Next, you'll want to clean the short section of chain to remove any grease. This makes it shiny and keeps grease off of your hands and out of your pockets or purse. The shinier it is, the cooler it'll look.
Easiest way to do this is to dunk the chain in a solvent and then clean with a toothbrush and wipe with a rag. A good degreaser (like SimpleGreen) will work fine too, it'll just take a bit longer and require a bit more scrubbing. Using dish soap and hot water will work as well, but that's a distant third choice behind the others.