I read about a lot of people using this and that degreaser/brush and all this special stuff.  All I use is Hoppe's copper solvent, wipe it on my bcg and let it sit for a little while.  Wipe it off and lube it up.  Clean the chamber with some q tips and copper solvent. Run a couple of patches soaked through the barrel.  Couple of dry patches.  Then a boresnake. And done.  Why do people soak different parts for hours?  I've never had a problem and I only clean it every 500 rds or so (although I lube it generously). Never ran a brush through the barrel either.

Good, bad... what do you think?

Clean when it comes to firearms is a very subjective term.  I clean/PMCS my firearms to my standard and call it a day.  To each their own I suppose.

People get crazy with it. I hardly ever deep clean unless im bored and have the urge. Otherwise I just clp everything and wipe everything down good, apply more for lube if needed at that point, throw a boresnake down the pipe, good to go. Deep cleaning ill soak my BCG parts in solvent and hit the chamber with a chamber brush. Its not anywhere near as complicated as some people make it

so far on the SBR i built, ive ran a little over 1k rounds suppressed,

all ive dont is run a boresnake through and lube the BCG, runs like a champ.

Most people who obsessively clean their firearms do so for peace of mind. It is like a form of therapy. They believe parts need to be soaked and cleaned so well that it could pass a white glove test. While you're free to clean in this manner, I see it as a huge waste of time.

The AR is a very forgiving system and does not always need a tear-down clean and scrubbing. My modus operandi when running the AR is not to clean it after every range trip, but simply add more lube to the BCG and inner walls of the upper receiver. I just use a flux brush and a quart of 10w-30 motor oil to liberally apply lube when I deem fit. Don't worry about carbon, if it isn't affecting the function of your rifle then it doesn't need to be removed.

I actually clean the thing after every 1000 or more rds

I just used Hoppes 9 wet patches followed by dry patches without brushing in the last 2 years/1500 or so rounds after every trip, everything else wiped off with a rag or qtips. Eventually I got another (but non-ammonia) cleaner last week that got some more copper out and still didn't do any brushing. It's supposed to remove carbon fouling too but there was no hint of any on the patches. Before using it I had trouble hitting the circle in the 25yd zero targets, and yesterday  at the range I could hit all shots dead center overlapping, repeated it 3 more times even shooting as fast as I could and getting up to put a fresh target between groups.

So I guess if your cleaner is adequate then there should be no need to use anything other than patches.

I have not cleaned my AR since George Bush Jr. was President.    I've shot several thousand rounds since then.   I just keep adding lube.   I know I'm in the tiny minority, and will probably get flamed.      Google an article called "Cleaning your AR is pretty much a waste of time."

OP,

I think the important thing is that you use some sort of cleaning method consistently.  The AR platform was designed to run more or less clean, and to use  lube.  
There are many methods described in these site pages, but using brushes and solvent, patches and some decent lube are key.

Personally I use Sweets to clean fouling, and CLP for general cleaning and lube, although I am going to try the Mobil 1 and ATF mix soon.   Just for fun.

Uber, Not a flame but your post cracked me up.  Kinda made me think of a potential article entitled."Why living your life is a waste of time" since we're all going to die anyway.
I crack me up.
There was a great video a couple of months ago about this crew that shot the AR repeatedly and cooled and lubed it by throwing it into mud and water.

Found it!   Fun with ARs

Oh dang Rick. Andrew Touhy has the funniest shit EVER when it comes to debunking bullshit about DI guns. Watch the one where he and a buddy repeatedly pile mounds of dirt on a charged AR with the dust cover open. Shooter picks it up, shakes it off, dumps 30 rounds, changes to a fresh mag and repeats the process over and over and over again - Pile, shake, shoot, reload, pile, shake shoot.... Touhy definitely shows the low water mark for the kindness actually required to keep a decent quality AR running. Nice to know, but I only have one for now, so I'm not trying that shit at home.

This

I used to deep clean every time I went shooting. Now, I only deep clean every 1000 rounds or so, otherwise it is just boresnake & add some lube. On a side note, I shoot almost only exclusively steel, and I have no issues with the dirtier ammo.

krybolt,

Everyone has their own method......I just leave it at that. personally I just use Breakfree or Rem Oil and go from there.

Impala

I have always done a deep and through cleaning because I do not know if I will have the opportunity again.  It's about being prepared for the worst, and knowing I can depend on my rifle.

that's more than I do.