Which Wheel Cleaner?

[TomsFocus]

As above...  I'm after a new alloy cleaner.  Car goes for long periods without a clean so need something that shifts thick brake dust and filth but without ruining the finish.

Problem is budget though...needs to be cheap as possible!

Any recommendations?

[Frembrit]

How long are we talking here?

Before I swap summer/winter wheels, I use Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel once to clean them and then apply Mer Wheel wax which helps prevent brake dust from sticking to the wheel. All I do for subsequent cleans is wipe the wheel with a sponge and soapy water. OK, I appreciate that it's slightly easier to do this on a spare set of wheels, but I reckon that if you can spare that initial bit of time once a year to clean the wheels apply wheel wax, it will save you loads of time for subsequent cleaning.

[alexp999]

Something non caustic.

I use bilberry wheel cleaner. Great stuff lasts ages, you buy as concentrate then just make up your own spray bottle to the strength you want. I have mine quite strong as I only do them a few times a year, haha.

[TomsFocus]

10 hours ago, Frembrit said:

How long are we talking here?

Before I swap summer/winter wheels, I use Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel once to clean them and then apply Mer Wheel wax which helps prevent brake dust from sticking to the wheel. All I do for subsequent cleans is wipe the wheel with a sponge and soapy water. OK, I appreciate that it's slightly easier to do this on a spare set of wheels, but I reckon that if you can spare that initial bit of time once a year to clean the wheels apply wheel wax, it will save you loads of time for subsequent cleaning.

Can be 6 months over winter so quite a build up lol, more like 2-3 months in summer.  I do usually apply Poorboys Wheel Sealant once a year but they're tight gapped multispokes so it's difficult to get good coverage between the spokes with sealant.  Means it gets caked in the thin end that I can't easily reach with a microfiber either...just want something I can spray on that'll lift the muck so it can simply be blasted off with the jetwash. 

38 minutes ago, alexp999 said:

Something non caustic.

I use bilberry wheel cleaner. Great stuff lasts ages, you buy as concentrate then just make up your own spray bottle to the strength you want. I have mine quite strong as I only do them a few times a year, haha.

I've heard good things about Bilberry before, and it's like half the price of Dragons breath as well. 

[Ryan_Tango]

I use autobrite purple rain 2.0 ***** brilliant stuff, works great on tar spots too.

[TomsFocus]

7 minutes ago, Ryan_Tango said:

I use autobrite purple rain 2.0 ***** brilliant stuff, works great on tar spots too.

I'm sure it's good, but at a tenner a bottle it's way too expensive for me...looking at about half that really lol.

[Ryan_Tango]

1 minute ago, TomsFocus said:

I'm sure it's good, but at a tenner a bottle it's way too expensive for me...looking at about half that really lol.

You can get 2 for £16 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262682519737 

It is expensive but it goes a long way you get gloves and a microfibre too :P

[TomsFocus]

I just don't have the cash atm.  In all honesty I wasn't going to bother cleaning the car for a few months when I hope to have a bit more money spare for some decent products...but that plan has failed due to unforeseen circumstances and I need to clean it this week now lol.  Don't have any car shampoo either, was tempted to use some shower gel...it's roughly the same right?

I was hoping someone might say they'd got decent results from something cheap from B&M or Poundland lol.  At the very least I need to get some car shampoo and wheel cleaner for a tenner max.  

I've seen Halfords currently have 20% of Autoglym, with that plus the 15% Forum discount I can get some AG bodywork shampoo and AG Clean wheels for £10.45.  Anyone tried the clean wheels?  I've been disappointed with a few AG products so far.  I also saw Tesco sell wheel cleaner for £2 but surely it can't be any good at that price lol?

[alexp999]

If you buy cheap wheel cleaner just make sure it's no caustic.

I used to use wonder wheels until it ate my centre caps.

[Ryan_Tango]

If I didn't live so damn far away I would've let you use my shampoo, wheel cleaner and polishes and waxes xD 

[TomsFocus]

22 hours ago, alexp999 said:

If you buy cheap wheel cleaner just make sure it's no caustic.

I used to use wonder wheels until it ate my centre caps.

Looks like the cheap stuff is all caustic.  Though I've noticed some contains an acidity regulator so not sure if that helps?

The £2 Tesco one has warnings about getting in near skin so probably best to avoid that one lol, but I found this stuff for a quid in Home Bargains...not sure whether to try it or not!  https://www.astonishcleaners.co.uk/the-astonish-range/product-category/car-care-wheel-cleaner/

[alexp999]

29 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Looks like the cheap stuff is all caustic.  Though I've noticed some contains an acidity regulator so not sure if that helps?

The £2 Tesco one has warnings about getting in near skin so probably best to avoid that one lol, but I found this stuff for a quid in Home Bargains...not sure whether to try it or not!  https://www.astonishcleaners.co.uk/the-astonish-range/product-category/car-care-wheel-cleaner/

That astonish one contains Sodium Hydroxide.

 

EDIT: Actually so does Bilberry.

[alexp999]

I might have to start looking for another cleaner.

Bilberry is non-acidic, but still caustic.

They just use high pH (alkaline) chemicals instead. Still it hasn't eaten my centre caps like wonder wheels did.

[TomsFocus]

2 minutes ago, alexp999 said:

I might have to start looking for another cleaner.

Bilberry is non-acidic, but still caustic.

They just use high pH (alkaline) chemicals instead. Still it hasn't eaten my centre caps like wonder wheels did.

I did wonder why Ford centre caps always look so bad, I'd put it down to poor quality and cheap manufacturing lol, never thought about it being the cleaner before you said.  I bought a brand new set of caps a couple of years ago and they're still fine, I'd been using Simoniz when it was on offer in Tesco back in 2016, not sure whether that's acidic or not but it's now back up at £4.50 a bottle and wasn't that great tbh lol.

[russellgirl]

Depends on the surface and condition. However, detail brushes, boars hair brushes and wheel woolies can be used on practically every wheel.

I vote for Meguair's products it's called Endurance Tire Gel or something similar (https://carpassionate.com/best-tire-shine/). They're safe for the car and don't cause the orange peel effect like ***** armor all.

[Ian Lanc]

''Elbow Grease'' costs nothing ? Cheapest I've found!!

[Stoney871]

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[TomsFocus]

I never did buy a better wheel cleaner, just more cheap Tesco rubbish...I wonder where those Focus Titanium multispokes are now, they were going onto a Transit Connect when I sold them about a year ago...

Elbow grease doesn't remove tar or fallout so a detergent is helpful.  I assume you don't just scrub the roasting tin for hours with plain water on a Sunday?  

Anyway, best I've seen at a sensible price since is the Auto Finesse one which I'll probably buy when I change car, along with some other AF products.  Hoping to have an easily accessible parking space by then for more frequent cleaning as well!  Then finish off with a decent wax so they stay cleaner for longer and remain easier to clean.  

[PTG Brains]

I use Sonax wheel cleaner. 100% not acidic but there's something in it lol I did buy a bottle of Simoniz wheel cleaner from tesco once when it was on offer as it didn't seem to mention acidic, but soon as I sprayed it I could smell acid. All wheel cleaners I've seen in supermarkets are acidic, best to stay clear even if money is tight. As someone else mentioned always wax them after a deep clean.