Yep, whole thing off so I can work on the bench (or stainless steel trolley in my case.) I don't bother clamping the hose, I just let the fluid drain off into pan or something then use that for the initial cleaning.
Strommer, you can push feed it too if you like, just remember to suck some out of the reservoir before it overflows each time. I've not done it this way though, sucking works for me.
