People are naive, which is fine, not everyone is aware of the best practices for cleaning cars, no do people care.
Ive seen a black 3-Series have every panel scratched from a quick wash centre using the same sponge for the wheels and then going straight to bodywork.
Ive also seen some terribly heavy handed applications of wheel acid with stiff brushes which results in both a faded finish, maybe even blotchy, plus scratches in the crevices of the spokes.
It makes me cringe and proof if any were needed that valeting is about knowing not only what to use, but how to use it and that only comes with experience.
If you use the same sponge for bodywork, you always do the wheels after the paintwork as wheel finsihes are generally quite robust whereas paint isnt, so any residual grit in the sponge is unlikley to mark the wheels. I have a small separate one myself which I use for wheels. I often soap wheels down rather than use acid as its rarely needed.
|
Stu,
Would it be ok to use acid on alloys which have painted spokes to remove ingrained marks on the paint or would you recommend cutting polish?
|
It depends who painted them really and what sort of paint. I always, on a suspect surface ( chrome wheels on a Bentley I did once springs to mind ) start with something mild to see what happenes.
Factory finishes are usually robust whereas aftermarket workmanship rarely seems to be very long lasting.
If you not sure, I would wash thoroughly and then try a very mild polish. Without seeing the wheels, its hard to say for sure.
Acids vary, although the one I use is to be diluted to suit your needs, so you can adjust the concentration easily.
|
Thanks Stu,
They're Camaro rims, standard factory rims with a colour keyed finish on the spokes. They look like new even though they're 19 years old but just have the odd mark on the spokes. Think I'll try the mild polish as you suggest then wax and seal with Autoglym alloy wheel seal
|
|
|
|
|
Sorry to say it, Stu, but the only car I have ever put through a carwash was a hire car in NZ which was so dirty I didn't have the face to return it as it was. My own car(s) get a wipe-over if there has been heavy rain, and don't seem to have suffered too much. A pensioned-off wiper blade (gently applied) gets most of the rain off, followed by a bucket and an old beer-towel to finish. Not very professional I know ...
|
|
|
|
