Wheel Cleaners

[nickchin1308 0]

Hey guys,

I've havent bought many wheel cleaners before and have been pretty much using some good old Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid for most of the time cause I wash the car once a week. There are some bits on my wheel that the grime just simply wont come off. So what cleaners do u use / recommend?

Cheers

Nick

[kiwi535 538]

Hey guys,

I've havent bought many wheel cleaners before and have been pretty much using some good old Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid for most of the time cause I wash the car once a week. There are some bits on my wheel that the grime just simply wont come off. So what cleaners do u use / recommend?

Cheers

Nick

most (if not all) proper wheel cleaner are caustic.I would try a polish lightly first.If it comes clean polish and wax them,then will be easier to keep clean

[Tristan 338]

I use the Armourall one you can get at the supermarket but it's sh*t. Waiting for it to run out so I can change it back to the other one. I'll recognize the can when I see it and let you know. It's good

[Apex 693]

Firstly, buy some wash and wax at the bare minimum for your paint work, that way you will have some form of protectant on the paint, dishwashing liquid is great at removing dirt but it’s also great at removing wax and it’s harsh on rubbers and other trim. If you want to step things up buy a proper microfiber drying towel and some spray wax.

The grime you talk of on your wheels won’t come off with products, it’s baked on and is a result of poor previous maintenance. Most wheel cleaners are a waste of time, they make removing light dirt and dust easy but can’t perform miracles. I have some industrial stuff that works a treat but it will also remove your skin and is toxic to inhale, for that reason it’s not sold at Supercheap, it won’t remove years of stain though.

I would first try a metal polish of some sort and some elbow grease, this is normally useless but worth a try.

Next attempt would be wet sand, wheels off, wet 800grit, wet 1000grit and then wet 1200 grit followed up with a hand metal polish on the whole wheel, it will remove the clear coat so you may want to give them a quick spray over with a clear afterwards.

From there its proper Maintenance every week, if washed properly every week they will never stain up again.

Edited November 9, 2010 by resident know it all

[CamB 48]

I'm not sure about that plan, so I wouldn't go near anything with either metal polish or sandpaper yet.

The wheels will be painted silver (not clear over polished metal). So you want to treat them as you would any other painted surface (ie you want something which is stronger than the baked on dirt but not going to damage the paint).

I've tried heaps of options over time. The strongest was industrial strength citrus based degreaser (basically undiluted simple green - effective, although probably not that good for the wheels). Like the other posters say, once you get them clean, they're easier to keep clean with something less aggressive, and even easier if you can be bothered waxing them after the first serious clean.

Edited November 9, 2010 by CamB

[Apex 693]

Im not sure what wheels they are but any decent wheel I have corrected has had clear coat over the painted surface, a wet 800grit won’t take remove paint of you do it properly, it’s a lot of work though.

I normally just repaint mine or have them striped re painted by a pro, it’s the only way to get them looking good and requires minimal effort.

Edited November 9, 2010 by resident know it all

[zenetti 0]

Hey guys,

I've havent bought many wheel cleaners before and have been pretty much using some good old Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid for most of the time cause I wash the car once a week. There are some bits on my wheel that the grime just simply wont come off. So what cleaners do u use / recommend?

Cheers

Nick

As others have said I wouldn't be using palmolive. Car wash and a sponge is best for regular cleaning. What exactly is on there? If it is brake dust it is more than likely ingrained and will not come about without some major remedial work. Have you tried bug and tar remover?

[CamB 48]

Im not sure what wheels they are but any decent wheel I have corrected has had clear coat over the painted surface, a wet 800grit won’t take remove paint of you do it properly, it’s a lot of work though.

Yep, agree, but metal polish is never going to be the right product if this is the case.

[JiB 0]

Dishwashing liquid is essentially a degreaser which is good at removing the plasticizers and softerners found in car rubbers - windscreen, weather strips, tyres, etc. So that's my main reason for Automotive cleaners on cars - ie don't use dish washing liquid.

Imho, the best course of action would be to get the wheels refurbished (or cut/polished if the damage is superficial) and then waxed afterward. After this a weekly wipe down with a damp cloth works a treat

[Lucan 196]

I used this to do this.

[nickchin1308 0]

HAHAHA no no no.... Misunderstanding I dont use the Palmolive on my car LOL!! Thats like wiping my arse with sandpaper!

I use proper wash n wax for the car and then wax is properly with some mother tech 2 wax. The Palmolive is just for the wheels!

Will go down n get some wheel polish later from Supercheap and try it out

Edited November 10, 2010 by molehole1308

[JiB 0]

If you read my post - detergent/degreaser in the dishwashing liquid won't be doing your tyres any favours. So I wouldn't use Palmolive on the wheels either.

Why not use a truck wash or similar on the wheels instead?

[CamB 48]

Why not use a truck wash or similar on the wheels instead?

LOL, I now feel less embarrassed to say that two weeks ago I bought some truck wash for exactly this purpose (wheel and other cleaning where I used to use the citrus-based stuff). Evidence so far is that it works well (and it says its safe on all painted surfaces).

[JiB 0]

^ Haha, truck wash is reasonably ridiculous - safe on paint but strips old wax quick fast! You're probably gonna need it for your new wheels if you're not gonna wax 'em!

[cliffdunedin 8]

I have used bug and tar remover or cheap degreaser to loosen brake dust or tar before...I let it soak for a couple of mins then hose off then use normal car washing liquid, just try not to get it on your tyres as it makes them go brown and i would imagine not great for them

[Apex 693]

You want to start buying carwash in bulk, honestly, you save so much in the long run, the last lot of Mothers wash and wax I brought was in a 20L drum and at that quantity it works out cheaper than dish wash.

[my_e36 43]

Where do you get hold of 20l drums of the stuff?

[Tristan 338]

Found a spray of Mother's Wheel Cleaner in the garage, spray on, leave a min, hose off. Works really well, surprisingly well in fact.

[Jacko 2157]

^ +1

It dont do miracles, but she works well. Stuff in the clear orange bottle?

[Apex 693]

Where do you get hold of 20l drums of the stuff?

From the wholesalers, I have a car cleaning products business as a sideline, the stuff you buy in 750ml-1L containers is re-bottled locally. I buy all my products in bulk, its works out cheap as chips.

There is a special at the moment on large containers of Mothers Gold Class Wash and Wax, I can set up a group buy next week if you want

[Tristan 338]

^ +1

It dont do miracles, but she works well. Stuff in the clear orange bottle?

Na mate, it's this

Dad must've bought it awhile ago. It's virtually full, works a treat ae. A nice find in the garage haha. Also found some Mother's wax :]

[Jacko 2157]

Just cleaned the car

Its turtle wax wheel cleaner in the orange bottle. Works good.

[Jacko 2157]

Double post.

Edited November 13, 2010 by Jacko