Maintenance Wheel Cleaner?

[MattieDSC]

So since I've been detailing my car for a year or so now. I've always used a color change wheel cleaner like 1z color tech or Sonax FE every time I wash. The more I read on forums and try different things I believe this is unnecessary. So my question is what do you guys use for a maintenance wheel cleaning like every week or two?

[SYMAWD]

Just car shampoo.

[goheels]

Agreed.  Car shampoo is all I really need for maintenance washing.

[Gen9Rolla]

What they said

[Marc08EX]

Just car shampoo.

 

Same here.

[Ricky Bobby]

You're wasting a ton of product to use it every wash.  Deep clean them, then seal the wheels with a Quick Sealant or so.  Then maintain with bucket of suds and brushes.

[GXPaycheck]

Ditto.

[MattieDSC]

You're wasting a ton of product to use it every wash.  Deep clean them, then seal the wheels with a Quick Sealant or so.  Then maintain with bucket of suds and brushes.

 

Yeah now you tell me when I've been going broke buying iron dissolving cleaners. I figured this much. My plan is to deep clean then make a maintenance spray with soap and maybe an ounce or 2 of apc in 32 oz spray bottle.

 

 

Just car shampoo.

Was hoping for some awesome "secret" mixture you guys had developed  . Oh well guess I'll give it a shot

Edited April 17, 2015 by MattieDSC

[red94chev]

^ The secret mixture is an ounce or 2 mixed with water in a spray bottle. Nothing special but gets the job done.  I wouldn't go with the APC as it will strip the sealant you just put on the wheels.

Edited April 17, 2015 by red94chev

[TheBurninator]

Was hoping for some awesome "secret" mixture you guys had developed  . Oh well guess I'll give it a shot

 

I can mix up some car shampoo in a spray bottle to sell to you 

 

As everyone else has said just regular car shampoo and wheel brushes after the wheels have been deep cleaned and sealed.

[redneck08sierra]

does green wheel cleaner strip sealant?

[Chewy]

does green wheel cleaner strip sealant?

Over time yes!  

 

I too use shampoo diluted in a spray bottle 

[MattieDSC]

I just mixed both car wash soaps in a spray bottle and it smells so amazing! Soap-soap (whispers)

[mc2hill]

I keep mine pre-mixed in a bottle with a foaming sprayer (Tolco).  To refill I dip a few ounces out of the wash bucket before I start the wash.

 

[Team Adam's]

Car Shampoo + water or Rinseless Wash.

[j-r35]

Any issues if you mix too much shampoo?  Might have accidentally squeezed more than a oz. or 2 into my empty bottle.  

[Ricky Bobby]

Just more suds and foaminess

[stingrayc7]

I use 1 oz of car shampoo + water in a foaming sprayer  plus my brushes for weekly maintenance.. If I leave them get so dirty for weeks I use the wheel cleaner to remove iron and heavy brake dust.

[MattieDSC]

Does Adams sell a foaming sprayer anymore? I have bottles but need a foam tip. I bought a griots from Amazon that worked well but it isn't available anymore

[ScottyBoy]

If I wash weekly or bi-weekly, I can get away with the same bucket of car shampoo that I wash the rest of the car with. I just use an old MF towel with some of the car wash soap set aside into a small container, usually an old margarine tub. I used to have a 1.5 gallon bucket that I used exclusively for wheels, but it came up missing one day after leaving it outside. Not sure if someone stole it or if my wife threw it away (she is bad about throwing my stuff away if I leave it out everywhere, we get in arguments about this all the time!)

If it gets dirtier than a bucket of soapy water can handle, then I will use a spray bottle with APC mixed 1:1, which is what I ways clean my tires with anyways. I will just spray the entire wheel instead of just the tire. I have actually only used the deep wheel cleaner one time. To me, it's pointless because my wheels never get that dirty. Even as dirty as the wheel get on my wife's Altima between washes, the APC has no problem getting them clean. I have been told that APC will strip sealant, but I don't put any wax or sealant on my wheels. I got a can of quick sealant on my last order, but I have yet to try it.

[BitterGreg]

I use one of the many waterless washes I have to wipe them down every 2 days.

[MattieDSC]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who responded. You've changed my detailing regiment

[Ricky Bobby]

Awesome to hear Mattie.

[Mazzdog]

Does everyone use all 3 brushes from Adam's? I have the brush kit in my cart now. Oh or am I better off buying just 1 or 2 and buying more cleaners (or something else). Adams is gonna get some business from me this weekend just unsure of what. My tires / wheels seem to hold up well with a normal wash every week. Just thinking I definitely getting some all purpose and glass and h2ogg. Interior detail is in there also. Should I go another route? At some point I will end up with all Adams stuff and then it's just "maintenance " by buying what I run out of.

[Ricky Bobby]

I have the old 3 piece Adams wheel woolie set, a boars hair brush from Braun for the wheel faces, a lug nut brush, and an angled wheel woolie for back of spokes.

 

I use every brush except the smallest wheel woolie on every maintenance wheel cleaning, with a bucket of suds. The deep wheel cleaner I use every 3 months and re seal.

[Mazzdog]

They just have that one piece now. That is on my list. Is the Braun brush something available through Adams? If you were starting over would you just buy the brush kit and a wheel whoolie (angled)? Video looks cool I watched with Adam and the tire cleaning though I don't think he used every brush. Problem is I watch the video and say GOTTA HAVE IT. Do you have a separate bucket for tires also?