Frontiersman,
Not much cleaning at all. The cases for .44-40 are thin and seal the breech easily. But saying this, it also makes reloading them tricky. Don't try to crimp at the same time you seat the bullet. Make it a separate step or you'll crush cases.
Still, I normally load with 777 rather than real black. There is a bit more power that seals the chamber better and the residue is easier to clean.
As for cleaning, I found that you can clean the little fouling you get with cold water and swabs.
The bolt (when closed) will show you that if any residue gets past the bolt face it will adhere to the right and left of the bolt and be limited to easily reached metal.
Cool water cleans fouling better than boiling water. The only reason anyone ever used boiling water, was to facilitate breech drying way down deep in the muzzleloading chamber. With a lever gun, you don' t need that. If you're using black or a substitute, clean the bore with water and brush and patches. And dry accordingly.
I use a hair dryer to dry things up with the Henry. I also use a suction bulb like you use for baby's nose to draw up water and flush out the breech area if I fear there may be fouling down where it's hard to reach. Dry with hair dryer and lube and you're done.
