How would you clean this wheel?

[Acura_RL]

I have a 97 RL, and this is the type of wheel on my car:



http://www.neww.com/images/71677.gif



This can be a real pain to clean. I used to use soap and a tooth brush to clean the small pockets all around the rim.



Any product suggestions? Meg`s Hot rims? Any other wheel cleaners? I`m looking for a way to save time on my next wash. :bow

[Preachers Sheets]

Eagle One wheel cleaner is strong, inexpensive and can be found at just about any car parts store.



If you use a soft brush and clean them often the small pockets won`t be a problem at all.

[Acura_RL]

Thanks for the suggestion. I remember seeing a wheel brush by turtle wax at wal-mart. It looked almost like a toilet brush :D. Would that be a good brush to use?

[gnahc79]

I use a small flat toilet brush from walmart and it works fine. I probably wouldn`t use it on chrome, though, to be on the safe side.

Be careful with the EO A2Z, read all the warnings on the back and don`t let any stay on your skin. I don`t plan to use it that often since it`s pretty strong. Good ol` soap and elbow grease does the trick for me.

[Spilchy]

Look for the oxo wheel brush.



I`d use EFHI dilluted 1:1 with water. Cheaper and better than most wheel cleaners. I have a gallon of it and dillute for all sorts of stuff. Saves a lot of money over time.



Slap on a coat of AIO if you have or a coat of Wheel Wax and then clean with car wash soap and water moving forward. Usually the dust comes right off with that.

[Preachers Sheets]

I have an OXO hand brush, whatever you can find at Pep Boys or a store similar that is really soft. My rim brushes are soft enough to use on the interior. Just clean the rims often so the product doesn`t have a chance to get caked on; if it does you`ll see how mild the soft brush is when your rubbing the rim over and over and over just to remove a small area of crud.

[cackleberry]

My (painted) wheels have like 15 thin spokes and can also be a royal PITA.

The Klasse AIO made things a LOT easier! Granted, it isn`t the cheapest solution, but when you consider how little you need to use, it makes some sense. Wheel Wax didn`t seem to work too well for me.

[Acura_RL]

I don`t have Klasse. :(



Has anyone tried Hot Rims from Megs?

[Acura_RL]

Or the Extra all surface cleaner? I watched the Meguiar`s video and I think they use that to clean the engine compartment.

[imported_Aurora40]

Originally posted by Acura_RL

Has anyone tried Hot Rims from Megs?



Yeah, I just finished up a bottle. It`s good, but I prefer #36 as it is much gentler. I find Hot Rims to be a lot like the old A2Z (never used the new stuff). It`s fine.

[Acura_RL]

When you say it`s much "gentler," how bad could Hot Rims be? I researched the product in this forum and found mixed reviews. If it was so bad, why would Meguiar`s sell it? I`m not the kind that falls for marketing bs, but Meg`s is a reputable brand is it not?

[shaf]

Welcome to the club of hard to clean wheels Acura_RL :rolleyes: Here`s a link to a pic of what my rims look like (minus center cap): http://www.wheels-and-rims.com/images/ALY62274U.jpg



I currently use a cheap 1" foam paintbrush that I got 10 for $1 to get in between the spokes. It`s not good for hard scrubbing, but it works okay with a strong wheel cleaner that only needs a light rub anyway. The usual wheel brushes or parts cleaning brushes are all too big to reach into the corners for me.



A2Z is good stuff, and I think Hot Rims is similarly strong but never tried that myself (try a search).



EDIT: Throw out after each use or watch the foam paintbrush for deterioration. The foam is attached to a plastic blade inside and after a few uses it can rip through the foam sideways.

[imported_Aurora40]

Originally posted by Acura_RL

When you say it`s much "gentler," how bad could Hot Rims be? I researched the product in this forum and found mixed reviews. If it was so bad, why would Meguiar`s sell it? I`m not the kind that falls for marketing bs, but Meg`s is a reputable brand is it not?



Swirl Free Polish is gentler than DACP. Does that make DACP bad or marketing BS?



Hot-Rims is stronger so you can spray-on and rinse-off and have your wheel get cleaner. It also works on the more neglected wheels that many consumers have. #36 is pH balanced (and BBS approved, if you care about that) and is quite gentle. I use it with an old chenille sponge to clean my well-cared-for wheels. Meg`s makes an even stronger cleaner called Instant Wheel Cleaner, which they specifically mention is stronger than Hot Rims. I guess I don`t see what that has to do with Meg`s reputation or it being a bad product.



I specifically said I think Hot Rims is good stuff. It does a great job on wheels and has always been up to the task of family member`s crappier wheels. I just prefer the gentle cleaning of #36 because my wheels are cleaned and waxed often. I don`t need the harsher cleaning power, and I think the Klasse stands a better chance of staying on my wheels with #36. I will likely buy some more Hot Rims, or maybe try the new A2Z for the cars I detail that aren`t mine.



:nixweiss

[2wheelsx2]

The new A2Z is an alkaline based formulation and has been safe in all the rims I have used them on, even pitted ones. I understand that the old one was acid based.



As for wheel protection, I think most wheel cleaners will remove any protection you put on there, so I used soap and water to clean the wheels in between polishes with #20 or AIO. But if #36 is pH balanced (I take that to mean pH=7), then it should be fine, but I suspect then that it is no stronger than a strong solution of car soap, so I would just rather use car soap.

[imported_Aurora40]

Originally posted by 2wheelsx2

The As for wheel protection, I think most wheel cleaners will remove any protection you put on there, so I used soap and water to clean the wheels in between polishes with #20 or AIO. But if #36 is pH balanced (I take that to mean pH=7), then it should be fine, but I suspect then that it is no stronger than a strong solution of car soap, so I would just rather use car soap.



It does feel soapy, and sudses up a bit. However, it is a bit more effective than car soap. But if car soap works, go for it. I think #36 might be a bit more geared to brake dust, though. But I used to use car soap too. I just hate the thought of brake dust getting into the bucket. I`m afraid it will embed there until the next wash or something. Plus, I like to wash wheels first, not last. So that makes it a bit tough to use soap unless I use a buckets-worth just for the wheels. In that case, wheel spray is probably cheaper... :nixweiss