Well Maintained Bike Chain Reduces the Risk of Slips and Breakage…
At this point, you know all about how to find the best bike chain cleaner. If you’re feeling undecided about all the fantastic options offered, consider going with the Park Tool CB-4 Cleaning Fluid.
We highly recommend it because it’s versatile, easy to use, durable, and eco-friendly. It’s definitely the way to go if you want a reliable cleaning tool that’ll get the job done right the first time.
It’s also gentle enough to use on different components of your bike including those made from alloy and rubber.