If you toss the chain in a bottle of mineral spirits, let it soak for a while and agitate it a few times, it should come out completely devoid of grease residue. If you want to get really super clean for jewelry purposes invest in an ultrasonic cleaner. you can get cheap home models for ~$30 a small professional duty one can be had for as little as $100.

On Jan 4, 2012, at 11:31 AM, Christine Hill wrote:

Hi everybody,

We've been getting really into upcycling bike parts here at Bike Recycle Vermont -- we sell jewelry and fun products at local artists' markets to raise money for the shop. We love making jewelry with the ever-iconic bike chain, but getting it clean is so time and labor intensive. Has anyone found an effective way to clean multiple chains at once, and I mean really clean them out, get them grease-free and bone dry to the point that you'd wear the thing around your neck?

We tried a parts cleaner, we tried bringing them to a car wash... each time we still ended up going at each chain with a tooth brush and some degreaser and spending 15 minutes scrubbing it.

Tricks?

Christine.

--
Christine Hill, Americorps*State
Bike Recycle Vermont/Local Motion
w: 802.264.9687 c: 339.223.0722
www.localmotion.org/brv

"When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race." - H.G. Wells

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