The best bike chain degreasers make short work of cleaning your chain and drivetrain, removing dirt and restoring a sparkling spine.
Most chain degreasers work as a solvent, dissolving chain oil, grease and dirt. The most powerful products make cleaning your bike chain an easy task – you can often rinse (or wash) the degreaser away, along with the loosened dirt. For others, a little agitation with a brush or chain-cleaning device – or blasting action, if they’re in a pressurised aerosol can – will ensure the dirt comes away.
Many bike chain degreasers contain toxic ingredients, which aren’t kind to the environment. They carry suitable warnings if this is the case, although some citrus-based and biodegradable options have less harmful effects.
I spent two months testing 16 dedicated bike chain degreasers. My top pick is the Oxford Mint Chain Cleaner, thanks to how effectively it removes dirt and its value for money.
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Navigation
- Best bike chain degreasers
- The competition
- How I tested the latest bike chain degreasers
- Why you can trust BikeRadar
- What to look for in bike chain degreasers
Editor’s note: this best list was first published on 10 December 2024.
Best bike chain degreasers
Best on test: Oxford Mint Chain Cleaner
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- £8.99 (500ml) as tested
- Pros: Effectively removes gunk; pleasant mint odour; good value for money
- Cons: Doesn’t rinse off as well as other products
Oxford’s Mint Chain Cleaner is very effective at removing cassette and chain gunk.
It’s not toxic to aquatic life (unlike the brand’s heavy-duty Bike Degreaser), yet can still be used to blast dirty chain oil into submission.
Once applied, the formula remains at work on the chain for a good few minutes before drying out, although I found rinsing it off with water didn’t seem to clear it away quite as easily as some other products.
The mint odour is more pleasant than the fumes you get from other solvents, but you should still use it in a well-ventilated area.
The can can be bought in 500 and 750ml variants and is good value – the larger can is only slightly better value (£17.32 per litre versus £17.98 per litre).
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Highly commended: Weldtite Jet Blast Degreaser
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- £9.99 (500ml) as tested
- Pros: Powerful enough to shift stubborn grease
- Cons: Lack of precision nozzle makes it feel wasteful
I’ve been impressed when using Weldtite’s Jet Blast Degreaser in the past, and it performs just as well as other solvent-based aerosol degreasers.
The lack of a precision spray nozzle meant I felt a little more wasteful when targeting specific areas, which is a concern given the product carries a health warning for aquatic life. Generally speaking, you’ll want to use such a potent degreaser sparingly.
The nozzle will accept a tube applicator, although one isn’t provided.
There’s no doubting its power to shift stubborn grease and oil, and it’s decent value at £19.98 per litre. Of the solvent aerosol degreasers, only Oxford’s products are better value.
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Best value: Morgan Blue Professional Chain Cleaner
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- £15.99 / €15.50 (1l) as tested
- Pros: Great value
- Cons: Harmful to aquatic life
This Morgan Blue chain cleaner is used by the Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team, among others.
It’s great value on paper. A litre bottle is £15.99, which is the best value we’ve come across on a volume-to-pound basis.
The cleaner works well on all but the toughest chain detritus, although scrubbing and extra applications inevitably help to shift this.
The application method differs with container sizes. The 1-litre bottle is an unpressurised container with a supplied spray applicator, the 400ml size takes the form of a pressurised aerosol can and the 250ml bottle can be poured into a chain-cleaning device.
Morgan Blue recommends using soapy water to help clean the solution away. It notes that the cleaner is harmful to aquatic life, even if the bottle doesn’t carry a specific ‘hazardous to the environment’ sign.
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BBB Bio Drivetrain Cleaner Degreaser
- £14.99 / €18.95 (1l) as tested
- Pros: 100 per cent biodegradable
- Cons: More work required than solvent-based degreasers
BBB says the Bio Drivetrain Cleaner Degreaser is 100 per cent biodegradable and created using only plant-based ingredients.
Accordingly, the product carries no environmental hazard warnings.
The solution is concentrated, requiring thorough rinsing after use, but it shifts most dirty chain and cassette grime. You can use it with a chain-cleaning tool, brush or rag.
BBB’s degreaser will remove tougher deposits with a bit of elbow grease, although a solvent-based degreaser will make lighter work of the job if you happen to have neglected cleaning duties for a long while.
Value is good at £14.99 or €18.95 per litre in my test bottle. The 500ml bottle comes with a spray applicator and costs £17.98 per litre.
Fenwick's Drivetrain Degreaser
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- £12 (500ml) as tested
- Pros: Very effective; dissolves thick grease quickly
- Cons: Chain still needs to be dried despite claims of protective residue
Formerly known as 'Fast Blast Degreaser', Fenwick's Drivetrain Degreaser is a very effective solvent-based grease tackler.
Applied to a grimy chain and cassette, the solution works quickly to dissolve thick grease, when helped by a little brush agitation.
The aerosol application is powerful enough to force away grime, and the mini-nozzle applicator enabled me to target components and avoid spraying more delicate parts.
Fenwick's says the degreaser leaves behind a protective residue layer, although I’ve found I still needed to dry the chain quickly to avoid rusting completely.
The usual warnings apply to this aerosol product, including that it’s toxic to aquatic life. Oxford’s Mint Bike Degreaser is cheaper and practically as effective.
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Fenwick's Foaming Chain Cleaner
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- £12 (500ml) as tested
- Pros: One of the best water-soluble formulas
- Cons: Needs to be used regularly to avoid grime build-up
Fenwick's Foaming Chain Cleaner isn’t quite as instant-acting as a solvent-based product, but it’s one of the best with a water-soluble formula.
Supplied in an aerosol container with a mini-nozzle applicator, it expands once exposed to atmospheric pressure to cover the chain. You then need to spin the cranks and shift up and down the cassette (or agitate with a brush), which I found most effective with some also applied to the cassette.
The foam breaks down quickly when agitated, though, so you may need more than one application to get your chain sparkling clean.
A few in the BikeRadar team use this product to acclaim, although it’s worth noting you need to use it regularly to avoid build-up and the need for multiple applications.
If you use a solvent beforehand to remove the worst gunk, be sure to rinse it away fully, because it dissolves the Foaming Chain Cleaner.
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Muc-Off Bio Degreaser
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- £12 / $17.49 (500ml) as tested
- Pros: Better for the environment than others
- Cons: Harder application than some
Water-soluble and biodegradable, Muc-Off’s Bio Degreaser is better for the environment than many aerosol-based products.
I’ve found it to be good at shifting loose grime, and it breaks down tougher build-ups when left to do its thing. Some agitation with a brush is needed at times, but this is common.
Understandably, it’s not as rapidly effective as the most powerful degreasers around, but I didn’t need copious amounts to get the job done.
The nozzle doesn’t feature a directional applicator, so it’s harder to be specific in your application (and use it to blast at certain spots). The design won’t fit a tube applicator, either.
At £24 per litre, it represents reasonable value, while it rinses away easily.
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Oxford Mint Bike Degreaser
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- £8.99 (500ml) as tested
- Pros: Incredibly powerful; pleasant smell
- Cons: Health warnings about aquatic life
Similar to Fenwick’s Drivetrain Degreaser, this degreasing product is incredibly powerful.
The downside is it carries health warnings about aquatic life, like the Fenwick’s alternative.
Oxford says it’s best used on products where thicker grease and grime will build up. This includes derailleurs, but also engine blocks and heavy-duty motorcycle suspension units.
This means it’s probably a little too punchy to be used liberally on a chain, although I’ve had no issues employing it sparingly to rid me of the worst winter muck (and, frankly, bail me out of being lazy).
The mint odour is pleasant, but like the brand’s Chain Cleaner product, you need to use it in a well-ventilated area.
The 750ml can doesn’t offer the step up in value one might hope for, but given the Mint Bike Degreaser’s potency, you shouldn’t need to use much to see results.
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Peaty’s Foaming Drivetrain Degreaser
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- £17.99 / $20 (1l) as tested
- Pros: Easy to control; performs very well; rinses away easily
- Cons: Need to use more than other foam-based degreasers
This foaming chain cleaner performs very well, and unlike Fenwick's Foaming Chain Cleaner or Weldtite’s Thunder Foam Chain Degreaser, it doesn’t rely on an aerosol can to achieve it.
Packaged in a plastic bottle with a closable spray applicator, it’s easy to control how much you use. That said, I needed to use more than other foam-based degreasers to achieve the same effect.
The product carries a corrosive warning notice, but isn’t marked as harmful to the environment. You’ll need a brush to get the degreaser to clean drier muck. It rinses away easily to leave the chain clean.
You can buy it in a large 5l workshop size for decanting into a suitable applicator, which results in the best value (£14 per litre). The 500ml bottle is £12.99, while the 1l bottle is £17.99.
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Weldtite Thunder Foam Chain Degreaser
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- £10.99 (500ml) as tested
- Pros: Nozzle helps with precise application; citrusy scent
- Cons: Scrubbing required for stubborn oil
Weldtite’s Thunder Foam Chain Degreaser is very similar to the Fenwick's Foaming Chain Cleaner.
The pressurised can has a precision nozzle, helping with target application on the chain, and the foam quickly expands once in contact with the atmosphere.
Some scrubbing is needed to work away stubborn chain oil and the like, and more than one application will be needed if you don’t clean your chain regularly.
It has a citrusy scent, and Weldtite claims it doesn’t carry any harmful ingredients. It’s slightly cheaper than the Fenwick's alternative.
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The competition
The following bike chain degreasers scored fewer than four stars, so we haven’t included them in our main list. However, they may still be worth considering if they suit your needs.
Finish Line Ecotech Bicycle Chain Degreaser
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- £18.99 / $16.99 (600ml) as tested
- Pros: Will shift stubborn dirt
- Cons: Not the best value for money
Finish Line’s Ecotech Bicycle Chain Degreaser is another effective product at shifting stubborn dirty chain oil and grease.
The brand specifies that the degreaser is "inherently biodegradable", which means it will degrade over a long period.
Much the same applies to other solvent-based degreasers, although it’s worth flagging here given some of the green-leaning language.
You can buy a pressurised can to blast away dirt, although the 600ml can (as tested) offers the solution in a pourable form. You can then use it with a chain cleaner or paint it on.
The solvent works well, dissolving almost all chain and sprocket muck build-up with the help of a bristly brush. Although some will prefer the convenience of a spray can, using a more controlled amount in a chain cleaner will appeal to many.
At £31.65 / $28.32 per litre in a 600ml bottle, there are better-value options available. The 4.5l refill offers much better bang for buck, though.
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Muc-Off Quick-Drying Degreaser
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- £16 (750ml) as tested
- Pros: Powerful and effective
- Cons: Harmful to aquatic life
Muc-Off’s Quick-Drying Degreaser is powerful and effective, punching through built-up chain oil with ease.
Drier mucky grime takes some brushwork to remove, but this is par for the course, and each time I’ve used it I’ve been left with a very clean chain.
It also does what it says on the tin, in that it dries quickly and doesn’t leave excess residue. Muc-Off says you don’t need to rinse it off, although I preferred to rinse the chain and cassette in case any errant muck remained.
The can is large at 750ml, and is almost identical in value to Peaty’s XXX Solvent Degreaser (£21.33 per litre for a 750ml can), although cheaper options exist.
This degreaser carries ingredients harmful to aquatic life, which may put some off.
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Park Tool CB-4 Bio Chainbrite
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- £17.99 / $17.95 (474ml) as tested
- Pros: Shifts chain oil well
- Cons: Value isn’t the best
Park Tool’s CB-4 Bio Chainbrite fluid is claimed to be 100 per cent biodegradable and plant-based.
There’s no spray applicator option, but the CB-4 fluid is designed to be used with a chain cleaner device or brush.
It shifts dirty chain oil well, and any tough deposits that haven’t washed away come away easily enough when brushed. While not specified, I preferred to rinse it off after use before drying and applying chain lube.
The value isn’t the best, at almost £38 per litre.
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Peaty’s XXX Solvent Degreaser
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- £10.99 (400ml) as tested
- Pros: Water soluble and biodegradable
- Cons: Effective but less punchy than others; needs to be wiped away
This solvent degreaser is water-soluble and biodegradable, which is a bonus if you care for the natural environment.
The high-pressure application through the mini nozzle enables you to be sparing and helps push away built-up crud.
I found it effective at cleaning up a drivetrain, but less punchy than the most powerful solvent cleaners. It’s best left for a couple of minutes to work away at grime, then agitated – so don’t expect instant cleanliness.
Despite being water-soluble, I needed to rinse and wipe it away very thoroughly to remove residue.
It’s also more expensive than some alternatives, although the larger 750ml ‘workshop’ can is better value (£21.32 per litre, compared to £27.48 per litre).
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GTechniq Drivetrain Degreaser
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- £19.99 (500ml) as tested
- Pros: One of the more effective non-solvent degreasers
- Cons: Expensive; might need multiple applications
GTechniq’s Drivetrain Degreaser is a water-soluble formula, in a 500ml unpressurised bottle, which you apply with a spray applicator.
It carries the usual warning for skin irritation, but is biodegradable.
It’s one of the more effective non-solvent degreasers I’ve tried, although it’s expensive at £39.98 per litre. The 5l refill container delivers much better value, at £25.99 per litre – decent overall, but not outstanding.
The formula doesn’t evaporate too quickly, so it has a chance to work away at built-up dirty chain oil. Some encouragement with a brush or chain cleaner is needed to get the best results.
This can still leave some stubborn oil behind, so a fresh application might be needed for a chain and cassette to come up spotless, but this is par for the course with similar types of degreasers in my experience.
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Weldtite Citrus Degreaser
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- £16.99 (1l) as tested
- Pros: Decent job of removing oil; rinses away easily
- Cons: Designed to be used with a chain-cleaning device
This citrus degreaser is water-soluble, and it rinses away very easily. It’s available in four container sizes, although the smallest 250ml is the only one with a spray applicator.
Generally, it’s designed to be used in tandem with a chain-cleaning device. This is fine in principle, although these have a limited shelf life given they use bristles, so you need to factor in the cost of replacing them occasionally.
It does a decent job of removing dirty chain oil, and a cleaning device will certainly help guard against wasteful application.
That said, I needed to give the chain an extra scrub to shift tougher crud from the link faces. There are stronger solutions available. Weldtite says reapplication and scrubbing may be necessary, but this (of course) requires the use of more degreaser.
This needs to be borne in mind, despite the keen £16.99 per litre value seen from our litre-sized bottle.
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How I tested the best bike chain degreasers
I spent two months trialling all the bike degreasers in this list, testing their ability to deal with lightly and heavily-soiled chains, sprockets and chainrings.
I tested the effectiveness of all the degreasers, even volunteering to clean a friend’s bike chains, by following the manufacturer’s instructions for each product.
It’s worth noting I had previous experience with five of the products, which I took into account, and the wider BikeRadar team also provided insight into the degreasers they have used.
No bike chain is equally dirty as the next, and the application style of each product will inevitably affect how they work. But my reflections are indicative of my lived experience with each product, in line with how they’re intended to be used.
Why you can trust BikeRadar
BikeRadar has been an authority on bikes and cycling tech since its inception in 2007, delivering the world’s best riding advice.
We have experts testing all types of bikes, parts, clothing and accessories, from road, mountain and gravel bikes to commuting, bikepacking and electric bikes.
Our reviews are always editorially independent – with no exceptions. Our reviewers comprehensively test all products in the real world, always reflecting on performance, value and the wider market when delivering their verdicts and review ratings.
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What to look for in bike chain degreasers
Application method
Degreasers are generally applied via a pressurised aerosol can or as an unpressurised liquid.
An aerosol packs more degreasers inside than a bottle, and the nozzle can help ‘blast’ away stubborn grime. It’s worth remembering that the application through a nozzle can be wasteful because the degreaser is simply sprayed into the air.
In the case of a pressurised foaming product (such as the Fenwick’s Foaming Chain Cleaner), the pressure differential allows the foam to expand once expelled from the nozzle. It won’t physically shift the dirt by force, but it can hang around on your chain and sprocket longer to dissolve it.
Some liquid- and foam-based products are unpressurised (Peaty’s Foaming Drivetrain Degreaser, for example, uses a simple spray applicator). While they work on the same dissolving principle, extra scrubbing can be needed to get them to work as effectively as possible.
Finally, some degreasers are applied using a brush, or a chain-cleaner tool with a reservoir. Chain-cleaning tools will have some agitating bristles (or similar) inside, and as the chain passes through the degreaser reservoir and bristles, the dirty oil will be worked away.
Environmental concerns
There’s no doubt about it, degreasers are generally a nasty bunch of products for the environment and our health.
Some products, such as BBB’s Bio Drivetrain Cleaner, are plant-based and biodegradable, although this does come at a small cost to effectiveness, in our experience.
It’s fair to say that I’ve never needed to use as much of a toxic degreaser to achieve the same results as I can get with a less-polluting product.
Value
In our recommendations, listed above, we indicate the value you get with each product, on a cost-for-volume basis.
That said, real-world value is largely determined by how you use a product. A pressurised can with a precision applicator can be a sparing way to go, but it’s easy to overuse it instead of agitating what you’ve already applied.
Citrus-based degreasers are generally less effective than the most powerful products, so you can end up needing to use more of them to achieve the same results.
Bear in mind that continual maintenance is wise. Allowing your drivetrain to gunk up completely is a surefire way to use up more product than would otherwise be necessary.
Bike chain degreasers vs general degreasers
Bike chain degreasers are usually formulated to work best on a bike chain, which has smaller links and more delicate parts than you would find in other situations.
Degreasers are often described as safe to use near bearings, which means they shouldn’t as readily dissolve bearing and assembly grease.
However, some products such as the Oxford Mint Bike Degreaser are more powerful and will easily break down thicker greases, so extra care should be taken if you use these on a chain.
Can I use WD40 to degrease my bike chain?
Yes, you can, although it’s not the best product to use.
This is mainly because it is also a lubricant (which has been dissolved in a solvent solution). The solvent part expels most dirt and chain oil, but leaves a lubricating film behind.
This residue usually mixes up with any remaining dirt and attracts more. It’s also not very long-lasting as a chain lubricant, which means it’s not the one-hit-wonder product many believe it to be.
In our experience, you're far better off with separate cleaning and lubrication products.
Can I use washing-up liquid to clean my chain?
Yes, household washing-up liquid (generally in a warm-water solution) can also be used to clean a chain, but it’s not very effective.
This is because the cleaning agents – those that dissolve food-based oils and fats, for example – aren’t as effective on bike chain lubes.
A lot of elbow grease will be needed to clean a bike chain with dish soap, and the product is likely to leave more build-up on the brush you’re using because it won’t dissolve it as effectively.
