My practice for cleaning generally involves gunslick or breakfree foaming bore cleaner, non chlorinated brake cleaner and occasionally some Mpro7 copper remover. I am unable to walk away with gray patches as I am looking for that white patch. I use a correctly sized tipton brush, jag and patch however I usually cycle through 15-20 patches before getting frustrated and calling it a day. I know this isn't needed but my OCD's won't let me walk away from a "dirty" gun. Yes, I know it'll be dirtier than this after the first shot-I just can't help myself.

Do you know of any products or tips that will cut my cleaning time but let me get that white patch clean? The only thing I haven't done that I am aware of is a prolonged soak-like overnight but am worried about damaging the gun. Maybe a stronger solvent? Anybody else with similar OCDs?

Simple.  Quit using white patches.  Buy a bore snake, snake your bore after every shooting session.  
When accuracy begins to degrade (which will be a long time for most folks), then hit the barrel with brushes, cleaners, and scrubbers.
Until then, you're doing more harm than good obsessively cleaning your barrel.

I know what you mean. I desire my stuff to be spotless. I want to run a patch through the bore and have it come out perfectly clean. I have given up on this quest and am happy when it is light grey.

I do use boresnakes after each range session. When I have the time I do patches and rod. I actually enjoy cleaning my guns.

I did read that someone uses soap and water to clean and once thoroughly clean he then switches to Hoppes, dry patches and then an oil patch. I have considered trying this when I want to really get things spotless. As long as you oil when done it should work well. Dish soap, warm water and a nylon brush.

lmao!!!

I've tried water on one of my beater guns-full soak, hot water and soap. It worked great, but I have a problem putting a $300 barrel in the bathtub. I get confused though because I see people talking about getting white patches as an end result of x or y product-but no matter what I use, no matter what I shoot, the result is always a dark gray at best.

I'm also OCD about my cleaning. But, I can also live with the patches not being perfectly clean. When that does happen, I basically stop when I feel like I've put enough time and effort into the cleaning session. Yes, I know, very subjective.

What I have found works really well is Butch's Bore Shine. It's great for Copper, but works for Carbon too. It's strong, but not to the point that it will hurt your barrel. I haven't done it with my AR, but with my bolt guns I've let it soak overnight with good results. Soaking for long periods really depends on the solvent. Butch's says it's safe to soak, and people I trust had confirmed this. So, I gave it a try, and would agree that no harm is being done.

Recently, a guy I know through some friends commented about using a "chore boy"; swearing it's the best way to scrub the bore. I had to look it up, but it's basically like a Brillo pad. He cuts off pieces, wraps them into a brush, and goes to town. The guy is probably the best open sights and long range shooter I know, so his method certainly carries some weight; at least for me. I plan to give it a try once the weather allows for a good range day.

In truth, the patches will always come out slightly darker color. What you want to avoid is a patch that is dark black in color. Use the light test, not the patch test. Hold the barrel up to a lamp and if you see shiny then you're good to go.

If you don't take any advice from me, just simply remember not to use bronze brushes so much. For example, you clean, get frustrated, run a bronze brush, then get even more frustrated.

Several things to keep in mind:

1) Using solvent with bronze brushes, or jag will give false readings. It's entirely possible to endlessly clean the barrel with a jag and solvent because what is really going on is that the solvent is reacting to the bronze jag and your barrel is actually clean.

2) Using bronze brushes in general gives a dark color patch. It's best to only use the bronze brush in the first pass through and never use it again in the cleaning process. For example, you come one, soak the barrel with solvent patch, then follow it up with bronze brush for 10 passes, then after that only use patches. Don't retry the bronze brush as you will get a endless cycle of black patches.

3) Shiny barrel is a better idea to test. When you get home from the range, look at the barrel in the light. It will look horrible. A clean barrel will be shiny.

4) Try to avoid bronze items through the barrel if your aim is to get a clean patch.

5) Guns don't rust or corrode as fast as you're led to believe. While it is a great idea to clean your firearm as soon as possible, it is not vital or critical that you clean it immediately or else it'll turn into a hunk of pitted metal. Best thing to do is let the gun breathe air. Don't seal it up in a case.

6) Try to avoid switching brands, even for different things. Sometimes the chemical can react but it is very unlikely. Make sure you're using proper cleaners. For example, if you use purely oil to clean the barrel, you might find it to be nearly impossible to clean unless you spend hours with the patches.

7) 15-20 patches sound pretty normal to get it white.

8) Don't believe in commercials on how to clean your rifle. If the video you watch is promoting a product, don't believe anything about how clean something is. Chances are the firearm they got out is set up to be squeaky clean. There's no way to determine how many times they edited the video to get it to look like the way they did.

9) Just remember the number one cause of damage to a gun is during the cleaning process.

^^^^
#1, #2 is exactly right

If you keep alternating a brush and Hoppes#9, your patches are coming out with what's wearing off the brush.

A patch with Hoppes#9 once a day for a week works for me.

Your routine will ruin your barrel long before you shoot it out. Stop it.....
imho

Trying some new cleaning patches out.
Theyre 1.5x2", cotton, get a 1000 for almost nothing.( $1.50-$2.50)

Ebay has these cut cotton squares, ladies clean their fingernail polish off with.

Water and oil absorbant, we'll see how it goes.

Edit: seems to work fine. Easily cut with scissors if needed. Work great with a 22 jag or a slotted tip for 30cal.

Yes.  Dispense with all of the cleaners you are using and use water to wet your patches instead.  Once a wet one is run though, a couple of dry patches later and you'll have the white patch you desire.

Every 4 thousand rounds or so after cleaning I use dawn in the sink with ateemely hot water, almost boiling and dunk and scrub my parts. This gets is every crack and crevice and you'd be surprised how much crap is in all the nooks and crannies even after a very thorough cleansing. The hot water helps break stuff lose but the main reason I run it so hot is that the parts will air dry within a few minutes. I remove the rail, work the action on the adjustableft Gas block and do a detailed oiling job on the barrel. Tr 25 grease on all the bcg parts and inside the upper and I have an old cleaning rag that is a mix of oils and solvents I've used though the years that never dries out. I wipe down the entire exterior of the rifle with that rag. I run my guns and I'm not very nice to them but they all look and function like they are brand new minus the little nicks in the finish here and there. Those don't bother me though. The onay real sign of use on my guns is the brass on the shell deflector. I can get it off easily , just never cared to.
Doing this keeps the gun super easy to clean athe normal cleaning intervals and protects my investment should I ever decide to sell.

Yesterday went to the range. Today I needed to clean those two guns, M1 Garand and 1903A3.

Only shot 16 rounds out of the Garand and 20 out of the 1903A3. These guns were clean when I took them out of the safe.

I tried something new today, soap and water.

My process was this:

1. Wet patch through the bore with Hoppes. Let sit for an hour.
2. Nylon brush with some Hoppes on it about 20-25 times.
3. Patches until light grey. I normally would call this clean.
4. Patch soaked in water.
5. A couple dry patches. Lots of black.
6. Wet patch with Dawn and water.
6. Dry patches until they came out almost white. Took maybe 3.
7. Oil soaked patch.
8. Dry patch to remove excess.

I can't believe how much extra crud came out with soap and water after I had, what most would call, a clean patch with Hoppe's. This is my new process.

If you like the dish detergent method, you should try boiling water.  Started with it to neutralize corrosive primer residue.   It flushes all the crud out of the gun and all of the old lube then dries in a couple of minutes.  I boil 2, 2 quart pans.   Flush, clean normally, flush, let dry, oil and you're done.  Note: not for wood furniture.

I have been using Boretech eliminator for about 10 years now and have never had any of the cleaning issues above.

I run a couple of wet patches through the bore, and then clean the rest of the action on whatever firearm I am cleaning and then run another wet patch or two or if needed or a wet brush, and then a couple patches later it comes out white. No need to run 10 to 20 patches through the bore.

It's also safe for leaving in the bore overnight for though I have never done this myself.

Never thought Hoppes was all that great of a bore cleaner to begin with.

I even thought Remington bore cleaner worked better.  

30 years ago it was the shiznit but today there are far superior products that will clean faster and more thorough.

I always did like the way Hoppes smelled,  but that was all I liked about it.

YMMV and that is my .02 so take it or leave it.