Just as detrimental is improper cleaning techniques. Although they all work, concerns of flammability, fumes, and damage to bluing and plastic parts must be considered. Hope's formula No. 9, whose main ingredient is kerosene, is a great all-purpose cleaner for all parts of a pistol. Spray-on cleaners such as Gun Scrubber seem to dissolve thick powder residue, but because they evaporate so quickly, they just leave a thinner, less visible crusty residue in its place. Just remember, whatever you use, try not to get it on your grip.
Cleaning tools are just as misadvertised.
A mere fortune could be spent on an elaborate cleaning kit, housed in its own maple brief case, with fancy brass and hickory cleaning rods and other useless stuff. An inexpensive aluminium rod works just like the most expensive one and still will not scratch your bore. The only note here is that the rod should be long enough so you can push a patch through the breech and have it come out through the muzzle, going one way only, never through and back. A threaded aluminium rod long enough to reach from the breach to and beyond the muzzle. A brass jag screwed onto your rod will clean your bore the best.