Film on wheels after cleaning

[simracer]

The problem below was surfaced from our local autocross forum. I was at a loss myself unless he's put a carnauba or sealant layer on the wheel and the wheel cleaner is stripping it somewhat. I'm waiting to hear back from him on that, but I was curious to hear what you guys thought.

Here's his message:

I have a very annoying problem when cleaning my wheels. The wheels are aluminum with a clear powder coat.

Every time I wash the wheels at home or at the car wash, a white film is left over the entire wheel after the water dries. The film is somewhat sticky--like wax.

This occurs whether I hand dry the wheels or let them air dry. It also occurs whether or not I use a wheel cleaner--I've used both the DP Wheel Cleaner from Autogeek and the Griot's Wheel Cleaner.

In order to remove the film I have to use the Wheel Cleaner and a firm bristle brush to scrub the wheels and then wipe them down with a cloth. I have to do this several times in order to remove all of the film. The process takes about two hours.

This problem is very frustrating. The rest of my car cleaning goes very smoothly. I don't know whether the dust from the brake pads or the powder coat itself is somehow reacting with the water...or whether the problem is something completely different.

The problem only surfaced about six months ago. The previous six months before that were fine--no strange film.