They have some "plaque" (just came from dentist visit) and they need a good through cleaning. Any products come to mind? I was planning on taking the wheels off and washing the inside of the rims w/dawn or some other dishwashing stuff. Thanks for the input everyone.

 

good 'ol regular car wash shampoo has never failed.

-Shing

 

use "spray nine"

 

As others can attest to - my wheels look almost as good as the day the car was delivered (except a few rock chips).

My cleaning tactics are this. I give the wheels a quick dusting after every drive to get the loose crap off.

When I wash the car I use a rag and water to get most things off the wheels.

The stuff that won't come off with water gets the WD-40 treatment. I use WD-40 and a toothbrush and it takes just about everything off. This is mild enough not to mess up the finish, but strong enough to take the stuff off. I rinse the area with water after using the WD-40.

This also works well on and hand polished wheels that were subjected to track time which 2 other people couldn't get the crap off.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by meat
[B]The stuff that won't come off with water gets the WD-40 treatment.

 

I don't get it on the tires. I spray it either directly on the bad spot or I spray it into the toothbrush. I wash off with a wet rag immediately after the cleaning is done.

 

I first use Mcguires spray-on wheel cleaner and then hose the brake dust off (it does a pretty good job of this). Then, I clean the wheels with Eagle One cleaner - which is a kind of white paste and comes in a small round tub (http://www.properautocare.com/eagonemagpol.html). This product seems to be highly recommended by car care web sites; another product is Eagle One Nevr Dull Metal Polish. One of these should take off your "plaque" (oxidization) easily.

 

I don't drive mine, so the wheels and rims stay nice

Good old sunlight soap in hot water is what I use for washing the rims

 

Soap and water to get the brake dust and other dirt off.

The secret I have found is using a spray on wax to shine and protect the wheels clear coat.

The dirt is easily sprayed off at the next wash.

 

If you're going to take the wheels off to wash the inside, be careful not to "wash off" the wheel weights. I did this to one of my wheels. Luckily, I could see where they came off from that area still being a bit cleaner than the rest of the wheel and I used new double-sided tape to put the weights back on. It's always the simple tasks that end up being complicated.