Winter! Your bike gets clogged up with destructive gritty paste off the roads and it feels like the drivetrain needs cleaning every few days to keep it running smoothly. However I recently picked up a tip that has made a big difference, and you may already know it:
Before you do anything, spray the cleaner on the bike first.
I normally try and rinse of the bike first, and get rid of any big clods of muck, and then I use Muc-Off Bike Cleaner, for which you can buy concentrated refill bags to dilute and top up. Even that directs you to rinse with water first, but doing so means the degreaser is diluted on contact and therefore less effective.
I now spray the degreaser first, let it soak in, and then attack it with one of these Park Tools brushes:
You only get them in a pack of several types, but this is the only one I find I need to use (apart from occasionally the one for cleaning between your cogs). It gets into all the nooks and crannies!