Re: Getting good results using SuperClean on tires...
Ok, let me respond to my OP.
I'm glad you guys told me that SuperClean is super high PH and caustic. I can believe that after accidentally inhaling a little. I should qualify my OP that I've been using it on tires with steel wheels with decorative platic hubcaps. If I run into a wheel more sophisticated than that I will definitely use a different product compatible with unprotected metals or paint.
Yesterday I increased the Superclean dilution from 1:1 to 2:1 water:superclean. Incredibly I think it worked better than the 1:1. After the 2:1 mix is gone I'm going to dilute it further to 3:1 and keep going until I notice the effectiveness dropping off. SJP4379 posted above he's getting good results with tires at 4:1. This will be interesting to see where I end up since no need to incur any more caustic chemical damage than necessary for cleaning. I do notice however that after the tire has dried out after the Superclean treatment that the tire looks like very dry rubber. Reminds me of accidentally spilling 100% Denatured on my hand when cleaning road tar off paint (which seems to work better than petrol based auto tar paint cleaners based on a limited experiment). That stuff dries out your skin like you wouldn't believe, yanks every but of oil and life out of skin, my guess is whatever poison they use to denature the alcohol may be getting into the bloodstream (I use 7 mil nitrile gloves now when messing with any of these cleaners and chemicals).
I also bought some Bleche-White at wallymart and found that product extremely effective. After I end up at the ideal dilution ratio of Superclean for my tire cleaning I'll compare the cost between Superclean and Bleche-White. My guess is it may not be very significant since Bleche-White is so cheap to being with.
Before I discovered Superclean and Bleche-White I had been using Meguiars Hot Wheels Tire and Wheel Cleaner - a more expensive auto parts store retail product. It worked great and it was also highly caustic because it has the same taste when accidentally inhaled and the directions also say to avoid uncoated metals and aluminum and painted wheels. But overall I think the Superclean and Bleche-White worked as good as or better for the tires. But the Meguiars can be used on both, and works on both pretty well.
Another intresting thing. I compared Megs D140 Wheel Brightener 1:1 to my 2:1 Superclean solution on two adjacent spots on the inner wheel rim of an extremely neglected steel truck wheel with brake dust and grime that had never been directly cleaned in the entire 19 year life of the truck. Interestingly the 2:1 Superclean worked faster than the 1:1 D40 using the same brush on adjacent spots on the horizontal rim surface above the drum brake pads (rinsing the brush before switching to prevent cross contamination). The D140 gave the same result as the Superclean but the Superclean required a little less scrubbing and time than the D140 for the same result. But like any good experiment the results need to be repeatable across different vehicles etc. to make any conclusions so I can't say that with any confidence. But given my limited experience with D140 I still have a ways to go with it because I need more time and experience using it. Since I bought a gallon this may take a little time since detailing is a relatively new hobby to me. On the other hand if D140 does the same job with less microscopic damage than Superclean then I'd lean to D140.
I use either d140 or 143 depends on the rim but as a tire cleaner super clean doesn't hold a candle to d143. I'm not against it because it's caustic, I don't like because it sux!
Re: Getting good results using SuperClean on tires...
Originally Posted by Rrthomas78
I use either d140 or 143 depends on the rim but as a tire cleaner super clean doesn't hold a candle to d143. I'm not against it because it's caustic, I don't like because it sux!
Re: Getting good results using SuperClean on tires...
My Dad used Bleche White when I was growing up in the 70's and 80's. That was some stout stuff back then. Even out in the open it would make you gag and cough if you inhaled some of it,which you usually did. Sometime in the 90's they changed the formula,and it didn't seem to be as strong. Maybe it was just me,but it doesn't seem to be as strong as it used to be. I haven't used it in a long time.
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Originally Posted by MikeC78
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