How do YOU clean wheels?

M

Marshall13b

New member
Hey, so at my last detail shop we used this aluminum acid stuff to clean wheels, stuff worked GREAT! My only problem now is I can't find it anymore, is there something as easy to use as aluminum acid? All you had to do was spray it on the wheels and by the time you made your way around the car, the acid sat long enough, then you rinse it off with the pressure washer.



So what are you guy's using?
 
Megs wheel brightener as stated above will do what you're asking



it is however a little dangerous both to yourself and some wheel finishes (uncoated)



If you're looking for something a little safer, I often use Brown Royal wheel cleaner. Which is a strong alkaline cleaner (on the other end of the ph scale). Requires a little more agitation then megs WB but I choose that pretty often



tons of other ways to clean wheels also btw which are more eco-friendly. rinseless wash, foaming glass cleaner etc
 
4AudiQ said:
I have Sonax Wheel Cleaner Full Effect from Germany.

It sprays on green and when ready to rinse off, it turns red.

You can get it here........http://www.detailersdomain.com/
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I use Sonax- almost finished with my gallon- but when it's empty I will not buy it again. This stuff works great but I can no longer deal with the HORRIBLE odor. Its 1 of the most disgusting things i have ever smelled. I will only use the remaining Sonax for the inside of wheels. I will switch to something like Griot's or maybe even just use car wash soap heavily concentrated in a spray bottle. Depending on how much brake dust your wheels have, I think its best to use the least damaging product & go from there.

Frank
 
detail1 said:
Depending on how much brake dust your wheels have, I think its best to use the least damaging product & go from there.
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+1. I think that's a good rule of thumb.
 
I spay whatever I'm using from the bottom up so that all the dirt gets hit with undiluted cleaner, same as I do whenever I'm using any cleaner. Then, I rinse and agitate with a soft paint brush from the top down.



If I want to get behind the outside of the wheel, behind the spokes, I use a long hemostat to hold a sponge. The sponge will compress under the metal and wrap around, but still, put tape over all the metal parts that might touch the wheel. This lets you reach into the wheel without losing skin on your fingers and I think it's gentler on the wheel than the traditional wheel brush. Of course, the sponge you use will determine how aggressive the tool will be.



Personally, I don't use any wheel cleaners that have any hydrofluoric acid

because I don't believe I can use it safely, others can, but not me.



Robert
 
Wheel brightener if it's got some caked on brake dust (not mud). For just dirt and mud or light brake dust, just rinse the wheel and use your car soap with a sponge or a wheel brush like the Daytona Speedmaster (or whatever it's called, there are other companies that make the same thing). No need to use harsh cleaners for everything, but it's good to have something heavy available for the severely neglected jobs.
 
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