Shwee is a portable urinating device according to google!
If you have lots of black or brown dots stuck on, you can use fine pan scourer made of nylon with soapy water. I think this stuff is melted pad resin - not even Wonderwheel shifts it.
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In the event of Shewee not removing the stains, i use a fairly concentrated traffic film remover if the brake dust is getting set.
I don't use it often though, as it doesn't do the wheel paint too much good, but wash with the normal car wash every weekend.
If the stains are too deep into the paint, refurbishment may be the only answer.
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The best solution would be for manufacturers to fit steel wheels and good quality easy to clean plastic covers.
Alloys are the worst example of style over function.
I can't believe my Focus would handle any differently on steel wheels.
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The best solution would be for manufacturers to fit steel wheels and good quality easy to clean plastic covers.
But they'd look terrible! Especially once the covers are scratched & broken & the wheels rusty.
I generally use a scotchbrite on the bad bits, stiff brush on the easier bits & AutoGlym Wheel cleaner on the real stubborn stuff.
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Id never use anything abrasive on wheels, there is no need. I use a product from Autosmart called 'Ali' which is an acid cleaner that you can spray on, then after a few mins a gentle brush with a good wheel brush and they are spotless again. Only like years of hard use needs abrasives.
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Am I supposed to clean my wheels?
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I have tried lots of differnt things on my alloy's and i have to say in all honesty Cillitbang universal degreaser has to be the best not just at cleaning the wheels but preventing them getting as dirty. All the pennies in my wallets sparkle too (i couldnt resist doing the penny test).
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Alloys are the worst example of style over function.
The reason I prefer alloy wheels is that they have a much greater dimensional accuracy than steel wheels, and consequently give rise to far fewer vibration problems. They have better circularity, and less radial and axial run-out.
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Autoglym Glue & Tar remover wills shift them no bother- and invest in a clay bar- they will bring back your wheels like new 100% guaranteed!!
Edited by sony on 26/05/2008 at 09:33
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invest in a clay bar-
>>
Woss a clay bar?
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They're round and silver, innit?
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"Woss a clay bar?"
A bar of clay . . . used to get embedded dirt and grit out of a clean and unpolished paint surface. Bilt-Hamber does them, as do other companies.
All the manufacturers of cleaning products have plenty of stuff for alloy wheels. To get rid of tar and other stubborn stains, get a tar remover (e.g. Autoglym's, as mentioned above). Then apply a cleaner. Then there are finishing sealants, if you like.
The whole thing is easier the more frequently you do it. If you are nervous about the supposed hazards of using acid-based cleaners (alkali-based ones too, perhaps), dilute them. When you do it, use the proper products rather than stuff from the cupboard under the sink, which is formulated for different purposes.
For more radical measures, change your brake pads to the likes of GreenStuff and see if anyone makes dust shields to fit inside your wheels and stop brake dust getting out.
Edited by Roger Jones on 26/05/2008 at 12:23
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For £6, I can get my car washed, leathered, including alloy wheels and shuts. They also go round the car with little pump action bottles of different coloured magic liquids - no, I don't know what the liquid does, but it must be good.
It simply isn't worth messing around cleaning a large car myself when I can get it done for that sort of money - with a receipt so that I can claim it back against tax.
For another £4, I get the inside Hoovered and the insides of all the glass cleaned.
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I know it depends on your view of these things but I actually find it quite relaxing and satisfying to clean my cars. Modern life seems to be full of stress and an activity which does not overtax the grey matter, gives an excuse to be out in the fresh air and does have some small personal benefit is fine with me. I can't abide gardening mind you, so there's my argument shot down in flames !
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I can't abide gardening mind you so there's my argument shot down in flames !
Nor can i Shoespy, but i'm going to grow veggies just to save giving more of my hard earned to supermarkets etc, have used some of the farmers markets but we are opined that the quality is not consistent, and feel that some mass produced tat is being sold as local produced...i digress.
I bought a donkeys old merry tiller cultivator, and its great, good old briggs and stratton chugging away, gave it an oil change mid way through the veg plot, bought some millers lead replacement addititive, and have found the correct balance of throttle and choke to start quickly.
Its sort of like running an old car again, keeping a tin of spray grease handy and lubing up as i go merrily (swift pun there) around the bottom of my garden, gun at the ready in case any of the vastly depleted stock of magpies dare try to kill any of the hundreds of song birds we have back again now someone who will remain anonymous has taken it into his mind to do his own bit of gamekeeping.
Polished the hilux for the first time this year, and its rained ever since, that reminds me i must ring Stu to come and do my merc properly.
I agree about keeping alloys clean regularly though, esp during the salty times, easier for me though i s'pose though cos have winter wheels for both motors, tin hat on.
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For £6 I can get my car washed leathered including alloy wheels and shuts. They also go round the car with little pump action bottles of different coloured magic liquids
snipquote
I hate cleaning my car but that is the only way that I can avoid it acquiring the myriad of fine scratches that quickly mar the paintwork on cars that have been through automatic car washes (never use a brush of any sort). I'm afraid that too many 'hand washes' use cloths that aren't rinsed well or often enough to avoid scratching.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 26/05/2008 at 15:03
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Wonderwheels approx £5 from Wilkos. Cleans them up like new.
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Soapy water to get the dirt off.
Let them dry then use Polycell Brush Cleaner. I have never used anthing else as it works so well.
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My local handwash team uses a pressure washer,works a treat!
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Autoglym motor cycle cleaner works well on wheels and also removes dried on insects from paintwork etc. after a few seconds, with minimal elbow grease. Don't let it dry on though.
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I cleaned my alloys yesterday, they were too bad for simple shampoo or even a stiff brush, so out came the brick acid (16% HCl) and a paint brush. Careful application and well rinsed after a minute or so and they came up all bright and shiny.
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My flabber is totally gasted that no one appears to clean the inner faces of their alloys. Can this be true???. Is everyone running about with hidden dirt ???
Phil I
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I just use washing up liquid for the wheels - it cuts through the brake dust better than the wash n wax stuff used for bodywork. Regular cleaning ensures the wheels don't get too bad.
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I do - at least on her car (we own that one).
At new I take them off and clean the rest of the manufacturers gunge off the back, two coats of polish and copper grease on the maiting surfaces and back on.
makes the cleaning easier with a Tesco wheel brush, a washing up brush from Sainsbury and an old toothbrush.
Must do the same on the Octavia soon.
Now why did it put it here - I was replying to the question about peple cleaning the backs of the alloys.
Edited by ijws15 on 29/05/2008 at 10:15
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I cleaned my alloys yesterday they were too bad for simple shampoo or even a stiff brush so out came the brick acid (16% HCl) and a paint brush. Careful application and well rinsed after a minute or so and they came up all bright and shiny.
Your alloys are then obviously not of the lacquered variety, which, if they were then an acidic cleaner would not be much use unless you were getting rid of deposts lying on top of the lacquer.
Come to think of it, you're probably correct and providing the acid contact is quite brief, then not much harm would come to the lacquered surface.
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I agree. You never get the same quality unless you do it yourself. And when I see those chaps rubbing gritty water over Porsches in supermarket car parks it makes me cringe...
{removed shop name and generalised.}
It convenient for sure but your £6 probably isn't great value over the long term. For £20 worth of cleaning products you buy yourself I bet it works out at less than £2 a time to do it yourself.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 29/05/2008 at 13:50
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I agree. You never get the same quality unless you do it yourself. And when I see those chaps rubbing gritty water over Porsches in supermarket car parks it makes me cringe...
A valeting company has taken over (for some time, now, I should add) about 36 premium car parking spaces in our Glades Shopping Mall in Bromley. It's not their fault of cause but it is damned annoying not to be able to park (unless you're car needs valeting) in some of these most convenient positions between the lifts and escalators on level 1.
When I complained to the Glades management they said that's where there are and that's where they're staying for the forseeable future.
I personally, would not avail myself of valeting companies as I, too, am suspicious of long term effects on my paintwork - they seem very popular, though, especially with the black car fraternity.
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It's not their fault of cause but it is damned annoying not to be able to park >>
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Well, if it's not their fault - whose fault is it?
I most strongly suggest to you oldgit, that it is precisely their fault. Their fault and nobody elses fault.
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>> It's not their fault of cause but it is damned annoying not to be able to park >> >> Well if it's not their fault - whose fault is it? I most strongly suggest to you oldgit that it is precisely their fault. Their fault and nobody elses fault.
Well, I meant to say that the valeting company were always there but tucked away in a less inconvenient place but perfectly visible as one entered the Level 1 from the entrance ramp.
Just recently, The Glades changed their parking procedure from Pay and Display to Pay on Foot and with this, came the change of area allocated to the company who do valeting and into that premium and convenient spot (for them, anyway).
Obviously I don't know what sort of arrangements there are between the Glades management and the valeting company but despite my long letter of complaint, I received the sort of reply that I somehow expected i.e. it a very popular service and that's that.
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