Like most of these devices, the Dirty Little Scrubber works by having bristles that coat both the rollers and plates of the chain in degreaser, making for a far more efficient cleaning process than just a sponge and a rag.
I used the device in conjunction with Juice Lubes Dirt Juice Boss Chain Cleaner (it requires 20ml of degreaser) and it worked very effectively, agitating dirt and grime from the chain within a matter of minutes.
All the chain then needed was a wash off with a sponge and hot water and it was as shiny as the day I bought it.
I found 25 revolutions sufficient for most cleaning jobs, twice that for chains that hadn't been looked after in a while.
What I particularly like about the Juice Lubes over others I've used is that once it's attached to the chain, you don't have to hold it in place. It hangs from the chain and once attached doesn't move thanks to the metal attachment hook that loops round the rear mech hanger. You then backpedal or rotate the pedals by hand to distribute the degreaser across the chain. With some, such as the LifeLine X-Tools Pro Chain Cleaner, you have to hold the device to stop it from moving.
After using the Dirty Little Scrubber on over 30 chains, there appears to be no wear on the three nylon bristles, which suggests good longevity. With most cheap devices I've used these become warped very easily.
I am really impressed with this little device – it's a perfect solution for dirty chains. At £13 it even comes in cheaper than the LifeLine one reviewed on our sister site off.road.cc. For your money you get the same effectiveness with no-handed functionality. What's not to like?
Make and model: Juice Lubes Dirty Little Scrubber Chain Cleaner
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Juice Lubes says: 'The Dirty Little Scrubber goes heavy on clean chains and crisp shifts and light on mess, spills and faff. Slap it on your chain whenever you wash your whip and watch your drivetrain transform from ghastly to glorious in a few spins of the cranks.
'The Scrubber will keep your shifts slick and will help guarantee your bits last longer, meaning more cash for after-work beers and less 'is she dead?' calls to your local bike shop.'
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Juice Lubes lists:
Fast, clean, and easy to use.
Tough Nylon brushes.
No-hands use when setup with a straight chain line.
Minimises cleaning product use – only 20ml of Dirt Juice Boss chain cleaner per fill!
Removes grease, grime and oil in seconds.
Easy to dismantle and clean after use.
Makes drivetrain last longer.
Minimises mess.
Reduces cleaning time.
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Made out of tough, translucent plastic.
Rate the product for performance:
10/10
Worked every time, even on the grimiest of chains.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
After use on more than 30 chains, it's in the same condition as when it first arrived, the bristles seem very long-lasting.
Rate the product for value:
9/10
Offers excellent value for money compared to the competition.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It performs like every other chain cleaners, effectively scrubbing all parts of the chain to remove grit and oils. It also functions 'no-handed' as well as only requiring 20ml of degreaser, making it very cost efficient.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The no-handed aspect is a nice little touch. Handy, as it were!
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Cheaper than the LifeLine X-Tools Pro Chain Cleaner (£20) as well as others on the market such as Park Tool's Cyclone Chain Scrubber CM-5.3 at £29.99.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
The Dirty Little Scrubber is excellent: it's long lasting, works in minutes (without having to be held in place) and it's great value.
Age: 20 Height: 6 ft 2 in Weight: 75kg
I usually ride: Giant TCR My best bike is: Giant Trinty
I've been riding for: 5-10 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, club rides, the occasional bit of track
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15 comments
Seems excellent value to me, I purchased the Muc-Off X3 and while it does an excellent job it's more than double the price.
I've used this tyype of chain scrubber before and found that liberal amounts of solvert were dripping off the chain onto the floor and running down chain rings and sprockets.
For some years now I've been taking the chain off and dropping it in a jam jar half full of WD40. Let it soak and shake it a few times and when the bulk of the dirt is off do it again in a second jar of WD40. Looks like new afterwards and no crunching noises that you get from using a rag on the chain that pushes fine grit between moving parts.
I leave the jam jars to stand and let the dirt settle then decant the clear WD40 and flush the dirt out. That uses some liquid that only needs topping up!
For those that may not be aware of it, WD40 is available in 5L canisters.
Paraffin oil is a fair amount cheaper than WD40 and very commonly used to degrease motorcycle chains. You can get 5l for about a fiver
Sounds like a good product. The name seems a little, er, démodé, though.
5 stars, well done Juice Lubes.
I do like their fork juice.
I had to adopt KMC chains when Sram stopped making nice 8 speed chains, they advise against solvent chain scrubbing, so didn't. Little more wiping and an acceptance that the drivetrain on the Getting to Work bike (now mothballed) would never sparkle at the very start of the one journey just after cleaning. There is less taking the casette off for deep cleaning too, just flossing. No need chain is not super clean.
The good bike still has a nice Sram 9 speed and XTR, so that one still gets scrubbed, and of course I am much more obsessive about that one. Still the sparklyness only lasts until the first bridleway.
The Ultimate Commuter is Rohloffed, KMC's X1 is a tough old chain, though VERY good, when new it cannot fit my Park CC-2 chain checker and so appears to have less than 0% "stretch" (whearas new derailier chains come in at around 0.25%, as expected), KMC so only wipe (very well) and occasionally toothbrush to rid some of the inner filth. Much less time needed to get a nice level of cleanlyness on the "single speed" setup.
I do not seem to notice a huge difference in life of the chain when using or not using my Park scrubber and Finish Lines Eco Tech solvent. Never been one to keep records, just change things when needed, preferably with the best I can manage.
To Sirachas point, not using the scrubber does seem to result in less of the grinding thing when twisting the chain with fingers between cleanings. Maybe KMC have a point and their excellent set up grease does stay in the deep crevices and keep the chain lubricated. My riding is a bit of road (utility) and a lot of off road with dust and/or filth. Lots of filth.
Thanks.
I've gone wax now. So far, so blissful. Clean chain stays clean. I'll see how it pans out.
I don't know if you are supposed to do this sort of thing. Some say yes, others say it messes up the inner lubrication and your chain is never the same again.
The chain certainly looks sparkling. Did you try flexing it side to side? I always get a gritty sound and feel when I try that, telling me that there is still grit in the inner workings. And of course, how long will it stay clean?
I always deferred to Sheldon Brown for proper cycle maintenance. His chain cleaning methodology being particulary thorough
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html
I've just read that. O. M. G.
Holy Moly! And this was before Covid!
I really hope someone actually fell for this
Well, if you want to do something properly...
The 'real' page is not much lighter, invoking religion and philosophy, and includes the suggestion to boil the chain, thoroughly, both sides up!
The bit that grabbed my attention in that was that 'all of these existing systems are fundamentally mono-buttocked kluges.'
I'm now left pondering whether being mono-buttocked would make Roger a greater cyclist or a lesser one. I imagine he'd certainly need some kind of custom saddle though.