Is PB Spray & Rinse Wheel Cleaner as good as they claim

[Kai]

You bet your jerk it is!! :bow

Just for the sake of testing...I tried Four Star Ultimate Wheel Cleaner Gel and Spray & Rinse Wheel Cleaner on the two front wheels of our Sequoia which recently have attacked by dusty TRD pads. I know this probably won`t be the fairest comparison since 4 Star`s gel requires you to use sponge or whatever to wipe down the wheel during the process, so I gave PB slight handicap by not spraying cold water onto the wheels before applying PB`s S&R.

Here you can see how bad both wheels were..
As you can see both wheels were at the same level of "dirtiness"
Right front before 4 Star
http://images7.fotki.com/v109/photos/1/121550/1365755/Rwo4star-vi.jpg
Left front before PB
http://images8.fotki.com/v112/photos/1/121550/1365755/LwoPB-vi.jpg

First 30 second after 4 star
http://images7.fotki.com/v109/photos/1/121550/1365755/Rw4star-vi.jpg
First 30 second after PB
http://images8.fotki.com/v112/photos/1/121550/1365755/LwPB-vi.jpg

Light rinse after 4 star
http://images8.fotki.com/v112/photos/1/121550/1365755/4star30s-vi.jpg
Light rinse after PB
http://images8.fotki.com/v111/photos/1/121550/1365755/PB30s-vi.jpg

4 Star Final rinse
http://images8.fotki.com/v111/photos/1/121550/1365755/4starfinalrinse-vi.jpg
PB Final rinse
http://images7.fotki.com/v109/photos/1/121550/1365755/PBfinalrinse-vi.jpg

4 Star is still one of my favorite wheel cleaner, and since I did not do any wipe down during the process as instructed, I did not expect it to do as well as PB`s S&R. Plus, PB`s S&R is advertised only need to "Spray AND Rinse" I`m very impressed with the PB S&R, it took out just about 95% of the dust and curd on that wheel...while without wiping the wheel 4 Star took about 80% of the junk off the other wheel. But with my passed experience I know 4 Star should do just as well with some wiping...

I can`t wait to get the PB`s S&W. :D Pretty excited about their products. Maybe sometime this week I will try out their new car wash I bought. I chose that over the Meguiar`s Shampoo Plus from their Detailer`s line. http://www.properautocare.com/meshpl1ga.html
It`s almost 4 times more expensive, but I think it should perform just as well as other PB products.

[Kai]

You can see the higher resolution pictures here: http://public.fotki.com/Huangfamily/cleaning/

password: PB

[Boss_429]

Nice review! :bigups

I agree, the PB`s S & R is the best spray and rinse wheel cleaner I`ve used. As you said, the 4* gel is not a spray and rise product, and really can`t be compared. However, when used as instructed, the 4* gel work very nice, and leaves a nice shine.

Both great products!

[SilverLexus]

I think you probably really need to agitate both products for the best results.

[Kai]

I think you probably really need to agitate both products for the best results.

:rolleyes:

[RedondoV6]

I tested PB`s SNR over the weekend. It IS very good and works just as described.

Tested with litmus paper, came out reading about PH4. If anyone has a PH meter that can give an accurate reading I`d be interested to hear it. Pics etc of my test over at Autopia.

[zesty-man]

i think litmus paper is an accurate meter of pH, thats what we used in chem anyways. i guess that means that PB Spray nad rinse is slightly acidic.

[RedondoV6]

i think litmus paper is an accurate meter of pH, thats what we used in chem anyways. i guess that means that PB Spray nad rinse is slightly acidic.

Yep Zesty! PH4 would be slightly acidic. For reference, the PH of some common substances are listed below:

Lemon Juice 2.5
Vinegar 2.5-3.5
Grapes 3.5-4.5
Acid Rain around 5.2

If anyone is wondering why the PH value is important, it is because there have been reports of some strong wheel cleaners etching the finish on some wheels. Often it is because the cleaner was used on a hot wheel, left to soak for too long or even dry on the wheel, but the danger is still there.

For myself, I`ll be washing my wheels with milder wash shampoo most weekends and saving the stronger wheel cleaners for occasional use. When I do reach for a wheel cleaner, it will probably be PB`s SNR, I was very impressed with it`s performance.

[SilverLexus]

Kai,

The reason I said this is because in my experience agitation works best for all wheel cleaners and for some like A2Z is essential.

Maybe you could do your test again and show the results with agitation and I would also include A2Z which is as good as some expensive cleaners like P21S Gel.

"Tested with litmus paper, came out reading about PH4."

Yowza, that seems strong...I think we want a neutral Ph for wheel cleaner...

[Poorboy]

Aggitation is not always possible with some of the new complicated wheels made today, but i agree that slight aggitation could not hurt and would not require a second pass.

I also agree that this is a stong Professional Wheel Cleaner and should not be used as a weekly cleaner, but for those who detail for a living, have complicated wheels or deal with vehicles that are not properly maintained it can surely save a lot of work.

If you clean wheels well and then protect them with a sealant, then regular maintenece should be easy and not require a strong cleaner.

[Kai]

Kai,

The reason I said this is because in my experience agitation works best for all wheel cleaners and for some like A2Z is essential.

I think agitation is important for most of the wheel cleaners out there, like I MENTIONED above, I was just simply testing both wheel cleaners to see how well they work by simply just spraying and rinsing. And I STATED it probably wasn`t the fairest for 4 Star as it was instructed to use sponge or towel to wipe down the surface after spraying.
I KNEW what 4 Star`s wheel cleaning gel can do, this was simply for the sake of testing.

[RedondoV6]

"Tested with litmus paper, came out reading about PH4."

Yowza, that seems strong...I think we want a neutral Ph for wheel cleaner...

Hehehe A2Z has a PH of around 13! :eek Very strong base!

I think you are right to be cautious though, when using ANY strong chemical cleaners. Spot check first, only use on a cool surface, do not leave to soak for too long and rinse off really well are all very good ideas.

On a weekly basis my wheels and tires will only see car wash shampoo, but a few times a year I`ll be breaking out the PB`s SNR for the wheels AND the A2Z for the tires! The results I achieved by using these two (separated by a good rinse) were absolutely excellent!

[awd330]

On a weekly basis my wheels and tires will only see car wash shampoo, but a few times a year I`ll be breaking out the PB`s SNR for the wheels AND the A2Z for the tires! The results I achieved by using these two (separated by a good rinse) were absolutely excellent!
I plan to do something similar. If the wheels on my personal vehicles are protected by a fresh coat of sealant, then a good car wash shampoo (plus a little agitation) are all I need to clean my wheels. When it`s time for a new coat of sealant, I will break out the S&R to do its magic on all the little crevices before polishing and re-sealing. I still like to use Meg`s Citri-Gel to deep clean tires, especially those with RWL. For weekly maintenance on tires, BnB seems to do the job very well (lightly cleans and dresses in one step).

[TheSopranos16]

This may seem a little crazy but can SNR be used on carpets? I was just thinking for really dirty and stained mats. You might be able spray some SNR, scrub and then hose off and let dry. Its such an unbelievable cleaner but with a PH of 4, it might damage mats. I would say the biggest concern would be if the cleaner would fade the color of the mat but I`m not really sure, any thoughts? I can tell you one thing, I`ll definately be using this stuff for engines!!!

[Poorboy]

no I wouldn`t use it on carpet Charles, but the other prototype..the green one..can easily be diluted for use on almost anything ..it starts out as a pH 7 and will not damage of fade the carpet...I also suggest the prototype green stuff for engines too.