Green Oil Clean Chain Degreaser Jelly

Green Oil Clean Chain Degreaser Jelly is a non-flammable, non-toxic, citrus-based infusion designed to strip chains and discs of their lubes and ingrained grot. It does the job well, and even if it's no better at it than some competitors, it's less toxic than many of them.

I'm told it's derived from fermented apple and coconut oil, which when diluted with 900ml of water produces a litre of bike wash. It used to be available as a concentrate in a 1 litre bottle for serious workshop fettling, a form I've preferred for a few years since it can be used as a neat degreaser, diluted to suit.

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Back to the 100ml version... Blended for chains and discs, we are told it can be used in several ways. The most obvious is the default: park bike(s) outside, shake the bottle, pop the spout and dispense carefully – like a chain lube in other words.

Now rotate the cranks a few turns and allow it to nibble away for a minute or so while you fetch a bucket of tepid water and a stiff transmission type brush.

When tackling disc rotors, dribble it straight on, and agitate with your brush. Leave between 30 and 60 seconds before rinsing. Tepid water strikes the best balance between comfort and efficiency, although the hotter you can bear it, the faster it works.

Dry thoroughly with a clean rag and, in theory, you're done. In practice, this method works much better than Green Oil's other suggestion, which involves pouring 30ml into a chain bath, introducing water and leaving to marinate.

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Ceramic and other sophisticated lubes (including Fenwick's Stealth) vanished in two treatments (5 minutes) using the first method, ditto 10w40 motor oils, bog standard wet types and their gritty contaminant too.

Middleweight Teflon infusions and barely-there summer synthetics were dismissed first time, with minimal bristle plot persuasion.

Putting all this into perspective, the most potent petrochemical strippers will do these tasks in two short blasts, 30 seconds marinating time, followed by a quick scrub. I had my Univega's filthy transmission – rings, chain, cassettes, jockey wheels and derailleur cages – gleaming in 12 minutes flat. Like for like, the Green Oil achieved similar results in 15-16.

If purchase price is your only determinant, there are plenty of cheap solvents that will strip chains, cassettes and rings bare and with frightening efficiency. However, they are often toxic and/or highly flammable. There are others who swear by washing-up liquids. It ultimately boils down to personal preference. However, my overall mark is compared with similar bike-specific products.

Verdict

Capable degreaser and a credible alternative to petrochemical solvents