I was just curious what most people use to clean their wheels on the tC? I was going to buy somethings, but I wanted to see what most people suggested.

I usually hand was my car also, and recommendations on that also....what product to use?

Basically, what products do you use when:
1. Washing your car?
2. Cleaning tires?
3. Cleaning wheels?

I head a lot of people use MR. CLEAN....is it really that good?

Thanks all!

I use the Mr. Clean dry wash on my car its black :evil: it works VERY well. I wait till about 7-8 or so when it gets dark (dont know about your area) and use the Mr.Clean.

For the rims I spray them with some wheel cleaner (some cheap stuff at autozone in a blue bottle) leave it on for 20 minutes use a wheel cleaning brush the get between the spokes (tC rims) then rinse them clean.

I use mcguires hot rod tire shine on my tires...

Fabreaz auto spray to make it smell good.

I use the static swiffer type clothes to clean the dash of lint and such.

And a Shop Vac for the carpet :wink:

Kaeon wash mine too :)

Hey thanks...almost forgot about the interior...

What do people use to make it nice and shiny...;) I have a set of the armor all wipes, but not sure how it'll look on the tC's dash....

well, I guess I should get this Mr. Clean thing.....it would be a good b-day present for me...anyone....anyone....b-day is in 3 weeks :lol:

Tha armor all wipes are horrible, imo. They produce more lint than they are worth. And besides, there are very few areas of the tC interior where I would use armor all other than the doors. I just think dusting and a lint-free cloth and water would do the dash justice. Just my 2 cents.

If you want to learn more than you may want to know about detailing a car then check out this free guide (big download that requires registration to use). It's free because they include links to products that they sell but the information in the guide is very informative regardless of which product you decide to use. Covers all aspects of cleaning including wheels.



http://autopia-carcare.com/freeguide.html

I love washing my car!

That Mr. Clean thing is the coolest invention ever...

If you get spots, you're doing it wrong. But it is guaranteed, so if you do get spots, call them and get your money back.

Just a swiffer for the interior, and Eagle ONE WET Tire Shine for the tires (the rub on kind).

As for the wheels, with the graphite finish, I just take a sponge to them. They hide dirt (and brake dust) real well.

I live in an appartment building and don't really have a garage :( Do you guys think an automatic car wash would be any good? Or should I go to one of those coin-op self-wash places? Any ideas?

I live in an appartment building and don't really have a garage :( Do you guys think an automatic car wash would be any good? Or should I go to one of those coin-op self-wash places? Any ideas?

Between the two, definitely the self wash. Do NOT use automatic car washes for any vehicle.

Kevin

I sometimes use the TOUCHLESS car washes on my car....I try to avoid the brush wash automatic washes though.

There is a touchless by my house that does a decent job, but it does not dry it for me....still, its quick. Have yet to take the tC through it though....maybe in the winter.

I live in an appartment building and don't really have a garage :( Do you guys think an automatic car wash would be any good? Or should I go to one of those coin-op self-wash places? Any ideas?

Between the two, definitely the self wash. Do NOT use automatic car washes for any vehicle.

KevinWhat do y'all think about one of those 'touchless automatic' car washes? It uses high-pressure water with various soaps and whatnot...
David

That's what I do with my xB. One of the few touchless washers in town is near my house and I go there. Works great, and doesn't scratch up the box.

As far as wheels go, put some wheelwax on them asap and then you can simply wipe/spray off any dirt or brake dust. It keeps them shiny and smooth. Mothers makes a good wheelwax...

windex! best thing i have found. couple of squirts and some paper towels is the easiest thing to do. no water, no buckets, no special rim cleaners. the vinegar in it just takes off the brake dust way easy

MOTHERS for rims

So, is that Windex WITH vinegar then ;)

What do you recommend by MOTHERS? The Wheel Wax or wheel cleaner?

Maybe I will pick some up today...I actually think WalMart carries some stuff, and I have one right by work.

Any other suggestions? I've bascially just been scrubbing them with my car wash solution and water....looking for something better.

Thanks

Any other suggestions? I've bascially just been scrubbing them with my car wash solution and water....looking for something better.

Thanks
Simple Green worked great for me, along with a good not-too-stiff wheel brush. I might even pick up a small, cone-shaped wheel brush to get in between the double spokes a little easier.

The nice thing about the Simple Green is that it's quite mild, yet does a great job on brake dust and road grime. You could even use it on your front bumper or other spots where you have bugs or tar or whatever.

I'll add a couple of quick suggestions here. Not everyone has the time, but for my wheels I have been wiping at least every other day if not every day with a towel It takes less than 2 minutes for all 4 wheels and since you do it so often on days with no rain etc you are easily removing he brake dust before it has time to settle.

As for the Mr. Clean, I have no idea how it works but my question with it is this? Do you use the Mr. Clean car wash with Wax on your car???

Last question, where do you get the Mothers wheel wax?

be careful with the simple green... it eats certain metals (or corrodes them). Like Aluminum.

I use Zaino on all my cars. Do the wheels too. Bug crap, bird poop, brake dust all just wipe off...

Costs some $$, but you only have to do it like once a year...

be careful with the simple green... it eats certain metals (or corrodes them). Like Aluminum.
Simple Green is only very slightly alkaline, probably less alkaline than regular soapy water. Even water will cause bare aluminum to oxidize. Our wheels are, I believe, anodized and clear coated, so Simple Green should not cause any damage.

Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green on aluminum?
Simple Green products have been successfully and safely used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: Aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green or Crystal Simple Green can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times of All-Purpose Simple Green and Crystal Simple Green with unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green/Crystal Simple Green residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.

I use Mothers mag/aluminum wheel cleaner/polish once a month on my wheels for the protection and shine. I use Black Magic wheel wipes as often as needed. :D

That Mr. Clean thing Rocks!!! I used it this week after my first Ding :cry:. All I did was soaped it up, and risned it off, and watched it dry. It only beaded up around the mirrors and headlights, and then only a few drops. I will now use that thing forever!!!! :D

:shock: OMG the Mr. Clean Spot Free No Need Dry gun is the most owsom thing ever and i mean ever invented i use it once aweek on my xb for the weels i out on my xb i was told to use windex and it works graet and here is a sugjustion to all u car peeps use only the best when wiping your car u dont want to scrach your ba up... i us only microw fiber clothe on my car no lint no nothing it is vry easy to use and i garenty u will love it after you shine baby up.. as for theweels i put armer all no need to rins tire shin on them and IMO it work alot bette rthen black magic ____tt... but i got to admit black magic dos e mack the gratest micro fiber clothe this side of nasa...lol so ya ONLY USE THE BEST ON YOUR BABY....... i also use one of the california show dusters to dust the interiar of the car its great......peac from BLT<<<= Brave Littel Toster...peace 8)

Well, I just picked up the Mr. Clean AutoDry system today. Target had it for $16.99 and it came with a FREE microfiber towel. I also had a $5 off coupon for it....so, $12 is not bad. Also picked up a pack of the swiffer dusters for my dash....had $2 off of that too. All and all, not a bad trip to Target ;)

I use Mr. Clean for the exterior and California duster for the interior.

My firrst car wash was with Mr Clean. This thing really works. I was skeptical when my wife baught it over a month ago. I wash the car easily with no buckets needed. One thing that I might say is that there isnt enough soap comming out of the machine, atleast that 's what I think.
I also use Maguares hot shot tire cleaner
Maguares vynel cleaner (red bottle with white on inside)
and Mother 's Polish for the wheels .

Well, I just picked up some of the MOTHERS Mag & Aluminum polish for my wheels. opefully this will do the trick. WalMart actually carries it....$3.97

Figured I'd give it a try for that price....here is a list of all the products MOTHERS carries for wheels: http://www.mothers.com/products/productcatalog/wheelprod.html

Says it works on alloys, so we'll see.

I cannot wait to wash my car now, hopefully it stays nice. Got me my Mr. Clean, and now some wheel polish. Road trip to my cottage this weekend too....

I know I already asked but nobody answered, does the Mr. Clean deal work better if your car is already waxed? And it is safe ot not take off any wax?

I know I already asked but nobody answered, does the Mr. Clean deal work better if your car is already waxed? And it is safe ot not take off any wax?

The box says it does NOT remove wax, but I have yet to use it.

I wonder if my Mother's polish will work on my Stainless Steel door sills I'm getting today...hmmmm.

I feel as though we have discussed this subject before. Havent we? Oh well I guess it doesnt hurt to talk about it twice.

I know I already asked but nobody answered, does the Mr. Clean deal work better if your car is already waxed? And it is safe ot not take off any wax?

The box says it does NOT remove wax, but I have yet to use it.

I wonder if my Mother's polish will work on my Stainless Steel door sills I'm getting today...hmmmm.

Thank You! Might have to head to Target myself...

OK you guys got me thinking about the Mr. Clean system. I have seen this around but did not think much of it. So all you do is spray on the soap and hose off? no wipeing?

How about the cost per wash? you need special soap and a rinse chem?

Well, I just picked up some of the MOTHERS Mag & Aluminum polish for my wheels. opefully this will do the trick. WalMart actually carries it....$3.97
I really don't think you want to use that on the tC wheels. They are definitely clearcoated, and I think anodized under that. That polish is made for bare metals. Check this out from Mothers' site:

Mothers Wheel Mist Multi-Purpose Wheel Cleaner (yellow bottle) is Formulated to use on painted wheels and other coatings that need a gentle approach. However, when applying it do so with a hose nearby so you can rinse off the cleaner within a couple of minutes. Even though the basic approach to cleaning is simple, not all wheels are the same, and therefore require different types of chemicals. For instance, if you're not sure whether your wheels are uncoated aluminum or not, do a spot test. Rub a small amount in a low-visibility area with Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish. If it doesn't turn black, stop immediately. There's a coating of sorts on that wheel, and you must use a different product.

Personally the wheels on the tC seem so smooth (must be the clearcost) that if you wipe them frequently enough you may never need any cleaner, unless you get grease or tar on them,

Ok thanks....maybe I'll hold off on the polish then, no big deal...only $4. I was just assuming the wheels were alloy since that is what the website says...didn't even think about clearcoat.

Didn't even realize they have a CLEARCOAT polish....if only they stocked it when I went. oh well, no big loss.


Do you think it will at least work on the door sills (the stainless upgraded ones)?

Thanks

Ipersonally do not like the Mr. Clean car wash. It doesnt work for me. I probably do it worng or am just not patient enough.

I appriciate the comments for the Mothers. I also Baught it but did not use it just yet in waiting from a response to this thread. That's cool that you guys could help me with that.

So, any NEW tips on cleaning the wheels? Mine are starting to look a bit dirty...now that it's nice out again, I need to give the tC a good cleaning.

i just clean the wheels with a wet towel. no other chemicals. maybe a little meguiars tire shine but no chemicals on my wheels besides water and brake dust. i like that gunmetal look

I use Black Magic wheel cleaner and tire shine. For the interior nothing in the interior of the tC shines, so I just use a microfiber cloth rag to rub it down.