Diluted Simple Green On Wheels

C. Charles Hahn

C. Charles Hahn

CCH Auto Appearance, LLC
SA Detailer said:
Simple Green dilute 4to1
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Here we go again.... Simple Green is not safe for those wheels in the long run!! If you have this guy as a recurring customer, in a few years you'll see yourself destroying the clear coat on them. I've watched Simple Green react with, and eat through, the clear coat on the wheels. It'll slowly make it cloudy and etch it.

In short, don't use it!! :chair:
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

Shiny Lil Detlr said:
Here we go again.... Simple Green is not safe for those wheels in the long run!! If you have this guy as a recurring customer, in a few years you'll see yourself destroying the clear coat on them. I've watched Simple Green react with, and eat through, the clear coat on the wheels. It'll slowly make it cloudy and etch it.

In short, don't use it!! :chair:
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Even when diluted 4:1?
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

Simple Green does make an automotive line , but not the one you buy at Walmart and Costco ...I agree with Shiny Charlie and people should carefully read directions...If I remember correctly it say's not to use on painted surfaces, yet a clear coated wheel is a painted surface...yes you may not see immediate problems or ever see that car again which makes taking a cheap short cut seem ok, but what if they do become a long time customer and you continue this practice? are you prepared to buy a new set of wheels?
Whether you buy an expensive or cheap product the cost per wheel is minimal if it saves time and effort...and one more point, Profesionals don't buy quarts or even one gallon at a time(retail) , they buy in bulk and pay wholesale:yes:
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

Don't want to upset anyone but I have been using SG on my personal vehicles for a long time and no damage. When properly diluted, it works wonders. You have seen this Bentley posted, it's washed every Saturday rain or shine and no damage. Photo just taken this past Sat. If you have a Northern Tool Supply store in your city, you can get it for $39.95 for 5 gl. pail. In the morining, I'll take a photo of my dirty Chevy wheel. Then another with SimpleGreen full strength, will leave on all day and you'll see the end result.
p23pn.jpg
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

TrueDetailer said:
*Off - Topic*

Hey SADetailer. Do you have any other pictures? Nothing wrong with the ones you got now but it seems like everytime you post you use the same ones of the benz and bentleys. How about some updated ones?
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How about some soap and water and a good wheel brush...

Some polish if they are really bad...

....and True..must you encourage these pictures that take my DSL forever to upload?
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

No olny did I use SG on wheels but on windsheild, front-end and side mirrors to remove bugs and grime easily.

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Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

any smart detailer knows that using simple green or poorboy's S&R on wheels every week is not good. Infact using it every other wash is best. As long as you use soap & water there shouldnt be a reason to use those harsh chemicals every week.
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

I spray simple green diluted 5:1 on all wheell types....let sit for 30 seconds don't scrub then spray off with a pressure washer

for less dirty wheels i don't use simple green...just the pressure washer....i usually only use simple green if the wheel has noticebly been neglected.

the simple green i use is the automotive line which i purchused from autozone
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

Sherman8r44 said:
Even when diluted 4:1?
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Yep. The wheels I watched it destroy were on my neighbor's Chevy conversion van (had nice clearcoat aftermarket wheels) that he was using either 4:1 or 6:1 SG on. Over the course of a year or so, the wheels turned milky white, and the clear started peeling which oxidized the aluminum underneath. Now he's got a set of stock wheels on it that he waxes weekly after cleaning them with wash soap.
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

SA Detailer said:
Don't want to upset anyone but I have been using SG on my personal vehicles for a long time and no damage. When properly diluted, it works wonders. You have seen this Bentley posted, it's washed every Saturday rain or shine and no damage. Photo just taken this past Sat. If you have a Northern Tool Supply store in your city, you can get it for $39.95 for 5 gl. pail. In the morining, I'll take a photo of my dirty Chevy wheel. Then another with SimpleGreen full strength, will leave on all day and you'll see the end result.
p23pn.jpg
Click to expand...

If you're having to SG a weekly wash customer's vehicle each time, there's something seriously wrong with the protectant/wax you are using. You shouldn't have to be aggressive with a degreaser that often unless it's winter time in a northern climate. Honestly I think you've just gotten VERY lucky so far with the way you're using SG for everything under the sun.

No olny did I use SG on wheels but on windsheild, front-end and side mirrors to remove bugs and grime easily.
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Like Steve (Poorboys) said, the directions say not to use it on painted surfaces. Again, SG is not the right or safe chemical for the job. If you want to make the job easier, buy a product meant to be used for removing that crap from paint, like Meguiar's Body Solvent or 3M General Purpose Adhesive Remover. Both are designed and rated to be safe on cured paint. The way you're going, I guarantee you WILL damage something on a customer's vehicle at some point. And from the looks of your clientelle, when you do, you'd damn well better hope you've got amazing insurance.

I will admit that I do use SG's Automotive product on wheel wells and undercarriages, or nasty parts of engines that aren't painted or aluminum, but that's ALL I use it for. After seeing the damage it can do, I've steered as clear of it as I can for anything delicate.
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

I actually use Turtle Wax Wheel and Tire Cleaner. I HATE anything Turtle Wax, however, I will use thier cleaner. It works better on tires than wheels, but still does a great job. Anyone ever used it?
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

I really thought that this would turn out to be a good thread but the pics posted by SA Detailer are so large that viewing / reading it is close to impossible....and SA don't PM me again calling me names that's just getting old....IMO
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

I use imageshack because I can put up a 3x5 pic that expands bigger if people care. 56k friendly and does all.
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

Shiny Lil Detlr said:
Over the course of a year or so, the wheels turned milky white, and the clear started peeling which oxidized the aluminum underneath. Now he's got a set of stock wheels on it that he waxes weekly after cleaning them with wash soap.
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So you are saying a year or so to see the damage of repeated SimpleGreen use. Like I stated many times before, I've been using SG weekly for my 5 yr' old truck since new and no damage. Been using it 2-3 times a week on my Mercedes Benz since I bought it new in 2002 and no damage.
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

SA Detailer said:
So you are saying a year or so to see the damage of repeated SimpleGreen use. Like I stated many times before, I've been using SG weekly for my 5 yr' old truck since new and no damage. Been using it 2-3 times a week on my Mercedes Benz since I bought it new in 2002 and no damage.
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And as I've stated many times before, you're living dangerously, and have gotten VERY lucky so far. Obviously there's no convincing you to change your own bad habits, but all I'm trying to do is get you to realize that you shouldn't be giving out this kind of advice when it is simply not safe nor sound. At least not without including a disclaimer about the potential and highly likely-to-occur dangers associated with using your methods.

Just because Simple Green is an "All-Purpose Cleaner/Degreaser" does not really mean you can use it anywhere on anything. Think about it: if an All-Purpose cleaner were able to be safely used on everything, why would so many companies be marketing specific cleaners formulated to not harm certain components? It's because from a purely chemistry-based standpoint, certain chemicals have different reactions with different substances, many of which are reactions you don't want happening. Therefore after thorough testing, companies determine the safest possible chemicals for use on wheels, engine parts, etc.

And my point still stands that there's something seriously wrong if you're having to use Simple Green on a weekly basis to get things clean -- especially where your paint is concerned. Don't you ever use wax?? And if so do you realize that SG is stripping that wax/sealant right off of anything and everything it touches??

There's no need, on a well maintained vehicle, to be using harsh chemicals on it weekly. If it is properly waxed/sealed and protected, you shouldn't need anything other than regular, gentile, mild car wash soap. Keep up with it and you'll very rarely if ever need any harsh chemicals for a well protected, properly maintained vehicle.
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

Shiny Lil Detlr said:
And my point still stands that there's something seriously wrong if you're having to use Simple Green on a weekly basis to get things clean -- especially where your paint is concerned. Don't you ever use wax?? And if so do you realize that SG is stripping that wax/sealant right off of anything and everything it touches??

There's no need, on a well maintained vehicle, to be using harsh chemicals on it weekly. If it is properly waxed/sealed and protected, you shouldn't need anything other than regular, gentile, mild car wash soap. Keep up with it and you'll very rarely if ever need any harsh chemicals for a well protected, properly maintained vehicle.
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You have answered your own question and you didn't even know it. :yes:
When he cuts coners and uses cheap products he needs to use harsh chemicals to properly maintain his vehicles:yes:

Sharing bad habits with others is not what a "Detailing" forum is all about:no:
......just read my signature:lol:
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

thats why theres a line between enthusiast and professional detailers.


pro's think enthusiast dont know their stuff. the actual fact is that enthusiast arent doing it to make a living. they're doing it to satisfy their own obsession. therefor, wouldnt it make sense that the enthusiast would be looking at a more safer beneficial standpoint where as the pro would be looking for the quicker easier cheaper way?

now this isnt in regards to certain pro on this board (beemerboy, gsrstilez, ect) but is in regards to the pros such as SA DETAILER who if u read his posts will constantly mention the price of both the car and the detail along with how fast he did it.

most of the time pro detailers will do just that. use cheaper products, lesser quality stuff. and hey, they're doing it to make money so by all means, go ahead. but when the subject comes down to which is the better or safer way, one must give a solid beneficial answer.

if the question was, which cleaner can i get for 4 bucks a gallon at homedepot to clean heavy to light grime off wheels/tires/wells then one would chime in with the answer of "xxx" product but beware as it has been seen in cases to cause harm and/or damage to finshes.

cutting corners isnt detailing.
 
Re: Wheel Cleaner Which??

SA Detailer said:
So you are saying a year or so to see the damage of repeated SimpleGreen use. Like I stated many times before, I've been using SG weekly for my 5 yr' old truck since new and no damage. Been using it 2-3 times a week on my Mercedes Benz since I bought it new in 2002 and no damage.
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SA

Your dealing with more weekend detailers than anything here...your method is a bit to aggressive for those... I've used SG in the past and on some surfaces, clear coated rims it WILL haze the finish...if you've not seen this then I think your telling less than the truth.....most here are not concerned with either how fast it can be done, or the cost in most cases....Its about what is the best process and safest for their cars.

Having said that I had a BMW with BBS rims that I used very aggressive degreasers on for 5 years....It went threw the clear coat on some areas of the rims...this I know this was due to the degreaser...its designed to cut....I can also agree that if you are using this method every week on your regular customers, then something is wrong....my cars are cleaned every week....and I use a toilet brush and the soapy water and they look as good as the giant pics that you have posted here.
 
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