General Purpose AIO Cleaners For Car Use (Newbie Question)

[lovenhim]

Hello all you wonderful folks. Time to sit and cool off after loading and unloading a pickup truck bed full of hay bails. I have a question. For years.....because of my dad.....I have used Whesley's (Now labeled as Black Magic) Bleach White tire cleaner on wheels and tires with a very soft brush. Yes, it is old technology and yes it works rather well. The problem is that you need an oxygen mask to use it. Whatever you do, do not catch a breath of the fumes. LOL I would like to know if you can use an all in one cleaner to do multiple jobs. I would like to buy a gallon of something.....lets say Simple Green or Super Clean and use it is various states of dilution for tires, cloth seats, dash board wipe down, etc. You would save a lot of money compared to buying small name brand bottles of various products, but would it work?

[Bradposton]

I have used Meguiars D101 APC diluted on lots of items when I first started. Its cheap and works good. May just take some extra elbow grease to get the results you want. I have since found a few products I like better for certain things. One is McKees foaming wheel cleaner, it and a speed master brush makes fast work of dirty wheels. I will say I have found myself using some of the old school products like the Bleach white on a few white letter tires I haven't been able to get like I wanted with other stuff.

[acuRAS82]

+1 for Meg’s APC. It works well diluted 4:1 on my tires because I use it often enough (tires don’t get too dirty) and we’ll on my wheels for the rare case I use something that strong. Dedicated wheel cleaners are better but if trying to consolidate and your wheels are in decent shape, this should work

[acuRAS82]

I should have noted above that D101 works great cleaning on most interior surfaces and doesn’t smell toxic.

[Mantilgh]

I use two different cleaners like this.

For light cleaning, inside or out, I use a rinseless wash. I’m still using D114 but will switch to McKees N914 once I run out because D114 has been discontinued.

For wheels and tires and general exterior cleaning I use and over the counter APC diluted. In extreme circumstances I’ll use it inside, but just on vinyl and hard surfaces. I do not use it on any delicate surfaces.

I don’t like using most APCs on fabric or carpet because it is hard to pull the back out and if you don’t, the residue can attract more dirt.

McKees High Intensity APC is a good all around cleaner that can be used safely on exteriors and interiors.

It is also does not seem very harsh and is not harsh smelling.

[UncleDavy]

That over the counter Bleche White is actually a very good tire cleaner. The fumes are strong but that is why it works. I use Meguiars D143 diluted 2:1 and it also has the same cleaning effect and fumes. If it is slightly breezy, I wear a chemical fume mask. You can pick them up at Home Depot. Mother's Back to Black is also an excellent tire cleaner. General all purpose cleaners like Simple Green won't budge brake dust buildup or tire blooming.
Simple Green is a much maligned product on this forum but it is a safe pH neutral cleaner. In concentrate, it has a pH rating of 8.5-9.5. Diluted 1:1, the pH level goes down to 8.2-9.2. It is still enough alkalinity to clean some dust and mild stains for delicate interior surfaces. For heavier stains, you will want to try something like Meguiars D103, Blackfire BF-450, Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel, McKee's High Intensity and others.

[lovenhim]

In a way it sounds like I might want to stick with the Bleach White. Compared to other products it is cheaper and it does clean well. I have not purchased it in a while. Last time I bought Bleach White it was $3 a bottle as the sticker is still on the bottle.


That over the counter Bleche White is actually a very good tire cleaner. The fumes are strong but that is why it works. I use Meguiars D143 diluted 2:1 and it also has the same cleaning effect and fumes. If it is slightly breezy, I wear a chemical fume mask. You can pick them up at Home Depot. Mother's Back to Black is also an excellent tire cleaner. General all purpose cleaners like Simple Green won't budge brake dust buildup or tire blooming.
Simple Green is a much maligned product on this forum but it is a safe pH neutral cleaner. In concentrate, it has a pH rating of 8.5-9.5. Diluted 1:1, the pH level goes down to 8.2-9.2. It is still enough alkalinity to clean some dust and mild stains for delicate interior surfaces. For heavier stains, you will want to try something like Meguiars D103, Blackfire BF-450, Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel, McKee's High Intensity and others.