anyone found cheap, dilutable maintenance wheel cleaner?

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ddvette9

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Still on the hunt for a wheel cleaner that fits the following criteria

-dilutable
-SAFE
-good price

Don't really need sonax or iron x or a wheel cleaner causing a wheel to "bleed" the iron deposits out. My car is cleaned 2-3 times a week. I like easy wheel cleaners that spray on, cling to the face, dissolve grime and with agitation from my various brushes wash away very simple and clean. PH neutral or balanced is somewhat important as my wheels may not always be icy cold before I start to clean them.

Recently used CG Diablo which is a pretty famous dilutable maintenance cleaner but honestly I am not very impressed.

Some people out there I am sure would tell me use an APC or regular car wash soap. That is probably the best thing, however I am still on a goose chase to find my golden wheel cleaner that can stick to my wheel faces and break away grime before I start agitating.

Any suggestions?
 
Well, let me answer your question a little differently than what you posed. If I understand your question correctly, you want to have an easy time cleaning your "well maintained" wheels. In a nutshell the least expensive option you have is to COAT THEM!!!!

Personally I would take them off the car, clean and decontaminate them, give them a light polish and coat them with CQuartz DLUX CQuartz DLUX kit link here. This way you are protecting your investment, have a super-hydrophobic surface, provide great chemical protection and cleaning them is as easy as using your regular car shampoo and rinsing off. Because it is a coating, it is chemically resistant, so cleaning your tires with a dilution of APC won't be harming them (as it would a wax or sealant). Once in a while you can use IronX Snow soap IronX snow soap link here and that way you are cleaning and decontaminating the ferrous "stuff" gripping to your wheel. Tar and other contaminants won't have a chance on a coated surface.

As they say: " An ounce of prevention = a pound of cure " I think your question was the pound of cure ;)
 
I use reset and wheel woolies,no need for a cleaner if you keep up on them!
 
I use a light mist of APC with wheel woolies and a bucket with a rich mix of soap and water.
 
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I use Megs APC @ 4:1 on my wheels for regular cleaning. If you don't let them get real dirty this will work just fine, and is dirt cheap :)

But I agree with Claude also about coating your wheels, will make keeping them clean a lot easier.
 
My only concern with using APC, even diluted, on sealed or waxed rims is that the APC will speed the degradation of the LSP used, so you end up having to reapply more often. APC undiluted is pH 12ish and even diluted you are above the pH 8 mark which will exponentially affect the integrity of the product used to protect the rim (if any is used). If not is used, then go at it LOL!
 
Your not going to find a "safe", diluteable, non - acid wheel cleaner much better than Diablo. However, I like Sticky Wheel Cleaner by CG better with a foaming sprayer.

The thing is, all of these are high pH / APC type wheel cleaners. The higher the pH - the better they will likely work.

Of course, there is always Wheel Brite by Megs. It's cheap, diluteable, and works awesome. But, it can damage some wheels, will strip most wheel protection, and may damage brake components finishes. Brown Royal is another alternative - but on the the other side of the pH scale.

But if I was detailing for dollars, I'd be using WB.
 
P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner, if you want to dilute it, should do the trick. It's the only wheel cleaner we've used for about 5 years now.
 
I would go the coating route. I recently pulled my painted AMG wheels off. Decontaminated, polished, Eraser wipe and applied Optimum Gloss Coat (wheel faces and barrels). Hoping the Gloss Coat will have Optimum like durability. Have three coats of UK on the rest. Makes cleaning so much easier.
 
I used to use Mothers Foaming wheel cleaner, I liked it. I ran out and used the soap and bucket with the woolies and glove never really felt the need to go back.
 
Mike lambert said:
I use reset and wheel woolies,no need for a cleaner if you keep up on them!
Click to expand...

Listen to the Doctor and Tad for protection. Listen to Mike for maintenance. Boost with Reload when in the mood. No more needed and corey sells it all!
 
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