Review: Meguiars Wheel Brightner

statusdetailing said:
As somebody already mentioned, the dangers of wb of to your personally health not to the wheels.
You must know that even when used correctly and on the correct wheels this product will for whatever reason dull some wheels...even streak them.

I just got sick of the guessing game.

That said...many other strong wheel cleaners, even the ones that claim to be all wheel safe, will dull wheel finishes.

I have had iron x dull factory clearcoated wheels more than once. Actually 3 times to be exact. Once on an old gmc truck with factoey rims, one on a 93 accord, and once on a 97 jeep grand cherokee.
People praise iron x so much that they cant see its faults.

The fact is that wheels, for god knows why, are super sensative!!!!!

The point is that if you are even the least bit concerned you should test a small section of the wheel first because even the super safe wheel cleaner can cause problems...wheel brightener probably more than most.

I usually use wb about once every 2 or 3 months when some moron brings in a bmw with wheels that have never been cleaned.

Btw: wb will destroy the center cap of most bmw wheels.

I chuckle every time a wb thread pops up. Haha
Click to expand...

Where were you eight years ago when I screwed up my BMW's wheels? I thought I heard chuckling coming from the bushes that day. Lol
 
Since there is discussion about other strong wheel cleaners in this thread. I was wondering if anybody knew how safe of a wheel cleaner Amazing Roll Off might be. I have used it before on wheels before but on some it left a white film, that is not easily removed.
 
Meguiars WB is a fantastic product and very effective on very baked on dirty wheels. but it will blast off the coating on brake systems causing the whole thing to rust. I reccomend taking the wheels off if they are bad enough that milder cleaners will not work. It is very effective but it can damage wheels if they are HOT or it is left on for to long.

 
Sweet! I got my WB sample in the mail today and I plan to give it a shot tomorrow morning.

My plan of attack is to clean the wheels as I normally do with Meg's wheel cleaner then move to using WB.

The site says 4:1 ratio but is that 4oz of WB for 1oz of H2O? Surely it's the other way around.

Thanks guys, I'll post pictures tomorrow afternoon.
 
nissenc1337 said:
Sweet! I got my WB sample in the mail today and I plan to give it a shot tomorrow morning.

My plan of attack is to clean the wheels as I normally do with Meg's wheel cleaner then move to using WB.

The site says 4:1 ratio but is that 4oz of WB for 1oz of H2O? Surely it's the other way around.

Thanks guys, I'll post pictures tomorrow afternoon.
Click to expand...

I think it is 4oz of water and 1 oz of products. I could be wrong though
 
nissenc1337 said:
Sweet! I got my WB sample in the mail today and I plan to give it a shot tomorrow morning.

My plan of attack is to clean the wheels as I normally do with Meg's wheel cleaner then move to using WB.

The site says 4:1 ratio but is that 4oz of WB for 1oz of H2O? Surely it's the other way around.

Thanks guys, I'll post pictures tomorrow afternoon.
Click to expand...

It's 4oz water to product. You're wasting product if you use wheel cleaner and WB. WB is all you will need.
 
Everyone should have a gallon of this. It makes a good parts cleaner as well. The trick is, use it sparingly and brush it in - also, don't let it dry.

Its not as dangerous as everyone makes it seem. Don't breath it in or get it on your skin and eyes and your fine. Pretty much like any other strong wheel cleaner.
 
swanicyouth said:
Everyone should have a gallon of this. It makes a good parts cleaner as well. The trick is, use it sparingly and brush it in - also, don't let it dry.

Its not as dangerous as everyone makes it seem. Don't breath it in or get it on your skin and eyes and your fine. Pretty much like any other strong wheel cleaner.
Click to expand...

Everyone makes it out to be pretty harsh stuff even being in the vicinity of someone using it.
I feel like you need a breathing apparatus, face shield, and gloves that go up to your elbows, maybe even a hazmat suit lol.
 
It's comments like that that scare me. Most people do not know what they are dealing with. Do you realize it's calcium seeking (goes right for your bones)? That when it's diluted with water it becomes hydrofluoric acid? You can't wash it off your skin either. You need to rub calcium gluconate gel on the area. Soak your fingers in the straight mix for a while and I bet your nails turn black and fall off. Never ever underestimate the danger of a product like this. There is even a case where a professional car wash employee got a hydrofluoric acid product in her rubber glove and ignored it because she couldn't feel the pain. She ended up having a few fingers amputated. Sorry to rain on anyone's parade.

http://blog.evoindustrialproducts.com/2010/12/truth-about-ammonium-bifluoride.html?m=1

https://www.mooremedical.com/index....G=CTL&CS=HOM&FN=ProductDetail&PID=17525&spx=1

http://rslumanman1999.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/detail-information-about-ammonium-bifluoride/
 
Back4More77 said:
It's comments like that that scare me. Most people do not know what they are dealing with. Do you realize it's calcium seeking (goes right for your bones)? That when it's diluted with water it becomes hydrofluoric acid? You can't wash it off your skin either. You need to rub calcium gluconate gel on the area. Soak your fingers in the straight mix for a while and I bet your nails turn black and fall off. Never ever underestimate the danger of a product like this. There is even a case where a professional car wash employee got a hydrofluoric acid product in her rubber glove and ignored it because she couldn't feel the pain. She ended up having a few fingers amputated. Sorry to rain on anyone's parade.

http://blog.evoindustrialproducts.com/2010/12/truth-about-ammonium-bifluoride.html?m=1

https://www.mooremedical.com/index....G=CTL&CS=HOM&FN=ProductDetail&PID=17525&spx=1

http://rslumanman1999.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/detail-information-about-ammonium-bifluoride/
Click to expand...

Like anything else, of course there are cases of people having "issues" after use. Most (if not all) of those cases are from improper use: ingesting the product, getting it on your skin, or inhaling it. Protecting yourself And using common sense is key.

Chronic contact with HF (or many other chemicals) obviously isn't desirable. Most people aren't going to use this product on every detail. If you use the product occasionally and take the appropriate safety precautions I still believe this product is safe and effective.
 
swanicyouth said:
Like anything else, of course there are cases of people having "issues" after use. Most (if not all) of those cases are from improper use: ingesting the product, getting it on your skin, or inhaling it. Protecting yourself And using common sense is key.

Chronic contact with HF (or many other chemicals) obviously isn't desirable. Most people aren't going to use this product on every detail. If you use the product occasionally and take the appropriate safety precautions I still believe this product is safe and effective.
Click to expand...

+1 I agree
 
swanicyouth said:
Like anything else, of course there are cases of people having "issues" after use. Most (if not all) of those cases are from improper use: ingesting the product, getting it on your skin, or inhaling it. Protecting yourself And using common sense is key.

Chronic contact with HF (or many other chemicals) obviously isn't desirable. Most people aren't going to use this product on every detail. If you use the product occasionally and take the appropriate safety precautions I still believe this product is safe and effective.
Click to expand...

I still don't think it's worth the risk. Did you read those articles posted above? Mist form is super dangerous and most people are going to spray it.
 
If you are careful I totally agree with you. I just don't want to see anyone getting hurt because they don't know the dangers of certain products. Not so much the professional detailers on here, but the enthusiasts that don't know any better because they will never look at or have on hand the material safety data sheet like a shop owner would. I am a professional and it scares me, so it sure better scare the amateurs. Let's face it, nothing cleans wheels as fast or as thoroughly as HF. At the very least wear nitrile gloves to protect your fingers from leaky spray triggers. Also don't spray the mist into the wind so it gets blown towards your face and keep your eyes out of the way of the mist. All common sense stuff, but it only takes being careless once to regret it.
 
Look up the MSD on the laundry detergent you use....it is equally scary.
 
swanicyouth said:
Everyone should have a gallon of this. It makes a good parts cleaner as well. The trick is, use it sparingly and brush it in - also, don't let it dry.

Its not as dangerous as everyone makes it seem. Don't breath it in or get it on your skin and eyes and your fine. Pretty much like any other strong wheel cleaner.
Click to expand...

You need to be really careful with views like that because that would be totally contrary to all the manufacturers advices and would indicate a lack of health and safety assessment. The very most crucial thing is the following which is taken from the MSDS:

This product is for use by professional car washes and detailers only and is NOT
intended for home use. Harmful if swallowed. Harmful; may cause lung damage.
Corrosive. This product contains chemicals listed on Canada WHMIS. See Section
15.

Megs very clearly indicate the product is not suitable for home use/users. I would encourage everyone to ask themselves why the manufacturer would overstate the hazards and if they believe they have, what makes said user qualified to make that assessment.
 
Thanks for joining in Adam. I was hoping you would. Detailing is a fun and relaxing experience. The only reason I even broke my usual silence was because I could see the warnings were being fluffed off. I wasn't trying to start a debate or piss anyone off. My only hope is that some people who use this that may not have been properly informed, know that the warnings on a product like this are not to be ignored. That's all. And for the record I have formulated laundry soaps and there is nothing near as dangerous as this in the consumer versions.
 
This is a great thread. Thanks to everyone.

How similar is this product to the Hot Shine Wheel Cleaner in the pink spray bottle ? That stuff works so well..I have to imagine it is similarly dangerous.
 
This thread is nothing new, there are many of these threads about Wheel Brightner on AG, Meg's and other forums. WB has been around a long time and this won't be the last thread on this topic. AG should make one of these WB threads a sticky because every time someone posts about WB it goes down the same road.

If the Maxima I have to do today has baked on caked on brake dust and All Wheel and Tire doesn't do the job I will be using WB. I will also be eating bacon and BBQ hot dogs while talking on my cell phone.
 
do you think with WB can I detail this wheels?

the "clean" one has a lot of work, apc with stiff brush, wheel cleaner (Mr. Clean) brush again, and a little rub with steel wool and as you can see not perfect yet.

The wheels are aluminium, I dont know if they were coated, but not anymore :D

attachment.php


What I am trying is reduce the amount of work :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top