Wheel Cleaners, what do you use?

[WhiteArrow3800]

I typically use Bleach White, spray it on a dry wheel, one at a time and scrub tires and wheels after a few seconds with soap/water.

A while back though, I made a purchase with DipYourCar.com for some plasti-dip and they sent me their 'Brake Dust Pro' for free. It's a "touchless" cleaner which I just chalked up to be a gimmick so I never used it until last month. I figured I'd give it a test, and boy does it smell terrible!


This is a good couple months since a wash + driving from Virginia to Michigan and back between blizzards:



Sprayed on and sitting for 2-5 minutes:



Rinse:



Obviously going over with a brush gives a cleaner result since there's a few spots that only a scrub will remove. But overall it seemed to work pretty well IMO. Maybe not something I'll be getting again, but thought I'd share.

[00Beast]

I use either Meguiar's or Mother's, whatever's on sale. Use the appropriate cleaner for the wheels. Little spray, little scrub, rinse and move onto the rest of the car.

[harofreak00]

As suggested by Ryan, I tried the Meguiars Wheel Brightner. It is amazing!

[bs009]

I haven't tried a wheel cleaner yet that I was blown away by. I've always used a synthetic wax on my wheels and wiped off with a microfiber sponge between details. Chrome is especially easy to clean.

[crash93ssei]

That Meguiar's Wheel Brightener is about as tough as it gets, I am going to also try IronX though, looks like that brake dust pro may be very similar to the IronX, maybe even a direct copy.

[PRD2BDF]

I pee on my wheels. Smell terrible but the urea does a great job of dissolving the grime.












Kidding. I use various products

[nos4blood70]

Simple green and elbow grease. Then some Mother's aluminum polish and elbow grease. Then a coat of some liquid wax. Wheels only need a wipe down for around 3 months afterwards to get just as clean as day one.

[DJC906]

Those are pretty impressive results.

I use Meguiars chrome wheel cleaner for the aurora wheels and the 20s, does a good job but also smells real chemically. I used some regular armorall wheel cleaner i had laying around for the GXPs.

Heard good things about a few brake dust repellents and wheel waxes, on my list of things to try this summer.

[sextrosgxp]

Depends on the wheel type. For painted wheels like on a GXP I use Simple Green or plain old car wash soap. Then hand wax them to repell dust. Simple Green is balanced and safe for the clearcoat. I run ceramic pads as well so dust isnt much of an issue.

On chrome only cleaner made for chrome wheels anything else you run the risk of staining or pitting.

Best advice: Don't let them get so dirty you have to use stronger than soap and water to begin with.

[crash93ssei]

Chrome Is about the most durable finish on a wheel, the wheel brightener is a strong acid and makes quick work of any crud on the wheels, it us also perfectly safe for any wheel, even painted. The only wheels you don't want to use it on are bare polished aluminum or anodized wheels without a clear coat.

I should also add that once the wheels are clean a sealant is is a good idea, I use Meguiar's #21 2.0. Carnauba wax has a melting temperature too low to be able to withstand the heat generated when braking so it is about useless on wheels. Also, once the wheels are clean a simple wipe with regular car wash soap when you wash the car will keep them clean especially when sealed. Another trick? Glass cleaner works really good for a quick clean up on chrome wheels.

[2003 SSEi]

I only use Soap and Water on the GXP wheels. However, I never drive it in the rain, so the dust doesn't have chance to get wet and bake on

[ChibiBlackSheep]

I use Mother's Mag and Alum polish on mine. I can't wait to get them chrome dipped next year so I don't have to do this before every car show.

[swampthing]

I usually use eagle a to z wheel cleaner, spray on, scrub, then rinse. I haven't tried anything LM the fieros powder coated wheels yet but I will have to soon.

[CMNTMXR57]

Quit wasting your time with sh*t you buy at the auto parts stores. I asked one day at the car wash what they used as it made the dirt and brake dust permanently damaged wheels of the RGC look like they were brand new again.

He pointed me to this product;



I had to order it online, but I guess you can buy it at O'Reilly's. Basically it's pure acid (you can see the hazard label on the side ). Instructions include putting gloves on... So dilution of some sort is probably safer for handling.

And yes, it works! And just because you don't have wire wheels doesn't mean it doesn't work. It works just fine on regular wheels. I use it on all mine.

Here are the instructions;

This is an acid based cleaner that will remove brake dust, tar, grime, rust, etc.

The wheel should be cool and sprayed with water first, then spray on our wire wheel cleaner and let it soak for 30 seconds to one minute, then spray it off the wheel completely. If the wheel is not clean enough, repeat these steps until the desired results are achieved.

NEVER APPLY THIS PRDUCT WITH YOUR HANDS, OR RUB WITH A RAG.

The acid will burn the skin. Always use rubber gloves and eye protection when using the product and let the product do the work, the user does not need to scrub, this product will do the cleaning.

DO NOT LEAVE THIS PRODUCT ON THE SURFACE LONGER THAN ONE MINUTE.

This product can stain wheel if not used properly. This product is safe for aluminum or mag wheel if diluted 1:1 with water and the above directions are followed.

[nos4blood70]

This is what we have at work. Even diluted, it will make your skin peel after exposure. It also reeks and makes your lungs not work. I've learned to wash half of a car while holding my breath.

[swampthing]

I think I will stick with my non-lung murdering stuff, my cars get ceramic pads anyway so I don't have to deal with dust

[crash93ssei]

Meguiar's Wheel Brightener is some nasty stuff but nowhere near that bad, I wouldn't use that stuff at all. One reason I use this stuff is because I detail cars, if I only had to do my own I wouldn't ever need it since mine are kept clean enough for just soap and water.

[1tinindian]

I like using Simple Green for the safe use on all different types of surfaces and it smells nice, too!

Leon

[CMNTMXR57]

Yes, it stinks. But that's why it works... I don't have quite the issues that you do Carl as I do it out in the driveway, which may make the difference. Even at full strength, I personally don't use gloves. But that's just me. Never have had any skin peeling issues. But then again, my skin on my fingers/pads is pretty callused already, so it doesn't seep in.

Yea, in a perfect world you wouldn't need it. I don't need it on the Caddy or the GTO as the wheels get wiped down usually 4 or 5 times a day. However, the RGC and anything of my Mother's do not live to my standards, and get pretty bad. The RGC especially and it doesn't matter what pads you put on. The wheels get dirty just sitting still... Unfortunately it resorts to this, and it works great.

[ga93sle]

Lung murdering acid FTW, that's what we used in the detail shop and I absolutely love it. I've had a hard time dropping the coin on it, though since I left the detail shop, so I just use soap and water and occasionally a Mr Clean Magic Eraser, though my wheels don't generally get that dirty to begin with.