Question About Meguiars

[frankenwheel]

Hi folks,
I always get my Meguiars Hot Rims Aluminum Wheel Cleaner (the blue stuff) from Autogeek and it is an amazing product. I had stock aluminum wheels on my Ford Explorer since the day we bought it and this product kept them in mint shape, always sparkling clean. We had the brushed aluminum, teardrop style 15-inch stock wheels on our Ford.

I just bought a set of 22-inch Strada chrome 6-spoke wheels and I want to be able to take good care of them, just as I did with our old aluminum wheels. I spoke to Meguiars about a new product called Meguiars Hot Rims Chrome Wheel Cleaner (the red stuff) but they said I could still go ahead and keep using the same Meguiars Hot Rims Aluminum Wheel Cleaner on my new chrome rims. They also advised _not_ to use Meguiars Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner (the pink stuff), maybe because it is a bit more abrasive.

Does this make sense? I don't want to go ruining a $2000 set of chrome wheels using the wrong stuff. I'd prefer to keep using the Meguiars Hot Rims Aluminum Wheel Cleaner since it is less abrasive than other products and it is an exceptional product but I thought I'd ask for some input here. I thought the blue stuff was just for aluminum wheels only?

Maybe there is an even better product out there for chrome wheels but I do prefer Meguiars.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

[Mike Phillips]

Since this is your first post...

Welcome to Autogeek Online! :welcome:


Wheel cleaners are not abrasive but you can describe them as being aggressive or non-aggressive...

With chrome wheels, it's perfectly safe to use a wheel cleaner that contains acid like the Megs Chrome Wheel Cleaner. Acid cuts brake dust very well.

You don't want to use any wheel cleaner with acid on any type of aluminum wheel as it will stain the aluminum and recovering from these types of stains is usually beyond the ability or budget of most people.

If the chrome wheels are brand new and in excellent shape, then you can safely use a non-acid wheel cleaner and it should work great because there's no build up of brake dust or road grime. So as long as you keep on on them heck any soap will work. It's when you neglect ANY wheel that they get a really grungy build up or brake dust and road grime and its at this point people start looking for a no effort way to clean them and that means a strong chemical to dissolve the brake dust and road grime.

The "All Wheel Cleaner" contains a "little" acid so it's safe for chrome or factory painted wheels but check for any warnings on the label for,


Bare or polished aluminum wheels
Anodized aluminum wheels
Magnesium wheels


:)

[dougaross]

Use Duragloss 501 and 601 and crud will wash right off and you will rarely need wheel cleaner

[frankenwheel]

Thanks for the replies, guys. So I guess I can safely keep on using my blue-colored Hot Rims Aluminum Wheel Cleaner on my new chrome wheels from the sounds of it? For some reason, I thought it wasn't cool to use aluminum wheel cleaner on chrome wheels. From what you're saying (and from what Meguiars told me), it sounds like there's no problem with doing this.

I don't see the new red-colored Hot Rims Chrome Wheel Cleaner on the autogeek site anywhere. I see it on the Canadian Meguiars site, though. I think I'd like to try this product out because as I said, I just love Meguiars products. They're the best.

I'll check out the Duragloss 501 and 601 as well. Also came across a product called Black Magic (Titanium), not sure what the opinion is on that stuff?

Thanks again.