Nick McKees37
McKee's 37 Product Support
- Jan 6, 2011
- 7,265
- 0
The Sonax Full Effect Wheel cleaning thread really took off and I got quite a bit of feedback from you guys about different techniques/products I should put to the test. Well at Autogeek we like to deliver!
Once again I borrowed Meghan for a little while, loaded up on supplies, and finished cleaning the wheels on Yancy's car. A couple of you had some great suggestions and ideas on what to do with the remaining wheels that had yet to be cleaned.
Here is how we broke it down...
-Cleaned one wheel solely using car wash solution.
-Cleaned one wheel using two different products on the same wheel. We decided to change it up a little bit and apply Griots Garage Wheel Cleaner on one side of the wheel and do the other side with DP Wheel Cleaner to see how they compare.
Products Used...
-Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush
-Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush Jr.
-Pinnacle Half Gallon Foam Master Foam Gun
-Griots Garage Wheel Cleaner
-Griots Garage Car Wash
-DP Wheel Cleaner
-All Purpose Black Microfiber Tire and Wheel Towel
-Black Nitrile Gloves
Several of you requested that we clean one of the wheels just using soap and no dedicated wheel cleaner, so we'll start with that first.
I've been also dying to try out a Foam Master Foam Gun and I figured today would be the perfect opportunity to do so.
As you can see, the wheel we cleaned using just soap and no dedicated wheel cleaner wasn't nearly as bed as the front wheel we cleaned a few days ago using Sonax.
Now it was time to get the Foam Cannon set up...
Sprayed the wheel with the Foam Master to get it started and let the soap dwell on there for a couple minutes.
Now it's time to start scrubbing! I figured I would give this wheel a shot using the Daytona Speed Master Jr. This thing is great for getting in tight spaces like behind brake calipers.
Time to rinse clean and inspect our results!
As you can see, it didn't get the wheel completely clean. Now I could have probably sat there for another 20 minutes scrubbing away and hoping to get the wheel spotless, but a dedicated wheel cleaner makes things so much easier and less time consuming. This is crucial to professional detailers who need to utilize every minute they have on the job.
Now it was time to compare DP's Wheel Cleaner to Griots Garage Wheel Cleaner, the latter of which I hadn't used yet. I've used the DP in the past with great results but I have been wanting to try out the Griots because it's very cost effective and gets great reviews.
Check out the wheel before...
I sprayed the left side of the wheel with DP Wheel Cleaner and the right side of the wheel with Griots Garage Wheel Cleaner. From my observations, the DP appeared to cling to the wheel better with less run off. I think this gives the DP a slight advantage because it leaves more time for the wheel cleaner to start breaking down stubborn brake dust.
Just to be on the safe side, I used the Foam Master gun to first soak the Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush while I let the two cleaners dwell for a minute or two.
Time to start scrubbin'!
Here is a tip with the Daytona Brush: As you are cleaning and are about to pull the brush out of a tight space, slowly twist it as you pull to minimize sling and splatter.
Look at all that nasty brake dust!
Time to rinse clean!
Both worked very well, but I would still give a slight advantage to the Sonax overall in terms of cleaning ability. I didn't notice much of a difference between the DP and the Griots though. Unlike the Sonax, neither the DP or the Griots had ANY nasty chemical smell so this might be considered a slight advantage for those of you that can't stand the smell of the Sonax.
After:
Overall I think this was a great idea. Not only did it give me the chance to test out some products that I hadn't tried out yet, but it also gave you guys an idea of how a dedicated wheel cleaner is worth it for neglected and/or hard to clean wheels.
Once again I borrowed Meghan for a little while, loaded up on supplies, and finished cleaning the wheels on Yancy's car. A couple of you had some great suggestions and ideas on what to do with the remaining wheels that had yet to be cleaned.
Here is how we broke it down...
-Cleaned one wheel solely using car wash solution.
-Cleaned one wheel using two different products on the same wheel. We decided to change it up a little bit and apply Griots Garage Wheel Cleaner on one side of the wheel and do the other side with DP Wheel Cleaner to see how they compare.
Products Used...
-Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush
-Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush Jr.
-Pinnacle Half Gallon Foam Master Foam Gun
-Griots Garage Wheel Cleaner
-Griots Garage Car Wash
-DP Wheel Cleaner
-All Purpose Black Microfiber Tire and Wheel Towel
-Black Nitrile Gloves
Several of you requested that we clean one of the wheels just using soap and no dedicated wheel cleaner, so we'll start with that first.
I've been also dying to try out a Foam Master Foam Gun and I figured today would be the perfect opportunity to do so.
As you can see, the wheel we cleaned using just soap and no dedicated wheel cleaner wasn't nearly as bed as the front wheel we cleaned a few days ago using Sonax.
Now it was time to get the Foam Cannon set up...
Sprayed the wheel with the Foam Master to get it started and let the soap dwell on there for a couple minutes.
Now it's time to start scrubbing! I figured I would give this wheel a shot using the Daytona Speed Master Jr. This thing is great for getting in tight spaces like behind brake calipers.
Time to rinse clean and inspect our results!
As you can see, it didn't get the wheel completely clean. Now I could have probably sat there for another 20 minutes scrubbing away and hoping to get the wheel spotless, but a dedicated wheel cleaner makes things so much easier and less time consuming. This is crucial to professional detailers who need to utilize every minute they have on the job.
Now it was time to compare DP's Wheel Cleaner to Griots Garage Wheel Cleaner, the latter of which I hadn't used yet. I've used the DP in the past with great results but I have been wanting to try out the Griots because it's very cost effective and gets great reviews.
Check out the wheel before...
I sprayed the left side of the wheel with DP Wheel Cleaner and the right side of the wheel with Griots Garage Wheel Cleaner. From my observations, the DP appeared to cling to the wheel better with less run off. I think this gives the DP a slight advantage because it leaves more time for the wheel cleaner to start breaking down stubborn brake dust.
Just to be on the safe side, I used the Foam Master gun to first soak the Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush while I let the two cleaners dwell for a minute or two.
Time to start scrubbin'!
Here is a tip with the Daytona Brush: As you are cleaning and are about to pull the brush out of a tight space, slowly twist it as you pull to minimize sling and splatter.
Look at all that nasty brake dust!
Time to rinse clean!
Both worked very well, but I would still give a slight advantage to the Sonax overall in terms of cleaning ability. I didn't notice much of a difference between the DP and the Griots though. Unlike the Sonax, neither the DP or the Griots had ANY nasty chemical smell so this might be considered a slight advantage for those of you that can't stand the smell of the Sonax.
After:
Overall I think this was a great idea. Not only did it give me the chance to test out some products that I hadn't tried out yet, but it also gave you guys an idea of how a dedicated wheel cleaner is worth it for neglected and/or hard to clean wheels.
rops:
