wheel cleaning

I couldn't sit still yesterday so I decided to wash my truck. Like a dummy I didn't bother to take 'before' pictures, since my luck with most wheel cleaners is average at best given the amount of brake dust that seems to accumulate.

Just think of it this way, my wheels were dark grey/black in most spots...

The solution? I used Griot's Garage Heavy-Duty wheel cleaner as it's worked the best out of any cleaner I've used, but it doesn't remove the baked/dried on stuff (using a nylon brush). Upon closer examination, I found I could scrape that brake dust off with my fingernail, so, more abrasion is needed, but not too much since I don't want to scratch anything. What I ended up using is the same wheel cleaner but instead of the brush, I used 0000 steel wool (super fine). The cleaner acts like a lubricant so no scratches were made and took very minimal scrubbing. I literally spent 2 minutes per wheel with the cleaner/steel wool combination, and I have to say the wheels look brand new!

Should look at Nevr Dull, that stuff works wonders on stuck on grime. Looks like you had good results though.

I've used practically every cleaner on the market and Sonax and Griot's seem to be 2 of the best (personal experience), but Sonax smells awful. Griot's has the same sulfur/rotten egg smell, but they added cherry or something to it, it's actually not too bad. Been awhile since I've used nevr dull, I'll have to pick some up again.

I have sonax now and it works great, but I'm going to make the switch to IronX after I empty that bottle. Heard great things about it.

I've read some good things about IronX but it's supposed to smell even worse than Sonax... There's a ton of information on these cleaners on some of the detailing forums around the web. Griot's was the only product that I could find and acquire the same day, and I'm glad I went with it. They also make a 'standard duty' wheel cleaner for people who actually wash their vehicles regularly and don't accumulate much, but my wheels were as dark as your T/A =)

I use Adams Deep wheel cleaner with their All Purpose cleaner, works great with minimal brushing, if any (maybe some brushing on tires but not on wheels). And...best of all...it doesn't smell like a bad fart whatsoever LOL. Turns a dark purple when its working...great stuff!

smykowski said:

I've read some good things about IronX but it's supposed to smell even worse than Sonax... There's a ton of information on these cleaners on some of the detailing forums around the web. Griot's was the only product that I could find and acquire the same day, and I'm glad I went with it. They also make a 'standard duty' wheel cleaner for people who actually wash their vehicles regularly and don't accumulate much, but my wheels were as dark as your T/A =)

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Those must have been some nasty wheels! Personally I like my products to smell good, but if they clean as well as I've read, I can tolerate it haha. I mostly use chemical guys products, wish they had a good wheels cleaner. I prefer to stay with the same product maker. Helps keep some of my OCD tendencies under control

I hear ya, I like to find a superior product and stick with it. From my results, this will be in my garage for many years to come!

Another vote on using IronX. This stuff can remove rust stains and other contaminants.

RAtmosphere said:

I use Adams Deep wheel cleaner with their All Purpose cleaner, works great with minimal brushing, if any (maybe some brushing on tires but not on wheels). And...best of all...it doesn't smell like a bad fart whatsoever LOL. Turns a dark purple when its working...great stuff!

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Thanks......Our Deep Wheel Cleaner does works great.
Have you tried our Turbo stick for wheels?

Adam's Deep Wheel Cleaner | Wheel Cleaning Brush