Best cleaner for alloy wheels?

Question

I'm being driven crazy by airy-fairy 'state-of-the-art' products that cost an absolute fortune and last about 30 seconds. I just want clean wheels.
Anybody out there with some top tips for a show-time finish without breaking my back, my nails or the bank?

Answer 1

While many of the suggestions so far have been fine, they can also be quite expensive and/or can only be used for 1 purpose.....cleaning your wheels.

Here is what I do:

Wet tires and wheels, use Simple Green spray (it is a household cleaner available at WalMart, Target, etc), hose spray (or power spray) off the tires and wheels after 30 seconds, and then dry it off with a damp micro-fiber towel.
If they are really dirty or you have brake dust caked on them, it will take multiple applications.
If you do this once a week, it is pretty easy and will not break your back.

Personally, I would not use paper towels or even terry cloth towels unless you don't care about fine scratches.

Answer 2

I'm affraid nobody has ever really succeded in solving this problem. The dust created from brake pad /shoe wear is quite abrasive and slightly acidic when wet and corrodes the alloys if not cleaned regularly. The type of cleaner the car show rooms use is again basically a diluted acid. sprayed onto the wheels, wait a minute and then using a high pressure washer it's blasted off. Obviously the less spokes there are the easier it is to clean. Oxy-Gel kitchen cleaner is actually very good as it's an oxygenated bleach and cheap from the local supermarkets, but watch your eyes and plants. Becareful if you use a spray wax afterwards that you don't spray the brake pads / discs or it might impair their performance. To prevent build up just rinse them off every other day with a pressure washer. only taked a few minutes.

Answer 3

Eagle One Wheel and Tire Cleaner. Sorry about your nails but to get a perfect job it may be necessary it may be necessary to use a sponge backed White household Scotch Bright Pad.
Be absolutely your tires and aluninum wheels are stone cold when you clean them. Otherwise the foamy cleaner evaporates too fast and leaves a yellow cooked on mess.

Answer 4

'meguiars hot rims all wheel cleaner' it comes in a clear purple spray bottle and it cost less than 10 bucks and should last you a while, it can be bought at a local auto store like murrays or autozone. all you have to do is spray it on let soak in for 15 seconds then blast off, its seriously that simple and makes everything all shiny and new looking.

Answer 5

well mother mag and aluminum polish is a real good choice also turtle wax chrome polish (its not just for chrome either) theres a little work involved but also has a very good turn out they both run about 5 -7 $ and can be found at local autostore or walmart. another thing i have found to wrok real well is a product called touch of purple (touchofpurple.com) a little pricey but can be used on much more than rims.

Answer 6

Simple green. Save your money for other stuff.

Answer 7

rebel clean it with a paper towel, dry.