I clean my chain with kerosene every few thousand km since day one. I keep my kerosene in a spray bottle so it's easy to spray a thin layer onto the chain as I rotate the rear wheel. Then I leave it to soak for a few minutes, and subsequently wipe off the dirt with a clean wet rag. After that, I re-lube the chain. My mileage around 24,000km, chain still in good condition.