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Should I use the regular wheel cleaner or stick with the eco wheel cleaner?


them240i

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Yesterday, I was washing my car, and I used up the remaining amount of the Eco Wheel Cleaner, but I'm wondering if I should consider getting the regular Wheel Cleaner, as I get a lot of brake dust on the wheels? But at the same time, should I be concerned about the regular Wheel Cleaner being too harsh on the wheels? 

 

 

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If you use a LSP (like paint sealant, HGG or the ceramic spray) on your wheels, the brake dust will be much easier to clean.  You then won’t necessarily always need the wheel cleaner.  I use paint sealant and HGG every few washes. Keeps them in a manageable condition.  I use regular car shampoo for maintenance washes, and only need the wheel cleaner once in a while.  Eventually I’ll ceramic coat mine.

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I would also agree with the recommendations of putting some type of protection on the wheels once they're clean - Paint Sealant, Ceramic Boost, or H2O Guard & Gloss would all be excellent options for wheels. 

 

Our blue Wheel Cleaner will certainly remove heavier brake dust more easily, but keep in mind that it is a more aggressive formula - if not used properly on black wheels, it could leave streaks or spotting. I've had more than a few customers that I've spoken with that have caused issues with gloss black and matte black wheels due to not following the directions - only clean wheels when they are cool to the touch, only clean one wheel at a time, do not let the cleaner dry onto any surfaces, and rinse very thoroughly before moving onto the next wheel.

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12 hours ago, them240i said:

 

As of right now, I have no protectant on the wheels. 

Follow Jen's advice and give them a sacrificial layer. Between that and cleaning them regularly you should be fine. It's when the brake dust sits there, gets wet, sits there etc. that your wheels get destroyed. 

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4 hours ago, DaleH said:

Follow Jen's advice and give them a sacrificial layer. Between that and cleaning them regularly you should be fine. It's when the brake dust sits there, gets wet, sits there etc. that your wheels get destroyed. 

 

Should I consider getting a bottle of Iron Remover, and while cleaning the wheels, complete a prophylaxis and remove the iron, and then seal?  

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16 minutes ago, them240i said:

 

Should I consider getting a bottle of Iron Remover, and while cleaning the wheels, complete a prophylaxis and remove the iron, and then seal?  

 

Sure. But for wheels, Wheel Cleaner may be a better option because its thicker and dwells longer, but both can be used on wheels and paint. Just don't let either dry on the surface, and don't use on hot wheels (cool to the touch).

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On 2/27/2019 at 8:34 PM, them240i said:

Yesterday, I was washing my car, and I used up the remaining amount of the Eco Wheel Cleaner, but I'm wondering if I should consider getting the regular Wheel Cleaner, as I get a lot of brake dust on the wheels? But at the same time, should I be concerned about the regular Wheel Cleaner being too harsh on the wheels? 

 

 

Great advice from the folks already.

But to answer your question on what to buy - It depends on how often you wash your car.  Maybe for you a 16 oz. bottle of Wheel Cleaner and Eco Wheel Cleaner will do you for deep cleaning (when needed), and use Car Wash Shampoo for the regular cleaning.

I have Wash & Wax mixed at wash strength in a bottle with a foaming sprayer for cleaning the wheels of my cars.  The foam helps the solution to stick a little longer, and they get a little protection each time I clean them.  

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Thank you all for the advice! Yesterday, I had time to properly wash my car, to get off the residue left from 2 days of rain, and I used a 7 step process to clean the tire and wheels. Steps 1-3 and 6-7 where done on one tire/wheel at a time. 

 

Step 1: Wheel Cleaning

I sprayed on some Eco Wheel Cleaner and used the Wheel Woolie, Lug Nut Brush, and the Mitt to throughly get off all of the brake dust, and it did a really great job.

 

Step 2: Tire Cleaning

After rinsing the wheel, I then used the Tire and Rubber Cleaner, making sure to not get any on the wheel itself. After agitating with the coarse brush, I quickly rinsed the tire and wheel off.

 

Step 3: Spot Cleaning

After allowing a few moments for the wheel to dry, I would go back and hit areas that I missed with the Eco Wheel Cleaner again. 

 

Step 4: During the Normal Car Wash

Since I use the foam gun, I liberally applied the Car Shampoo to the wheels and tires when I was applying to the rest of the car. I would then use the Mitt to, once again, scrub the wheel. 

 

Step 5: Drying the Wheel

After washing, I used a Microfiber Utility Towel to dry off any standing water on the wheel. 

 

Step 6: Tire Shine

Once the rest of the car was dry--using the Spray Wax, I moved the car inside my garage and moved on to applying the Tire Shine. Because I have low profile tires, I sprayed onto the applicator first, and then applied it to the tires. 

 

Step 7: Quick Detail

Finally, I used the Quick Detail Spray on the wheels and used a Microfiber Utility Towel to apply it evenly. 

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I have painted gloss black wheels on my 17 Durango R/T. I never have to use anything other then soap and water on them as I usually spray wax them after every wash. Spray wax doesn't hold up for any given amount of time but it does when you wash once a week or so. I never have any issues with brake dust.

 NOW German brakes are a totally different story, yeah my brakes could be German but they sure don't cover my wheels in dust in a day or 2 like my Son's Audi S4 does. Even when he had a A4, his rims where always covered in a few days. I had a BMW 328i back in 2000 and it did the same thing.

 As stated above, going with a rim treatment is the way to go. It will greatly reduce the amount of stuck on brake dust and you may even be able to get away with just soap and water like I do. If your a nut like me, well your on a detailing forum so I know you are, just start out using a spray wax on the wheel once you get them perfectly clean, then the next wash you'll notice much less work needs to be done to get them back to clean.

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