Cleaning wheels - pressure washers

[telford_mike]

How good are those electric pressure washers for cleaning wheels? Do they do the full job, or would I still need to use a brush to get the brake dust off?

 

[FiDoDiDo]

Seem to do a good job for me, Im going to be using it for mine later.

Ill also be using wonder wheels.

 

[iceblue182]

its the easy answer but you need something to lift the brake dust off as well. any acid based wheel cleaner will do it. they are great for removing flies too!

 

[telford_mike]

Takes me longer to clean the wheels than it does to clean the rest of the car at the moment. Pain.

 

[LittleChick]

i have never seen one what they like ?

/LittleChick

 

[stusV6]

Mike my pressure washer only takes off the bare minimum of brake dust and theres never that much to begin with so I recon that if youre buying one hoping to reduce the amount of time spent on your wheels then itll be a waste of time........................best to borrow one and try it out first.

Also I never use acid based cleaners because these WILL damage the top coating.............................I find cleaning the wheels twice a week,even if its only the wheels and not the whole car, does the trick and only takes a light rub down........................in other words doing it more often saves you time in the long run.

Hope this helps Mike......................cheers buddy

Stuart

 

[Toypop]

I have found my pressure washer to be nothing short of completely useless when it comes to washing the car. At best it is no better than a hose pipe (but takes longer to set up) and at worse the high pressure can cause damage and lead to problems like condensation in the headlamps.

It is definitely no better on the wheels than a bog standard hose pipe.

I have tried Wonderwheels which works great but I dont like using a product on the wheels that discolours normal paintwork if any flicks on to it and should be used with gloves to protect your skin! Same applies to the Meguiars wheel stuff I bought a few weeks back - it comes with a warning on the packet that it is a skin irritant and that you have to wash it off the wheels within 30 seconds of application or something!

I find that washing up liquid works just as well as Wonderwheels and the Meguiars stuff and yet it wont discolour paint if it splashes and you can soak your hands in it all day without a problem. I challenge anyone that uses Wonderwheels or Meguiars to argue against using washing up liquid on wheels on the grounds that it might damage them LMAO!!!!!!!

 

[Iain C]

Quote: Originally posted by stusV6 on 12 September 2004


Mike my pressure washer only takes off the bare minimum of brake dust and theres never that much to begin with so I recon that if youre buying one hoping to reduce the amount of time spent on your wheels then itll be a waste of time........................best to borrow one and try it out first.

Also I never use acid based cleaners because these WILL damage the top coating.............................I find cleaning the wheels twice a week,even if its only the wheels and not the whole car, does the trick and only takes a light rub down........................in other words doing it more often saves you time in the long run.



Exactly! Cant fathom people who use cack like that on nice rims!

 

[iwantaV6]

i thought meguiars hot rims was an acid free cleaner and safe to use? nut tried it myself but was planning to?



wonder wheels helped my rear wheels corrode. far too strong, wont be using it again.

 

[ViolentJ]

i use washingup liquid too. They come up a treat.

 

[boyracer666]

Quote: Originally posted by _simon_ on 13 September 2004

i use washingup liquid too. They come up a treat.

 

[Pete]

Pressure washer done jack sh*t when I used them on the wheels, and that was with the wheels off the car!

 

[Jason C]

Interesting,

I cleaned my BMW yesterday (annual event) and the wheels looked anthracite as they had so much brake dust.

My pressure washer (its a fairly powerful Karcher) took it off in no time - and it was very ingrained. Not perfect for all you buffers but it got rid of all the crap in no time.

 

[specialK]

Quote: Originally posted by telford_mike on 12 September 2004

Takes me longer to clean the wheels than it does to clean the rest of the car at the moment. Pain.

hehehe, if you think its bad now, just you wait - the Vee will teach you about cleaning wheels - trust me !!!!!

 

[telford_mike]

Thanks K, really cheered me up. I can just about cope with the ones Ive got now - those Super Ts are going to be a nightmare

 

[specialK]

but, we do use a pressure washer on the car, and the wheels - it gets the worst of the dust off, but always needs more, and the SuperTs always need a wheel brush, toothbrush, finger etc. to get them clean!!!

 

[Toypop]

Quote: Originally posted by iwantaV6 on 13 September 2004


i thought meguiars hot rims was an acid free cleaner and safe to use? nut tried it myself but was planning to?



wonder wheels helped my rear wheels corrode. far too strong, wont be using it again.

Hot Rims. Yeah thats it, couldnt remember the name and its out in the garage. Take a look on the back of the bottle and read the instructions and warnings!

Now if washing up liquid damages your car and yet you can wash your face in it, just imagine how much damage Hot Rims does!!!! Cant see it being any safer than Wonder Wheels to be honest.

Get yourself some fairy liquid! It really makes the wheels sparkle and cuts through and disolves dirt every bit as good as these rip off car products.

 

[telford_mike]

Anyone tried a steam cleaner?

 

[lincswhite]

i use one on my wheels, no probs i found,

using autoglym wheel cleaner on them as well, found its the best stuff tbh

 

[McShug]

We tried a steam cleaner - shifted the dirt but if your not quick enough removing it. It dries on rock solid worst than before.

Had to use quite a bit of elbow grease and wonder wheels to get the residue off and this was all because of a phone call interupting us.

Wheel Wax is meant to be very good. Havent tried it as yet.

H

 

[Dash]

Found this :


A coat of wax will help protect your wheels and make them easier to clean.

Treat the finish of your wheels as you would the finish of your car. Most alloy wheels today feature a painted and/or a clearcoat finish. The best way to take care of wheels without damaging their protective finish is by frequently washing them with a mild soap and water solution. Using a tar and bug remover can prevent permanent tar staining. Periodic waxing will protect the wheel’s finish from the elements.

Never use abrasive cleansers, steel wool pads or polishing compounds.

Beware of automatic car washes. Some washes use acid cleaners either before or during the wash to remove dirt and grime. Others use stiff brushes for cleaning wheels and tires. Both of these processes could harm your wheel’s finish. Ask the employees or manager of the car wash about their equipment and procedures before entering the wash.

Never allow your wheels and tires to be steam-cleaned. Hot steam can dull the paint and clearcoat finish on your wheels.

Don’t clean hot wheels; wait until they cool. Water dries much faster at higher temperatures. Thus, cleaning wheels while they are hot may cause your mild soap solution to dry too quickly leaving spots or a film of soap on your wheels.

Clean your tires and wheels first, one at a time. Tires and wheels tend to be the dirtiest parts of your vehicle and have a variety of surfaces to clean. So you will want to use the full strength of your hose to initially rinse away all loose dirt and to finally rinse off your soap solution. If you clean your tires and wheels first, you won’t expose your washed car to the over spray as you rinse them. Cleaning one at a time focuses your attention and ensures that the soap doesn’t dry on one wheel while you’re cleaning another. Be sure to use a different sponge on the rest of the car’s body to prevent scratching the paint from the particles that may have collected during the wheel cleaning process.

Clean wheels on a regular basis. Remember, they’re often the dirtiest part of your vehicle because they are constantly exposed to the elements (corrosive brake dust, ocean and road salt, paint-chipping stones and cinders and sticky tar).

Your new tires and alloy wheels are like any other valuable investment. You should protect them. Clean them as you would the rest of your car. Care for them as you would care for your entire vehicle.

 

[Faz182]

I use Autoglym Alloy cleaner and either the pressure washer at my local Morrisons or the one my dads got at home. I owned a Mk1 172 and those spokey OZs were a pain to clean, but the Autoglym and a jet with the pressure washer got them totally clear of sh*te. I then apply the Autoglym aerosol alloy polish stuff and its supposed to repel road grime.

Ive just continued using the same method on my Anthracite 182 wheels. Brings them up well.

Using a pressure washer alone isnt enough to remove all road crap, a grime remover of some kind is need really. Up to you what you use but I find Autoglym good enough and affordable.

Be careful not to blast your brake discs/pads tho.

telford_Mike, if youve not tried it yet go to your local petrol station and see what you think. Most have got a jet washer. Only costs a couple of quid.

 

[James 182]

Quote: Originally posted by iceblue182 on 12 September 2004

its the easy answer but you need something to lift the brake dust off as well. any acid based wheel cleaner will do it. they are great for removing flies too!

you must be either mad or joking!?!

Use Mer alloy wheel cleaner, its not acid based so it wont eat your break pads or damage your paint.

Once youve got the wheels clean if you use alloy wheel polish (also a mer product) this stopsthe break dust from sticking so next bath time it just washes off with the jet wash.

as for jet wases buy the JCB one from argos, its propper good

 

[V6'ing]

Quote: Originally posted by James 182 on 14 September 2004

Quote: Originally posted by iceblue182 on 12 September 2004

its the easy answer but you need something to lift the brake dust off as well. any acid based wheel cleaner will do it. they are great for removing flies too!

you must be either mad or joking!?!

Use Mer alloy wheel cleaner, its not acid based so it wont eat your break pads or damage your paint.

Once youve got the wheels clean if you use alloy wheel polish (also a mer product) this stopsthe break dust from sticking so next bath time it just washes off with the jet wash.

as for jet wases buy the JCB one from argos, its propper good






As BOTH Jamess have said already... USE ANY OLD CAR POLISH ON YOUR ALLOYS AND IT WILL SAVE U A WHOLE LOT OF TIME!

(Plus they shine like new when there buffed up) It doesnt even have to be proper wheel polish, any car paint polish will do... use the cheapest stuff u have in the garage for the wheels! (like some of the crap polish u get at Christmas thats been stored since 1990!) Next time they get a good lashing of brake dust onem.. a simple wash down with soapy water (or even a dry cloth!) and it will just wipe away VERY EASILY! No scrubbing away needed..that usually takes forever. Im sure a jet wash would get them back to top condition again if there polished first in this way!

NEVER EVER use ACID BASED CLEANERS ON YOUR ALLOYS, except for: your wheels have been neglected for many months, and you have no option to USE AN ACID based cleaner, to remove the ingrained dust! BUT USE IT LIGHTLY JUST ONCE!! Then polish the alloys up, and youll be sorted next time they need a wash. If you use an acid based cleaner without polishing, next time it will be even harder to remove the dust, and ull need the acid again! Thus removing the clear coat further each time!

(Give them a polish about every 4 weeks or once the dust starts to become a bit harder to remove will be a sign to re-polish to keep the evil dust from settling on again, well worth it IMO)

 

[BRUN]

Quote: Originally posted by iwantaV6 on 13 September 2004


i thought meguiars hot rims was an acid free cleaner and safe to use? nut tried it myself but was planning to?

i think it used to be, ive used about 6 bottles of the stuff and the first few bottles never had the sticker on that the last few have done about the acid bit etc etc

however its still advertised as safe for all wheel types so i doubt its as bad as most others, and its still the best wheel cleaner ive ever used

 

[Liquidcool]

Someone else had problems with Megs Hot Rims (caution using this in certain mentioned conditions)

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/archive/index.php/t-6673.htmlLink

 

[telford_mike]

Thats why I asked about the pressure washer - these chemicals make me nervous. No-one from here appears to have tried a steam cleaner, so Ill get one and see what happens.

 

[Liam]

i always use pressure washer to go over car first, but it will always need a bucket and sponge for the wheels, thay take about 2X longer than rest of car, especially as i clean the whole of the wheel.

 

[tidyclio]

best solution is to not let the dust settle for any amount of time. make sure you get it all,every so often i will take my wheels of and clean them an the parts you miss i.e behind the spoke will take ages!also note if your using the jetwash for your wheels id advise against using those brushes on any part of your car,most people seem to use these on these wheels last all the crap of them will be waiting in the bristles for your nice alloys or paintwork!

 

[Toypop]

Do people seriously clean behind the spokes?

 

[tidyclio]

why not mate you only see the sills of your door when you open it but enough folk still clean them. id rather spend an extra half hour an no my cars as clean as it can be!hell when iv got the wheels of i even give the splashguards a good wipe clean!

 

[Liam]

i clean behind the spoke too, dont take them off though, not worth the risk of buckling the sills as its jacked up, and it will scratch the jack

just lay down and crawl under the car to clean the inside of the wheels.