Matte Black Wheel Cleaning

[spielnicht]

My new car came with matte black wheels and I'm finding it very difficult to clean them. I've been using my trusted process (spray SONAX Full Effect Wheel Cleaner, wait, agitate, rinse, foam, rinse again) but the barrels always stay dirty. The spokes fair slightly better, but even when they look clean, I can still rub my finger and catch dirty of the surface.

What am I missing here?

 

[Desertnate]

What are you agitating the barrels with; something like a Speedmaster brush that gets between the spikes and deep into the barrel? What type of car is this?

When I wash my wheels I have to use two brushes. A long, thinner brush like the Speedmaster to get between the spokes and wash the barrels and then another soft, larger brush for the faces.

On our current family fleet of Japanese cars I can easily clean the wheels with a bucket of my normal soapy car wash solution. However, when I had German cars with performance brake pads, I had to go with a wheel cleaner like the Mothers or Griots products because normal wash soap or even some of the milder wheel cleaners just wouldn't eat thought the brake dust and get the wheels clean.

 

[DFB]

Sadly, this is common on matte finish wheels of any color, you just notice it more on black. The main problem stems from a lack of clear coat to protect the finish, which means it's somewhat porous, which in turn means there is nothing to prevent brake dust from embedding in the paint.

Removing this build up is difficult, no matter the strength of the cleaning chemical or brush type. A stout wheel coating helps, and it's recommended to apply two layers as the matte surface will absorb more coating than a clear coated finish. Sadly, that's about all you can do.