Cleaning wheels - what is the trick I'm missing?

[ShineMyCar]

I've worked on 3 really badly neglected sets of factory painted Aluminum wheels lately. Started using Eagle One product I picked up locally. Today I tried the Griots HD wheel cleaner.

Sprayed Griots HD cleaner liberally, and let it set. It dissolved some of the grime, but never changed to the reddish color I had seen on the product pic linked below.



Had a sweet smell ( I expected a more chemical scent for a Heavy Duty Cleaner ) and I had to agitate the heck out of the wheel to clean it. Using HD wheel cleaner multiple applications, auto soap, some of the old Eagle One product I had ( because it was cheaper and I wasn't going to waste all the Griots on one set of wheels ).

I got em clean ( more through grunt work than chemical cleaner ), but I can't imagine anybody who ran a detail business would go through that process with every customer who got a detail while turning a profit.... ???

What am I missing? any thoughts?

[dcjredline]

Ive heard the Flash Brown Royal will make it easier. What tool do you use to "scrub" with?

[Bill1234]

sometimes its the cleaner and sometimes its your method. I would go and buy a daytona wheel brush to get in between the brake disc. Spray a good wheel cleaner on let soak for 30 seconds, scrub and hose off.

[ReflectiveAuto]

Other then the 6" polisher...i think the Griots stuff is way over rated.

[Flash Gordon]

If you are looking for a product to spray on, then rinse clean you are out of luck. On a wash it typically takes me 45 minutes to clean the tires, wheels and fenderwells alone (and thats not including removing wheel weight glue)

This is why I don't offer car washes unless someone is willing to pay $100+

[ShineMyCar]

Ive heard the Flash Brown Royal will make it easier. What tool do you use to "scrub" with?

I used Autozone's wheel scrubber. It looked somewhat like this



but my brush is a little more dense with the bristles.

I wasn't able to remove all the grime without using a cotton t-shirt rag and getting my fingers in between the tough spots with a little cleaning product on the cotton rag.

I was not expecting a spray and rinse off, but did expect a spray, agitation, rinse based on the reviews I had read on the Griot's HD wheel cleaner. The product had lots of positive reviews, one comparing it to a much more costly sonax wheel cleaner.

[ShineMyCar]

If you are looking for a product to spray on, then rinse clean you are out of luck. On a wash it typically takes me 45 minutes to clean the tires, wheels and fenderwells alone (and thats not including removing wheel weight glue)

I probably spent that time cleaning the 4 Wheels without dressing or fenderwells.

[RMM]

I used Autozone's wheel scrubber. It looked somewhat like this

...

but my brush is a little more dense with the bristles.

I wasn't able to remove all the grime without using a cotton t-shirt rag and getting my fingers in between the tough spots with a little cleaning product on the cotton rag.

I was not expecting a spray and rinse off, but did expect a spray, agitation, rinse based on the reviews I had read on the Griot's HD wheel cleaner. The product had lots of positive reviews, one comparing it to a much more costly sonax wheel cleaner.

That brush has shinning metal ready to bite your wheels! Be careful!

Like Flash said, don't expect a simple solution when the wheels are really dirty. If the grime is baked on, you will have to scrub a lot and use good products: IronX and TarX (for iron particles and for hydrocarbon particles, respectively).

And Sonax is for sure better than Griot's...

[Flash Gordon]

I bought about 25 of those Autozone wheel brushes when they went on clearence for a penny apiece.....thats about all they are worth too

Yea, cleaning the rims is a real bummer, but they totally make or break the outcome of your detail

[dcjredline]

+1

I bought about 25 of those Autozone wheel brushes when they went on clearence for a penny apiece.....thats about all they are worth too

Yea, cleaning the rims is a real bummer, but they totally make or break the outcome of your detail