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Cleaning wheels - what is the trick I'm missing?
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?
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Super Member
Re: Cleaning wheels - what is the trick I'm missing?
Ive heard the Flash Brown Royal will make it easier. What tool do you use to "scrub" with?
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Super Member
Re: Cleaning wheels - what is the trick I'm missing?
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.
Bill 1234
2004 audi a6 quattro (traded).
2015 Ford Escape 2.0l ecoboost 4WD
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Re: Cleaning wheels - what is the trick I'm missing?
Other then the 6" polisher...i think the Griots stuff is way over rated.
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Super Member
Re: Cleaning wheels - what is the trick I'm missing?
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+
“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”
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Re: Cleaning wheels - what is the trick I'm missing?
Originally Posted by dcjredline
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.
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Re: Cleaning wheels - what is the trick I'm missing?
Originally Posted by 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)
I probably spent that time cleaning the 4 Wheels without dressing or fenderwells.
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Super Member
Re: Cleaning wheels - what is the trick I'm missing?
Originally Posted by ShineMyCar
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...
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Super Member
Re: Cleaning wheels - what is the trick I'm missing?
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
“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”
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Super Member
Re: Cleaning wheels - what is the trick I'm missing?
+1
Originally Posted by 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
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