there are a whole bunch of good and not-so-good ways to clean a muzzleloader, and fwiw here's what i do and what works best for me ...
immediately after taking my last shot at the range i make SURE to completely soak down the barrel (using a patch on a jag) and lock with either a moose milk spray (1:6 mix of ballistol:water) or just good ol' wd-40. we're looking to keep the bp residue soft, and away from the air.
this is my at-home cleaning kit ...
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the cut out gallon water jug gets 1/3rd or so filled with tepid (not cold, not hot) tap water. i put the lock on half cock, unscrew the lock off the gun, put the lock/stock screw back into the lock so i don't lose it, remove the flint and leather, dunk the lock in the jug of water and leave it there.
i take a round toothpick and shove it tight into the touch hole, plugging it up good. pour some tepid tap water down the barrel and fill it. leave it filled, leaning against something to keep the water in the barrel.
take the lock out of the jug and run the toothbrush all over it, breaking up the bp residue. dunk and brush as needed. when finished, shake the lock to remove excess water, paper towel it reasonably dry, spray the entire lock with wd-40, let it sit good 'n' wet on some paper towels.
pull out the toothpick from the touch hole and watch the water shoot out. when it's empty, run patches on a jag that are wet with either moose milk or wd-40 down and up the barrel. when they come out reasonably clean (it will NEVER be perfect), run down dry patches, then a patch that's soaking wet with with straight ballistol or wd-40. put back the ramrod.
pat off the excess wd-40 from the lock, screw the lock back into the rifle, put back the gun flint, take the gun off half cock and drop the cock down.
with an extra ramrod, run a ballistol or wd-40 soaking wet patch on a jag down the barrel and leave it there. case the rifle.
done!