alternative to wheel cleaner???

[mat-nos]

want to clean the car but have no wheel cleaner, can all purpose citrus cleaner be used??
if so what mix should i use or will it be ok neat??

cheers all

 

[RussZS]

It depends how bad they are really! I only ever use car shampoo on mine, which is fine.

You can get an 'all purpose cleaner' from Tesco called 'Daisy'. This used 4:1 with water is a decent, cheap alternative!

 

[Rob]

Personally, I now ALWAYS use washing up liquid and hot water, seems to do a brilliant job tbh, quite a lot of washing up liquid though.

 

[Jimbo-Clio]

cillet bang works a treat but dnt let any of the detailing boys catch you using it as its primarily acid and salt based so could cause laquer of paint damage if used for long periods of time.

normal car shampoo will shift light brake dust

fairy liquid is also salt based i think so is not great for laquer or paint but will work

guess wheel cleaner is the best option though mate

 

[mat-nos]

cheers guys, ive got some daisy under the sink, im gonna try it 4:1 mix and report back, i was thinking about cillit bang put just the way it smells makes me think it would melt a renault alloy lol

 

[Gally]

Make sure you get the wheels protected after a good cleaning mate, it'll make the dust fall off the next time you come to clean the car, a power wash will then remove most of the dirt.

Get some cheap apc from Tesco, well diluted then wash with car shampoo if you;'re not into spending loads.

Use some old wax or anything on the wheels to give them some protection.

 

[JD]

As Russ says, pop to Tescos, get Daisy. Perfectly acceptable back up. But then again, if you're popping out, you might be able to get to Halfrauds for some Engine and Machine Cleaner.

Depends how well protected you wheels are, as as Russ has said, I just use warm soapy water.

 

[Cliotoby]

want to clean the car but have no wheel cleaner, can all purpose citrus cleaner be used??
if so what mix should i use or will it be ok neat??

cheers all

If yours get as bad as mine - Yellow baked on dust, then use some Espuma Revolution. Thatll shift some dirt, just make sure you aggitate with a round detailing brush.

 

[JD]

Toby, if yours are/were sealed chap it'd make your life so much easier! Or is it just a time issue, i.e. time between washes allowing it to bake on?

 

[yellowbelly]

i find a strongish diluted mixture of Megs APC works wonders, to be honest this stuff does exactly what it says on the tin.
the only thing i don't use it on is me, thats where the Imperial Leather comes in

 

[JD]

I used Megs No16 Last Touch on me the other day, I kid you not. Rather smell of coconut than the stench of 3 days of camping and no showers from Silverstone!!

 

[yellowbelly]

^^^ flol (oh dear)

quite apt that its called 'Last Touch' lol

 

[JD]

Indeed!

 

[Cliotoby]

Toby, if yours are/were sealed chap it'd make your life so much easier! Or is it just a time issue, i.e. time between washes allowing it to bake on?

The rears are sealed with nanolex pro and ive had no issue claning them since. I havent bothered to take the fronts off since i did the rears about six months ago. My fronts are usually okay, light mix of billberry and aggitation usually sorts it, but if i leave it 3 weeks without a wash then yes, the brake dust can get pretty bad, especially if ive been caining it, and espuma makes such short work of it I really cant be arsed to remove the wheels from my car and sort it out. Its on my to do list though.

 

[JD]

Lol. So laziness is the real cause!

 

[Cliotoby]

Definately. Espuma is great though, bit overkill for regular washing, and overkill if your wheels are protected.

 

[mat-nos]

i can report it worked well, i did a 3:1 mix.
the wheels where sealed with the ag sealer spray last time i washed it (3 weeks ago) which helped i think, so sealed them again........

i will no longer be buying wheel cleaner when daisy is £1 for 1 litre lol

cheers guys....

 

[JD]

Good to hear.

(edit; what a s**t post for 13k )

 

[Ali]

Buy in gallons then you won't run out.

 

[JD]

Preeeecisely.

 

[jenic]

Whats best for removing baked on brake dust. It wont come off with bilberry which is what I usually use (only had 1 trackday since I last cleaned them!)

I got annoyed when I couldnt clean them with what I had in and they have been sitting in the garage for 3 weeks now caked in dust, should I just get some wonder wheels. I know I should of sealed them but i couldn't be bothered, regret it now like.