Wheel Woolies
- Thread starter S18RVW
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- alloy wheels detailing
And some car wash shampoo stuff, if you do it often the brake dust doesn't build up.
Don't use harsh acid wheel cleaners unless you're cleaning a £400 old banger with ten years of baked on brake dust on the alloys.
I use the car shampoo after I've done the bodywork to do wheels. The choice is almost endless, I mainly use Autoglym products but there are too many alternatives to list.
Back in my 'alloy' wheel days, I had a set of Woolies. Yeah they do the job when you have intricate style wheels, but they are expensive and get quite heavy when soaked with water and you have a million spokes to get between. I used mine a few times and then gave them away because a favoured different methods of cleaning.
Steel wheels on the other hand, are a 2 minute job to clean and I now have time to drink more coffee and read through the T6F
Meguiar's Super Thick Microfibre Wash Mitt
The Meguiar's Super Thick Microfibre Wash Mitt allows for swirl-free washing while lifting and trapping the dirt. Absorbent microfibre carries more suds and water, and the plush microfibre loops lift and trap dirt and grime away from the surface to prevent scratching. The Super Thick Microfibre...
This is my preferred, dedicated wheel washing mitt. It's robust enough to push between the spokes and clean the inside of the wheel as well. Nothing more needed than car shampoo either, especially if you are starting with clean wheels.
Oh, and I always clean the wheels and arches first, before getting fresh buckets to wash the rest of the vehicle. That way, they get done properly, rather than "that'll do" at the end of the job with dirty water.
I coated mine with C5 before putting them on.
As above I clean my wheels first (sometimes the day before) and I use one of these to get in between the spokes of my Rally Raids.
As above I clean my wheels first (sometimes the day before) and I use one of these to get in between the spokes of my Rally Raids.
Wheel Woolies are great - not cheap but they do last a long time.
I use one of these, it's very good.
www.cleanyourcar.co.uk
Meguiar's Supreme Microfibre Wheel Brush
Meguiar's Supreme Microfibre Wheel Brush X1902EU Meguiar’s Supreme wheel brushes have thick microfibre heads with superior cleaning ability and completely safe on all finishes and wheel types. Perfect for cleaning all wheel surfaces and long enough to reach through to the back of your wheels for
www.cleanyourcar.co.uk
A ceramic coating before you fit the new wheels is the best money you can spend in making them easier to clean and keep them looking good. You can pick up an Autofinesse wheel ceramic kit from Halfrauds for about 25-30 quid I think. It's a doddle to apply and will make the wheels so much easier to clean. Just make sure the tyres are fitted before you apply the ceramic coating or the wheel weights won't want to stick very well.
If you've got a wide spoke pattern with loads of room, you don't need wheel woolies, it's easy enough to get in there with a decent wash mitt. If they are narrower or more intricate then woolies or similar are a good idea.
Agree with Chris, my wheels are intricate and we’re not easy to clean until I got my wheel woolies which make it much easier. As mentioned above I clean them on a different day than I wash Floyd. I also use a none chemical cleaner as below:
My summer wheels are coated with Gtechniq C5 wheel armour... I did that on the dinning table one fathers day. It was a really good use of time and now the wheels are so easy to maintain. A light wetting, some bilburry (chemical free) wheel cleaner and they are like new again. I had the C5 for 3 years before applying it! What an idiot, it has made it so much easier to keep on top of i wish i'd done it sooner!
My winter wheels (and the wifes car) i use the BiltHamber AutoWheels - It has funny smell but its like magic!
Spray it on, watch it cling to the dirt and grime, turning purple to indicate a reaction...
This is the results after a zero contact wash... I just sprayed onto dry wheels, left it to dwell and jet washed off!
I'm not sure what it would do to the C5 coating hence sticking to Bilberry at a strongish dilution and a decnt wheel wooly.
I rate forensicdetailing on youtube, worth a watch if you have 2 hours to loose!
Good luck
My winter wheels (and the wifes car) i use the BiltHamber AutoWheels - It has funny smell but its like magic!
Spray it on, watch it cling to the dirt and grime, turning purple to indicate a reaction...
This is the results after a zero contact wash... I just sprayed onto dry wheels, left it to dwell and jet washed off! I'm not sure what it would do to the C5 coating hence sticking to Bilberry at a strongish dilution and a decnt wheel wooly.
I rate forensicdetailing on youtube, worth a watch if you have 2 hours to loose!
Good luck
I use an ikea 99pence bog brush, with a hole drilled in the screw cap on the top of the handle and a nut n bolt tightened through the handle cap
then just stick the bolt end in the battery drill, give the wheels a good smothering of shampoo and set about em
the ikea bog brush is absolutley useless as a bog brush, struggles to remove a decent residue , but plenty soft enough for a battery drill operated wheel brush
( i bought a new one for the wheels by the way )
then just stick the bolt end in the battery drill, give the wheels a good smothering of shampoo and set about em
the ikea bog brush is absolutley useless as a bog brush, struggles to remove a decent residue
, but plenty soft enough for a battery drill operated wheel brush( i bought a new one for the wheels by the way )
Your clarification about the one you bought for your wheels cracked me up!!!I use an ikea 99pence bog brush, with a hole drilled in the screw cap on the top of the handle and a nut n bolt tightened through the handle cap
then just stick the bolt end in the battery drill, give the wheels a good smothering of shampoo and set about em
the ikea bog brush is absolutley useless as a bog brush, struggles to remove a decent residue
( i bought a new one for the wheels by the way )
If you use gtehniq W6 instead of Bilberry (same concept fallout removal), it's meant to go with the C5 and actually reinvigorates the C5 properties. Worth noting that C5 only has an (unopened) shelf life of 1 or maybe 2 years, so you may well not get the full longevity of the coating with a 3 year old bottle
Thank you - thats some good advice. I'll look at the W6 as soon as I've used up the bilberry.
The C5 is going strong at the moment, but its on my summer wheels only! I don't mind if i have to put a top up coat on in a years time.
Cheers
