Wheel Cleaning -- New Poll

[ScottB]

Ok, so its the first step in cleaning your car. You look at those grimy wheels and have to decide what to use. Hopefully your wheels are cool to the touch, so lets begin. What product do you reach for most often :

Please consider expanding on the topic with product, how you use it, any other detailing equipment (ie. brushes, foamys, pads) that are used also.

 

[SVTContour]

I keep my summer wheels protected with Mothers clearcoat wheel polish (which is now discontinued) and I will have to try out the DP Wheel Glaze that I received as a gift from Max. And I also regularly maintain them so I find that all is needed to clean them is Mothers car wash solution mixed slightly stronger then the recomend for washing a car with water in the 36 oz. spray bottle that AG sells. I spray the solution on my wheels and agitate with the OXO wheel brushes that AG sells, rinse off and I have perfectly clean wheels.

In the summer if I am detailing someone elses car (a friend, family member, etc.) I either use Mothers All-Wheel or Mothers FX Wheel Cleaner and I agitate with the OXO brushes. I have had good luck with these methods of cleaning wheels.

 

[SVTContour]

This thread got he interested in checking out some of the other cleaners that are on the market. The DP Gel Wheel Cleaner looks interesting. Has anybody used it? It says that it works great on tires also, has anybody tried it on tires too? This product seems like a nice way to consolidate two products (wheel cleaner & tire cleaner) into one bottle. And when priced at the 128 oz. quantity it comes out being cheaper than buying what I currently use.

 

[MikeyC]

I keep my wheels protected with Wheel Wax. So, I find soap and water will take care of any brake dust that may accumulate. When I do other people's cars though the wheels are usually pretty neglected especially inside the rim. So, I like to use Meguiar's Wheel Brightener in these cases. I also use the Meguiar's once or twice a year on my own car to strip off built up Wheel Wax and any brake dust that may not have been removed by the car wash soap.

I particularly like the Megs Wheel Brightener because it's sold in a gallon concentrate which not only makes it cheap, but also a very flexible product. I can easily dilute it to different concentrations as needed for the job at hand. It's REAL powerful mojo though so I don't recommend anyone use it more than absolutely necessary.

Also, I have the DP Wheel & Tire cleaner. I felt it was a better tire cleaner than wheel cleaner to be honest. I wasn't terribly impressed by its wheel cleaning abilities. Also, it was REALLY thick so the sprayer could not disperse the product very well.

 

[flatstick]

Three choices for me most of the time

Well on my own Suv's I use soap and water as I have sealed the wheels since I have owned them. when doing other peoples cars I will use PB S&R 2:1 or P21s, depending on how bad the wheels have been neglected. on my car I use an old chenille mitt dedicated for my wheels. on customers cars I turn to my trusty OXO spoke brush. if I have a case of severely neglected wheels I will bust out the Meg wheel brightener, spray on and rinse off. very powerful and I use it only when I feel I need to. seems like people always comment on how the wheels come out on my details, maybe I am doing something right ?

 

[Meghan]

I use DP Exterior Surface Cleaner if dealing with a lot of brake dust. I have a Ford, they are the kings of brake dust.

 

[Sevenrd]

Car soap and water...but I wash my wheels frequently so there's never much build-up. I'll be detailing my neighbors car soon which will require something stronger I'm suspecting. Already placed an order for P21.

 

[BritOn2wheels]

I have had good results with Meguiar's Wheel Brightener and elbow grease, followed by Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish. Like everything else in detailing, the more frequently you clean em - the easier it is to keep em clean. I picked up an inexpensive lug-nut brush at my local car-parts store the other day, and was pleasantly surprised how much easier it made the chore of cleaning in and around the nut-lug recesses. Highly recommend this cheap little gadget.

 

[Neothin]

my car only sees car wash solution on the wheels. They're currently sealed inside and out with AIO/UPPx3. A hard spray of water rinses off 90% of the brake dust and then a gentle scrub with a tire brush and foam from my simple green gun takes care of the rest.
For other peoples cars, PB's S&R and once ina long while i find something that needs meg's wheel brightener