View Full Version : Off the shelf wheel cleaner
bmwjorge22
04-21-2004, 09:49 PM
What is a good off the shelf wheel cleaner that is mild. I have Eagle One A2Z but I read that it is too harsh to use for regular wheel cleaning. I just used it for real tough jobs and before I wax my wheels.
Dinzdale40
04-21-2004, 09:52 PM
maybe try dilluting it....
P21S I understand is one of the mildest cleaners, but a "recent test" showed A2Z to be a safe cleaner to use despite its strength, and many people use it on a regular basis (like me).
I think you basically have two options: Wheel cleaner or no wheel cleaner. Not many wheel cleaners out there are both neutral/mild yet strong enough to totally clean off brake dust without brushing/rubbing. If this is the case, I would just use car shampoo if I had to scrub anyway.
37buckeye
04-22-2004, 06:20 AM
P21S is one of the mildest wheel cleaners around. What I like to do is get the wheels as clean as possible and then apply AIO and SG to them. Future clean-up is then done using car wash shampoo.
Gonzo
04-22-2004, 06:42 AM
GSRspeedracer
Do your wheels get nasty because you play in the mud and/or sand or is it just brake dust? Try putting the Klasse twins on the wheel the next time you have them off. Do every surface. Brake dust pretty much just washes away when you wash the vehicle.
kpounds
04-22-2004, 07:34 AM
The orange A2Z is supposed to be non-acidic and I think has a low PH of about 2. The older A2Z (in black bottle?) was harsh and I`ve heard a few bad stories about it.
From Eagle One`s website:
Eagle One A2Z All Wheel & Tire Cleaner is safe for all types of metal hubcaps and steel or aluminum alloy wheels. Safe finishes include: anodized, clear coated, factory painted and chrome.
* Acid free
jasonatv22
04-22-2004, 08:03 AM
Kpounds, if it had a pH of 2, it would be quite acidic. I think it`s basic, actually I know it is, but I think it has a pH of around 10 or 11.
You can tell it`s basic by spraying it on your hand (don`t, though) and waiting. Once it starts itching like crazy, and you hose it off, it doesn`t matter, the damage is done. Acids you feel right away though.
I have some A2Z that I use in special cases. Otherwise, I use Orange Blast undiluted. I have etched my wife`s car`s wheels with A2Z before. I feel really bad about that too. I let it sit too long.
foxtrapper
04-22-2004, 10:27 AM
You can tell it`s basic by spraying it on your hand (don`t, though) and waiting. Once it starts itching like crazy, and you hose it off, it doesn`t matter, the damage is done. Acids you feel right away though.
Reaction time is a function of how strong it is. Doesn`t matter if it`s a base or acid. At the extremes, both are very powerfull.
You can tell a base by feel not by waiting to see if you itch (which has nothing to do with ph), but by seeing if you feel slippery. Essentially, a base will disolve you skin and that`s what makes you feel slippery.
Simplistic
04-22-2004, 11:21 AM
Originally posted by foxtrapper
Reaction time is a function of how strong it is. Doesn`t matter if it`s a base or acid. At the extremes, both are very powerfull.
You can tell a base by feel not by waiting to see if you itch (which has nothing to do with ph), but by seeing if you feel slippery. Essentially, a base will disolve you skin and that`s what makes you feel slippery. I agree that bases feel slippery, but I don`t think it`s because it dissolves your skin. it`s just a property of bases. perhaps due to OH ions. not sure though.
foxtrapper
04-22-2004, 12:04 PM
Originally posted by Simplistic
I agree that bases feel slippery, but I don`t think it`s because it dissolves your skin. it`s just a property of bases. perhaps due to OH ions. not sure though.
Todd Whitcombe describes it very well.
The answer to your question is that acids and bases react through very different mechanisms with flesh. Acids burn while bases saponify.
The membranes of your cells are made up of lipids, which consist of a head group attached by an ester to a fatty acid. In the presence of base, the ester is "hydrolyzed" or saponification occurs, cleaving the fatty acid which is then free to dissolve in the aqueous solution. The result is that base destroys the molecules that make up the membranes of the cells. And with no membrane, no cell. No cell, no organ or flesh or whatever. The reaction is much slower than the reaction with acid but the result is that the cells dissolve into the matrix.
The gelatin like consistency is a consequence of the release of all of the inner workings of the cells into the "soup" - into the solution that is formed. Culinary gelatin is made from pig skin. In essence, it is the collagen material - the proteins of the skin - dissolved in water. Dissolving skin into base achieves much the same effect. Indeed, just using a really harsh soap can result in the cleavage of the molecules of the dead cells on the surface of your skin resulting in a slippery, smooth feeling - the start of "gelatin" formation.
Umm, interesting but in any case I wouldn`t recommend using your fingers as impromptu litmus paper. :p
If you have fat and a strong base solution you can make soap BTW... just like in Fight Club! :D