Cleaning tires with sealed/waxed wheels

[GeeReg]

I read a lot of posts from people who say that they seal their wheels and then only need something like ONR or shampoo to clean them.` My question is, what is used to clean the tires?` The same thing?` I can`t imagine ONR doing that well versus a dirty tire.` I`ve always used a mild APC solution to clean both, but this obviously would strip a sealant on the wheels.` How do you avoid getting the tire cleaner on the wheels?


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I know someone is going to say to Opti-Coat them, but I won`t be coating the car(s) so it`s not really cost effective for me.` Are people just re-sealing them every few washes?


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[Accumulator]

GeeReg- I clean my tires with Griot`s Rubber Cleaner, which is one *very* gentle product, so getting a little on my coated/LSPed wheels probably isn`t a big deal.` But no matter what I cleaned them with, I`d just try to use the least product necessary and, well...try to keep it off the wheels.` I spray the product directly on the tire, but I`m pretty careful about it.` Whether I`m scrubbing the tire with a "tire brush" (most tires) or a sponge (soft compound tires), I don`t find it all that tough to keep the tire cleaning product off the wheel (maybe because I`m using so little tire cleaner, maybe it`s just decades of experience).`


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It`s the *rinsing* that can get tricky for me; I don`t want the hose to blast the tire cleaning product everywhere.` Sometimes I even resort to wipingit off with a sponge as thoroughly as I can before spraying the rinse water.


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I`ll be a [jerk] and suggest that you coat them :P` Hey, I don`t coat the rest of the vehicle, only the wheels and some suspension/etc. bits.` Cost effective *for me* because the wheels stay "done" for ages, saving me a whole lotta time.


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On the vehicles whose wheels I seal, I just do it whenever it needs doing; the usual indicator is a change in the beading.` Note that wipe-on-walk-away sealants (I use Garry Dean`s Beyond Infinity Sealant) are almost as quick as using a QD (which I`d do after every wash anyhow).


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The downside of using a LSP instead of a coating is that it`s *VERY* tough to do a decent job on the inner barrels/back of the spokes without dismounting the wheel and even a half-@$$ed (`half-@$$ed`) job takes some doing.` So while I do manage to keep those surfaces nice and clean, I`m not LSPing them as often/thoroughly as I`d really like.` Using the OptiCoat makes this a moot point.

[GeeReg]

Thanks, Accumulator.` Regarding a WOWA sealant, that was my thinking as well.` I`m planning on switching to Opti-Seal (Gary`s product looks good also) and thought it`s not big deal to go over the wheels with it quickly, but I`d rather not have to do that EVERY wash, as I`m trying to streamline my washing and speed things up.


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I just assumed a tire needs a decently strong cleaner, although I suppose that depends on how dirty they are in the first place.

[pwaug]

I`ve been using Mothers Back to Black TIRE CLEANER--no water required, just apply to the tire and wipe off.`` Had great success at keeping it off the wheel.

[Accumulator]

GeeReg- I guess that "cleaner strength" is a matter of just how clean you want/need to get them.` Mine don`t get "Autopian clean" most of the time, not by a long shot.` No, I don`t think it matters, at least not to me.


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pwaug- I keep hearing good things about Mother`s Products for tires recently`(and, IIRC, wheels too).

[pwaug]

pwaug- I keep hearing good things about Mother`s Products for tires recently`(and, IIRC, wheels too).



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The Back to Black Tire Cleaner is excellent--spray on--wait a few seconds then wipe off.`` For tires that haven`t been cleaned in awhile I will agitate with a brush before wiping off for that extra bit of cleaning.`` Very easy to control the product to keep it off wheels.


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I just use car soap to clean my wheels (keep them`sealed with DG105)`so can`t speak to the Mothers Wheel Cleaners and haven`t used the Trim Cleaner yet, but it has gotten excellent reviews on other forums so I will be trying it on the PIA black pebble trim around the entire bottom of my Passat.` Do need to get a bottle of the Valugard.

[Accumulator]

pwaug- The way that ValuGard FastFinish revived the black trim on some of my vehicles was nothing short of amazing.` You`d swear I`d "restored" it with something a lot more involved than "just a QD".` That kind of trim *can* be a PIA, but with some of these newfangled products I`ve gotten it down to a genuine "no longer a problem"-type of maintenance.