Wheel/Tire Cleaner with least environmental concern

QuinGold

QuinGold

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Hi all, I'm a newbie researching products to clean my Miata. I live in a pine forest, and am concerned about washing my car and letting the run-off flow into the natural environment outside my garage.

As a artist/printmaker, the last few years has seen a whole new set of non-toxic printmaking supplies (for example, soy-based inks replacing oil-based ink, ferric chloride to replace acid for etching, and soy-based cleaners). While you wouldn't eat any of this stuff, and you still have to dispose of it properly and wear gloves, it does mean a better, safer way to work.

I'd like to approach detailing my car in the same way: after understanding the role of each product, finding the specific ones that are the least damaging to the environment - particularly important if they are going to be hosed down and washed down into the arroyo outside our garage. I'm also concerned about breathing nasty chemicals; no point cleaning up the art studio only to kill myself cleaning the car…!

Has anyone got ideas, articles or products they could share?

Right now I need a product to clean the wheels/tires and it seems you have to hose these products away. True? Or could I wipe them off with blue shop cloths and dispose of them in the trash?

The greenest one seems to be the Wolfgang Tire & Wheel Cleaner. True?
Wolfgang Tire & Wheel Cleaner is formulated for versatility, this cleaner is as equally gentle and effective on wheels as on tires!

How does the Meg. Hot Rims cleaner and DP Wheel and Tire Cleaner compare to this Wolfgang product for toxicity?

Also, I have Soy Response, a heavy-duty degreaser. Would this be okay to use on wheels and tires? It says it "may harm some rubber".
"Formulated with natural, biodegradable, organic soy-based solvents, surfactants and emulsifiers."
However, when I look at the MSDS, it still seems to have hazardous and flammable materials?! So confused by that. More info here:
SGI Industries | > Degreasers > Soy Response

thank you!
 
While Eco Touch, WG, & Meg's make great stuff, IMHO - you'll go broke buying wheel cleaners. The best thing you can do is just use low dust brake pads (will pay for themselves shortly with the $ you save on wheel cleaners). Then, put an ounce of carwash in a 32 oz sprayer - and use this as your wheel cleaner. If your using low dust pads and pressure washing the wheels with water prior to cleaning them - this is all you will need to clean your wheels. Using a coating on the wheels will also help make them even easier to clean.

If your environmentally concerned, most (all?) dedicated wheel cleaners are likely not the best for the environment. If your looking for the lesser of all evils - Eco Touch is the way to go for sure. Their products are very good and mostly made as "natural" or "safe" as possible for the application.

But, IMHO all you need is to find a carwash soap your comfortable using - and use it at various concentrations for multiple purposes. If I was looking for a conventional soap that isn't too harsh for the environment, my gut tells me P21S is the way to go.

I have no basis for this, other than its from EU, and I'm pretty confident they are a bit more responsible with all this ecology stuff in Germany compare to use money-grubbing robber baron Americans. P21S also says it has a bunch of natural ingredients - but that could be marketing shtick.
 
Thank you all! Eco Touch Wheel Cleaner looks like a fine choice, and I've bookmarked P21S as well.

I agree that the EU is often far ahead of the US as far as this stuff goes. The 1Z products from German Einszett also look good, although nearly all the Amazon reviews said that their wheel cleaner stank to high heavens (like a "skunk" said one reviewer!).

Will ask Mazda about low dust brake pads at the next service. Fortunately I drive the car very little. I will try to brake less… :)
 
I won ECO TOUCH products last year and they are really good and all natural, can't go wrong🌍

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk
 
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