Questions for Mobile Detailers & QEW Users

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imported_Reflections

New member
What technique do you use to clean wheels without getting dirty water all over the place? I am able to wash my car safely and effectively with QEW getting minimal drops on the ground. The problem I have is after applying a cleaning spray to my tires and wheels. On intricate wheels, wiping them clean with a wet mf or mit just isn't going to get rid of all the cleaner residue. One idea I have is to put a rag on the ground on each side of the wheel to absorb water, and give it a quick rinse with my pressure washer on the ultra low setting. Any other suggestions for wheels?



Engine bay: Assume you're working on someone else's driveway or in their garage. Aside from putting a couple large old towels on the ground under the engine to catch any greasy dripping from degreaser/steam cleaning, is there another way to avoid making a mess? Any suggestions?



Thanks for the help!!



P.S. In my city (Downtown Canada), it is ok to have runoff hit the storm sewer as long as it has no soap in it, so I am pre-rinsing cars with my pressure washer and pure water before going at them with the QEW, so the wheels aren't super caked with grime or anything anymore.
 
I don't use wheel cleaners at all. I just use QEW and an assortment of brushes.



Normally, I don't clean engines due to liability concerns and that hardly anyone even asks about engine cleaning. I'll wipe down the engine bay if asked though, most modern engines leak very little oil so most of what is under the hood is dust.
 
Thanks Scott, I hadn't even considered not using wheel cleaner. I do have a good assortment of brushes for wheel work, so I will definately give this a try. Do you use a special cleaner on the tires and wipe, or does QEW take care of that as well? Thanks again!
 
For wheels, I just use my QEW water mixture (unless they have really bad caked on brake dust or something, in which case Poorboy's wheel cleaner comes out). If they have hard to reach areas, I put a spray bottle on the most "forceful" setting and rinse them out that way. There's no significant water left over, definitely enough to blot up with a small towel.



A bug sprayer (I have a 1 gallon one from walmart) can also be handy for rinsing and the like.
 
Reflections said:
Thanks Scott, I hadn't even considered not using wheel cleaner. I do have a good assortment of brushes for wheel work, so I will definately give this a try. Do you use a special cleaner on the tires and wipe, or does QEW take care of that as well? Thanks again!
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The only special cleaner I use at all is Orange Blast Degreaser, which I use on the very few whitewall tires I run across. Rinses clean quickly with QEW.
 
I'm going to try spraying with wheel cleaner, agitating, letting it sit for a couple minutes, then wiping, then spraying with QEW, and wiping again. I think that will take care of any residue! We have a lot of really dirty wheels here. My city doesn't use salt on the roads during winter, but it uses a whole heck of a lot of sand. Thanks for the tips!!
 
im currently working on blue prints for a cheap diy containment mat ill post it when i got it completed and tested out and believe me i mean like under 100 dollars it might help you
 
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