What's the best way to clean alloys? I've yet to find a brand of wheel cleaner I'm happy with, and in a fit of desperation even tried Pledge (says it cleans metal!). Says on a WD40 tin that you can clean alloys with it but I'm a bit worried about getting a nice coating of it going through onto the brake discs!
Probably the cheapest and simplest methods are the best. Any tried and trusted remedies out there? No frustrated Betterware reps please :-)
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ive got to say "astonish" which is in the betterware catalogue is pretty dammed good actually--------
however a lightly based acid type cleaner designed for alloys is ideal for baked on brake dust,be sure to follow the instructions as it will burn skin
a halfords type emporium should sell something reasonably priced i would hope,if not then you should get the concept wheel cleaner from the unipart group of companies ie brown brothers/partco
or you could try solvol if you like getting in and down
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My local £5 "Hand Wash", staffed by charming chaps of East European origin uses something magic on alloys. They spray it out of a large bulk container and the wheels come up factory new every time. The catch is I don't know what it is and they can't tell me!
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Spray the wheels first with pure warm/hot water and allow to soak in. Dilute any leading brand (e.g. Autoglym Clean Wheels) 50% and do it every week. Adding a sealant will help too (e.g. Autoglym Alloy Wheel Seal). The longer the intervals between cleaning, the more ingrained the dirt gets.
Perhaps I'm gullible, but I wouldn't use anything not specifically designed for the job. And it's worth using the right tool too (e.g. Autoglym Hi-Tech Wheel Brush).
There's plenty of choice out there. I happen to use Autoglym.
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If ours are left too long and the brake dust takes hold then I use Wonder Wheels. Once they're clean, regular proper washing keeps them that way.
I wouldn't go so far as to recommend WD40 but a bit on the discs probably wouldn't have any noticeable effect - it's only paraffin and if you've ever tried to rustproof anything with it you'll probably have noticed it's dry again in a day or two. You could always take the wheel off!
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Anything with caustic soda.
Check on the application instructions. If it says ´do not leave on for more than 2 minutes´ you´ve got a winner.
Mine is made by Nigrix and works a treat.
Bit of tyre dressing helps the look too.
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The problem must be related to the brake pad material. For at least the last 8 years all I've used is the stuff I wash the car with (Turle Wax ZipWax) and a sponge and bottle brush.
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L\'escargot.
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when i was a valeter, we used to use a acid cleaner that we got from starbrite, its not expensive, spray it on neat then after about 30 seconds spray on a bit of water from a hand held spray bottle, tiny bit of elbow grease and they come up new.
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I've tried several brands - Autoglym,Decasol,Wonder Wheels, Halfords own brand - and actually the Tesco Wheel Cleaner at £1.69 cleans the wheels equally as well as any of the other brands I've tried. Why spend more? Spray on, use a brush, and rinse off after 2 minutes with soapy water. And don't leave it too long between cleaning sessions.
Some cars seem to deposit more brake dust than others, the MINI is terrible but the Mazda 6 hardly deposits any at all.
Jacks
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All I do is to wax the wheels regularly - there are special wheel waxes available but I just use the same stuff as for the bodywork (Autoglym something or other). Then the brake dust just sponges off.
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Just cleaned and waxed the wheels today. Use a proper carnuba wax every 2-3 months and the brake dust will clean off very easily. Meguiars Stage 3 of 3 all the time.....
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plain ordinary distilled white vinegar applied copiously with a sponge or stippled into heavy areas with a stiff bristled brush, leave to soak 5mins and rinse off with hosepipe.
About £3 for 5lts from supermarket.
Billy
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I just use washing up liquid and warm water for the alloy wheels on our cars. I try and do the wheels once a week however so the brake dust doesn't take hold - never had a problem or had to resort to acid based cleaners etc.
Please note I do not advocate using Fairy etc on bodywork!
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Isn't cleaning alloy wheels normally the same as cleaning paintwork? I thought alloys were sprayed with paint or lacquer, rather than being simply a polished metal (in which case, "Brasso" (or your own home-made version) or similar). I might be being naive, as I've never ever cleaned a car alloy wheel (and only rarely a car or motorbike).
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If you know anyone with a card for Costco, they have something like Wonder Wheels in industrial size, like a gallon, for about 6 or 7 quid: Enough to last a lifetime.
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£25 entry Drs to costyco , so i keep to the free makro dooby card these days.
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>>>Isn't cleaning alloy wheels normally the same as cleaning paintwork?<<<
Not quite the same FT, it's all about removing the brake dust which only adheres to the wheels not the bodywork.
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