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Simple green and matte black (or any) wheels: Bad idea? Alternatives?
In my continuing hate-fest with keeping my wheels from degrading over time I'm bailing out of Simple Green I think. There is an aircraft version Extreme Simple Green® Aircraft & Precision Cleaner and another called Pro HD.
Simple green definitely corrodes and degrades aluminum. I used it years ago to clean my BMW wheels and it made my calipers (unfinished aluminum) look like they spent a year in sea water. I have never used it again!
I asked my PPF guy when I had my car done if I could use Simple Green when the brake dust built up and he almost passed out! No, do not use it, even if diluted a lot since there are many other things to use. I use OptiRinse albeit my car was coated with OptiCoat. Then again there was really nothing that kept the brake dust other than getting PCCBs.
Simple Green for wheels? No, and it's also pretty awful stuff to send down the drain—this despite its name.
Most wheel people I have spoken to seem to like the same soap used to wash a car's body...in other words, mild stuff. Some other good solutions listed above. I may check some out…
I asked my PPF guy when I had my car done if I could use Simple Green when the brake dust built up and he almost passed out! No, do not use it, even if diluted a lot since there are many other things to use. I use OptiRinse albeit my car was coated with OptiCoat. Then again there was really nothing that kept the brake dust other than getting PCCBs.
The best I have found for regular and normal cleaning of wheels is P21s total auto wash diluted 50/50 with water in a spray bottle.
I hit the wheels and tires. Wheel well liners. And also I hit the exhaust pipes. I let it soak a few minutes and mix a 1/2 wash bucket with car wash solution and hit the wheels, tail pipes etc.
If things get really cruddy my next attack is Sonax full effect but I always start with the P21S. The Sonax is more aggressive.
Most important thing is to either use a second bucket for body washing or make a clean bucket after the wheels are washed.
P21s can be used on paintwork, and is great when you are doing a full detail or trying to remove tar or bugs. However it strips most wax and sealants so I wet the car down before spraying the wheels and keep overspray down. (good practice with any wheel cleaner)
Very helpful article. One question I am left with: What, if any, affect do these cleaners have on brake parts...and particularly PCCB rotors and pads?
Some of these products are really bad for wheels and aluminum parts.
On my Mustang, the Meguires hot wheels in the pink bottle destroyed a set of aluminum wheel spacers and etched my winter wheels pretty bad. There were some chips in the coating on the wheels and basically the cleaner ate from the chip outward. I also have seen other similar “safe” cleaners Turk aluminum suspension parts white.
Sonax or P21s wheel cleaners are the only ones I use at this point. Even then, I only grab them when I am trying to get baked in brake dust off the hubs and wheels.
The Sonax will turn rotors purple while washing as the product reacts with iron but causes no long term effect.
End of the day, best option is to wash often to keep the dust from attaching, and use something mild. I like the P21s total wash since it is a degreaser and cuts the “greasiness” of the brake dust.
There were some comparison tests done on YouTube a few years back and this stuff won. I get for a $1 per bottle at my local One Dollar Zone store. Works perfectly, brake dust slides right off the wheel.
There were some comparison tests done on YouTube a few years back and this stuff won. I get for a $1 per bottle at my local One Dollar Zone store. Works perfectly, brake dust slides right off the wheel.
$1 products to be used on the car kind of scare me. Can you get an MSDS for this. Just curious.
I didn't see any info or MSDS. I do know that Totally Awesome makes some incredible products and sells them crazy cheap. I'll buy some and do a PH test on it. I bought some of the Aircraft simple green that's aluminum safe I haven't received it yet but will check it too. I think it says it's 8-9.5 PH
01-26-2020 | 12:47 PM
Simple green and matte black (or any) wheels: Bad idea? Alternatives?
