Rinseless Tire Cleaning

[eversio]

Hey guys,

I live in an apartment complex without access to a hose, so all my car washes used to be done at the local self service car wash. I pretty much just used their water with my own bucket, soap and mitt unless it was an emergency/hurried washing. Well a couple weeks ago I ordered some ONR and have done my last 2 washes in my parking lot. Not only am I saving my quarters, I'm also getting a much better wash as I feel ONR does an AMAZING job cleaning and leaves a nice, deep gloss. However, there is one area that ONR hasn't (yet) for me to clean well, and that is the tires / wheel-wells.

The rims seem to clean up just fine using some ONR-mixed water (H2ONR) to cool them down and scrub down to APC+, rinse with a bit of water and wipe down with a MF. They could be better, but I have yet to invest in a quality wheel cleaner such as Sonax or P21S. The real problem is with the tires. I use a generous amount of H2ONR with a stiff brush and scrub them down, a bit of clean water to rinse but nothing to dry (don't want to lose a MF every time I clean my wheels, but maybe that's necessary?). After about 20 minutes they're back to their nasty brown self. I use some Megs UP to dress them and that keeps them clean looking for a while, but I feel as though I'm simply covering up the problem instead of actually cleaning them.

The other issue is the wheel-wells. The parking lot for my job is actually gravel, which hasn't been as bad on my car as I originally had feared, mainly because I'm nice careful as I traverse the gravel yard. But it's hell on my wheel-wells, and although it's not necessary for me to have them spotless on my daily driver, I do want to learn how to clean them thoroughly without a stream of water.

I'm open to all suggestions and products.

Thanks

 

[A4 1.8tqm]

Get some protection on the wheels, if you don't want to order a dedicated wheel sealant just use a regular wax or sealant. It makes cleaning them much easier and negates the need for a strong wheel cleaner.

For the initial cleaning, before applying your choice of protection, you can get Westly's Bleche Whit from Autozone etc. and follow it up with an APC just to rinse the strong chemical off. Be extra sure to clean the tires thoroughly, scrub all the gunk from the little grooves/letters in the tire. A pressure washer helps.

For tire gel, I suggest DP Tire Gloss or Optimum Opti-Bond. Apply the gel thin, to BONE DRY tires and let it dry, repeat at least once for coverage. Cleaning and dressing the tires really well, for me, has made wheel clean-up a breeze. Since your doing ONR washes, do the wheels last. A simple wipe with an ONR drenched MF will do the trick. Or go get a couple soft yellow grout sponges from Home Depot (not the stiff orange ones) and dedicate them to wheels. I've used them for ONR washes, great for wheels/tires because they hold lots of ONR wash solution.

Get a pack of cheap MF towels from Walmart or something (there is a brand that is much nicer than the other, can't remember either name, sorry) and dedicate a couple towels to wheels. They will never look clean again, it's OK.

For the wheel wells, hit them with the pressure washer at the DIY place, scrub with a brush (a new toilet bowl brush from a dollar store works well) and APC and rinse. Go home and let the wells dry. For wheel well dressing I've been using Megs hot shine tire spray, just spray down the wells and that's it. Just spray them down after each wash until it's time to clean again.

:cheers:

 

[Conor]

Amazing Roll off is awesome for tires. I mean AWESOME. wet tires down, spray ARO and wait for the brown crud to roll off. then rinse

I dont think u can really "rinseless clean tires"

i second the buy some crappy towels. I use a 60 pack of cotton towels from costco they were like 10.00

for wheels once u clean them very well, i highly suggest checking out Armor All's wheel protectant. its amazing.

 

[A4 1.8tqm]

I second ARO, a great product indeed (when I ran out, I discovered Westley's as per recommendations here). But, once the wheels are protected it will be unnecessary and actually would remove the sealant/wax. Whenever you notice that the wheels aren't as easy to clean, hit 'em with your cleaner and re-seal. Also, you can clay the wheels to be extra sure they are clean and smooth for the initial sealing. :xyxthumbs:

 

[tuscarora dave]

I just spray Poorboy's World Bold & Bright on and walk away. It seems to clean up the brown film on my tires. Next time I wash the car the tires are black instead of brown. If I know I am going to wash my car on a Monday afternoon I will spray my tires with B&B Monday morning then wash as normal in the afternoon and the tires look brand new when I am finished washing. But I am pumping the quarters in and not using ONR. I spray just one cycle to power rinse the car with water only then use a QD to dry with, I never need to scrub the tires this way.

 

[eversio]

Thank you A4 1.8tqm, Conor, and tuscarora dave for the very detailed replies. Lots and lots of good tips in there. Here are some things I'll definitely be considering:

- Protection, so the need for extensive cleaning isn't even an issue in the first place
- Don't be afraid to dedicate some cheap materials for wheel cleaning only
- Wheel well cleaning, especially my muddy ones, have pretty much no replacement for a good pressure wash. Although I may be able to work some magic with some elbow grease and a cheap brush I don't mind ruining

 

[Chris Thomas]

All strong cleaners need to be rinsed. Invest in a 1-2 gallon pressurized sprayer to use after you scrub the wheels and arches.

 

[eversio]

All strong cleaners need to be rinsed. Invest in a 1-2 gallon pressurized sprayer to use after you scrub the wheels and arches.

Another good tip, thanks integritydetail

Would a typical garden type sprayer be sufficient? Should I invest in one with a removable handle/nozzle?

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

I dont think u can really "rinseless clean tires"

:iagree:

There no way to thoroughly clean tires without an APC, degreaser, rubber cleaner and rinsing, IMO. I use optimum power clean, tire brush, and a pressure washer. Works great!!!