Spray wheel from bottom to top?

Detail_Dude

Detail_Dude

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When spraying a wheel with a chemical product, using a foaming head in particular, does it make sense to work your way from the bottom of the wheel to the top and, if so, why?

I think I saw this in one of A.Pitale's videos....
 
I always start at the top with the idea that I will use less product if some runs down from the top to the bottom before I get to spray there...I know none will run up from the bottom to the top.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I always start at the top with the idea that I will use less product if some runs down from the top to the bottom before I get to spray there...I know none will run up from the bottom to the top.
Click to expand...

:iagree:
 
Thanks vm!! Assuming you don't move the car in the middle of the detail, that makes sense :)

I do it that way, too, but questioned this when I saw his video (can't find the link right now).
 
Possibly the reason would be if using a very strong wheel cleaner that any drips or runs could possibly stain if you start at the top...hard to see that happening in the few seconds between spraying the top of the wheel and the bottom, though.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Possibly the reason would be if using a very strong wheel cleaner that any drips or runs could possibly stain if you start at the top...hard to see that happening in the few seconds between spraying the top of the wheel and the bottom, though.
Click to expand...


That's it exactly.

Spray from the bottom up and by doing so you reduce the potential for any staining problems from either the chemical you're using, or the chemical you're using mixing with the brake dust and roadgrime it's mixing with creating a new chemical.


When spraying from the bottom up you saturate the surface evenly as you move upward with the spray or foam.

:)
 
Knew I wasn't crazy! Thanks, gents, for helping me out with this one.

I hope others find this thread as helpful as I just did!!
 
I have gotten myself in a pinch way too many times by spraying chemicals (not necessarily on wheels) from top to bottom.

Start spraying from the top and gravity pulls the liquid down over the surface being cleaned in runs and streams and by the time you get to the bottom the runs and streams have had a little more dwell time than the rest of the area being covered. Not every time but a lot of times what I end up with is a surface where the areas where the product ran down in streams are cleaner than the rest of the surface and now the area needs to be polished out to make it look evenly clean.

I have just gotten into a habit of spraying anything and everything from bottom to top as it avoids this scenario all together. It took me doing a lot of extra, unnecessary work to develop this habit.
 
Mike and TD, that's a good lesson from this thread, and a good reason to make this technique a "best practice".
 
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