PoLe_PoSiTiOn

another member on the site referred me to Pledge Multisurface cleaner after admiring how clean his oem AP1 wheels looked. I went out and bought a bottle the next day and tried it out and mine look awsome. i dont have pics of the wheels after using but the bottle looks like this:


it says its safe for metal so i dont think it can hurt the finish of the wheels. if you are looking for something new/cheap to try cleaning your wheels with, give this a shot. i got it at walmart for under $4 for a 26 fl oz bottle.

Enjoy

way2low01

Interesting. I have used windex in the past. Ill give this a shot

wanabe

interesting post-
oddly enough the surface of your wheels is not metal...

o.k.- the wheels are, but you would be actually using this product on clear coat- your wheels are clear coated.

i prefer to use a product that is safe on clear coat- i am not trying to change your mind, just giving you something to consider-
as long as the product is non-acid based it is prob not gonna hurt anything.
in fact, i used to use windex (harley guys use it on their chrome) on my chrome (another car) until i realized that i was not getting any protection.
i would suggest that you put some protectant (wax or preferably synthetic) on the wheels after cleaning with this cleaner.

another choice (that i use) is to use a mini duster and lightly dust the wheels... then use a detailers spray (same spray that you would use on the paint). detailers sprays come in cleaning only, or with synthetic protection or carnuba protection. imo, a detailers spray would also be a good choice cause its made for the job.

chuhsi

I bought some meguiars wheel cleaner and think it totally sucks...not much better than me going at the wheels with a sponge and soapy water.

wanabe

btw, nothing wrong with car shampoo for cleaning the wheels... thats what i normally use when i am washing the car. car shampoo and a wheel brush.

only when i have hard to remove grime do i use a wheel product- prob the lightest and safest is p21s wheel cleaner... for tougher jobs i use a few other products including sonus wheel cleaners-

in between washes is when i use detail sprays on the wheels (they get that about once a week or so)

chuhsi

thanks wanabe! i waxed my wheels for the first time a couple weeks ago and i'll start maintaining the shine with detail spray.

wanabe

you are welcome!
if you get a chance post up some pics-

once you get the wheels clean they stay clean pretty easily... another tip- if you can use engine braking (our cars are great at this) more and wheel brakes less you get less dust- i rarely use my brakes (use them for emergency stops- not often- and sometimes for the final stop at a light or stop sign... i find that i use my brake pedal mainly just to let the person behind me know that i am slowing down- just tap it for that) and have almost no dust on the wheels- but i love to engine brake cause i like the sound of the exhaust as i blip the engine to rev match in the downshifts!!

and the ultimate wacko wheel cleaning process:

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=420668

chuhsi

I always downshift, too. So much fun. My car just gets dirty quickly with the 400 miles of driving I do each week. Thank goodness I have a silverstone.

A couple weekends ago, i was staring at my wheels trying to figure out how the heck to clean the wheel wells...so perfect timing with your wheel cleaning DIY.

FearlessFife

Windex? That has ammonia in it.

I rinse mine with water, use detailing spray to fully cleanse them.