as some have said, "cleaning" is a word with a broad
range of connotations, but I do believe all would agree that there certainly is such as
poor cleaning technique
poor choice of cleaning "tools"
OVER cleaning
abrasion
I do clean a gun if it has been fired that day, (other than a hunting rifle, which might only get cleaned once or twice a season), but "how done" has a lot to do with it
I have never yet taken sideplates off a revolver, for example
(no need to if the gun runs smooth, locks up tight, etc)
I have never had to remove "screws" to clean a gun, unless dropping a forestock counts
field stripping an autoloader is a far cry from a full breakdown
(If it can't be taken apart in 60 seconds or less, it don't need to come apart)
if I really thought it needed a gunsmith quality breakdown, I would hunt up a gunsmith
for me, a ziplock bag full of clean patches and a can of CLP gets it done
a brass or other non-steel pistol rod, a quality coated rod for centerfire rifles or non-abrasive patch pull cord (I use heavy test mono leader line on smallbores)
when CLP wet patches thru the barrel look clean, then it's a dry patch or two and done
If a CLP soaked patch rubbed on gun with my finger don't get it off, it don't need to come off, and always wipe down gun after to remove excess
(excess oil + grit = grinding compound)
Very rarely use a nylon bristle brush, virtually never use any metal brushes: The bronze/brass brushes that come in gifted cleaning kits may last me the rest of my life, most never get used
Various and sundry foul out cleaners in the closet, bought "just because", most have never been opened, shiny mirror clean bore is shiny mirror clean bore, and expected accuracy does as expected, that means clean enough
if you shoot the multiple-mach screamers out of rifles, sure you may need some copper foul out from time to time
but the handguns and mid-range rifle loads I push thru my stuff, I probably never will need to crack that bottle open
those black rings on the cylinder face... they supposed to be there folks
that star pattern on the end of the muzzle, you glance at that, before wiping most of it off with you finger, just to see that it looks symmetrical
unless you have Godzilla fingers, you are not going to hurt good bluing (much less SS) with a CLP spritzed cotton patch and your finger.. holster wear will do a lot more than that
PS
when I finally do get around to washing my pickup truck every other year, I don't use bronze brushes on it either
but neither bluing nor SS is corrosion PROOF
just like water resistant watches are not water PROOF
I had a sales counter guy once tell me that SS rifle I was buying, "no cleaning required, SS, corrosion proof, but I didn't feel like wasting my time to tell him any different, just wanted the gun
also had to spend some elbow grease cleaning up tannic acid pitting off a functionally perfect S&W bought used, somebody must have left in leather on a closet shelf for 10 or 15 years - got a heckuva good deal on the gun though !