Griot's
12-19-2011, 06:04 AM
#1
Moderator
Thread Starter
Griot's
Here is my product review for the following products.
Griot's Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...ortby=ourPicks
Griot's Undercarriage Spray
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...ortby=ourPicks
I purposely did not clean my wheels for almost a month to test the wheel cleaner. I would say this product is awesome, and def good to have around, but if you keep up with cleaning your car every week or two, the wheel cleaner is not necessary. It has its place if you don't clean your wheels for a couple weeks to a month, just completed a track day, or a long trip. I won't use the cleaner every wash because it is expensive, and soap and water should do the trick if your wheels are polished and sealed.
First step was to rinse the wheels. That loosens the dirt and in many cases washes away and surface level dirt. Next I liberally sprayed the Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner. I sprayed into the barrel of the wheel, got behind the spokes the best I could, and even got some onto/into the caliper to help remove caked on brake dust. I walked around and followed these steps on all four wheels. When I finished I went back to the first wheel to see how it was working. My whole wheel turned a nasty shade of red. The cleaner changes colors as it works! It also smells like delicious cherries
After letting the product sit for about 5 minutes I grabbed my boars head brush and agitated/scrubbed the wheel. The cleaner turned into a nice foamy sud. Then I just rinsed the wheel off and I was done. I was really impressed with how clean the wheels were. They were very shiny, and the most impressive part was how clean the barrels of the wheels were! I also used the cleaner on the Accord that had not been cleaned in a very very long time. The dealer used lots of wheel shine last time it was in so the wheels were BLACK! The cleaner worked amazingly. It also helped remove stains and baked on brake dust. On to the pics. Unfortunately, and its also a good think but grey wheels hide dirt very well so my before picture does not look very dirty. best way to compare before after is look for the shine/reflection in the barrel of the wheel.
On to the next product, the Undercarriage Spray. I read a detailing tip that said one of the best ways to complete the detail and make your car stand out is to mind the details, such as your fender liners. Having a nice clean and shiny car is great, but dirty and grey fender liners kill it! Unless your car is low enough
For this step I wanted to be thorough. I put the car up on jack stands and removed each wheel. This also gave me a chance to wipe out the inside of each wheel and clean anything that I could not reach from the front. Back tracking real quick, while I was washing the car, I used a long handled brush and scrubbed and rinsed out the fender liners the best I could. Its important to always start with a clean surface!
Once the wheels were off I laid down a drop cloth. Instructions say not to let the product hit the floor. I did find out that this product will stain concrete, but will eventually wear off. I sprayed the entire fender well including lightly misting the damper and spring. Make sure you dont spray the brakes! I did notice I used a little too much and the product ran and dripped onto the drop cloth. I let the product dry, the touched up the areas. In some cases I grabbed a rag and helped spread the product, or wiped up excess. The pictures show the before, and right after the first spray. After the touch up I covered all the areas I missed and the over spray. I think the pictures do justice and show how big of a difference it made. Not something I plan on doing frequently, but it is a nice finishing touch! You can also lay a towel down and spray the visible areas of the fender well with the wheels still on. I did this on the Accord and it just makes the car look brand new!
Next project once I am able to get a daily driver and leave this car in the garage for a couple weeks is to scrub and clean the little bit of dealer installed surface rust! I hate when dealers clean all the cars on the lot and let them just sit during the winter time (bought my car from St. Louis in the middle of January 2011).
Griot's Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...ortby=ourPicks
Griot's Undercarriage Spray
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...ortby=ourPicks
I purposely did not clean my wheels for almost a month to test the wheel cleaner. I would say this product is awesome, and def good to have around, but if you keep up with cleaning your car every week or two, the wheel cleaner is not necessary. It has its place if you don't clean your wheels for a couple weeks to a month, just completed a track day, or a long trip. I won't use the cleaner every wash because it is expensive, and soap and water should do the trick if your wheels are polished and sealed.
First step was to rinse the wheels. That loosens the dirt and in many cases washes away and surface level dirt. Next I liberally sprayed the Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner. I sprayed into the barrel of the wheel, got behind the spokes the best I could, and even got some onto/into the caliper to help remove caked on brake dust. I walked around and followed these steps on all four wheels. When I finished I went back to the first wheel to see how it was working. My whole wheel turned a nasty shade of red. The cleaner changes colors as it works! It also smells like delicious cherries
After letting the product sit for about 5 minutes I grabbed my boars head brush and agitated/scrubbed the wheel. The cleaner turned into a nice foamy sud. Then I just rinsed the wheel off and I was done. I was really impressed with how clean the wheels were. They were very shiny, and the most impressive part was how clean the barrels of the wheels were! I also used the cleaner on the Accord that had not been cleaned in a very very long time. The dealer used lots of wheel shine last time it was in so the wheels were BLACK! The cleaner worked amazingly. It also helped remove stains and baked on brake dust. On to the pics. Unfortunately, and its also a good think but grey wheels hide dirt very well so my before picture does not look very dirty. best way to compare before after is look for the shine/reflection in the barrel of the wheel.
On to the next product, the Undercarriage Spray. I read a detailing tip that said one of the best ways to complete the detail and make your car stand out is to mind the details, such as your fender liners. Having a nice clean and shiny car is great, but dirty and grey fender liners kill it! Unless your car is low enough
For this step I wanted to be thorough. I put the car up on jack stands and removed each wheel. This also gave me a chance to wipe out the inside of each wheel and clean anything that I could not reach from the front. Back tracking real quick, while I was washing the car, I used a long handled brush and scrubbed and rinsed out the fender liners the best I could. Its important to always start with a clean surface!
Once the wheels were off I laid down a drop cloth. Instructions say not to let the product hit the floor. I did find out that this product will stain concrete, but will eventually wear off. I sprayed the entire fender well including lightly misting the damper and spring. Make sure you dont spray the brakes! I did notice I used a little too much and the product ran and dripped onto the drop cloth. I let the product dry, the touched up the areas. In some cases I grabbed a rag and helped spread the product, or wiped up excess. The pictures show the before, and right after the first spray. After the touch up I covered all the areas I missed and the over spray. I think the pictures do justice and show how big of a difference it made. Not something I plan on doing frequently, but it is a nice finishing touch! You can also lay a towel down and spray the visible areas of the fender well with the wheels still on. I did this on the Accord and it just makes the car look brand new!
Next project once I am able to get a daily driver and leave this car in the garage for a couple weeks is to scrub and clean the little bit of dealer installed surface rust! I hate when dealers clean all the cars on the lot and let them just sit during the winter time (bought my car from St. Louis in the middle of January 2011).
I've got some undercarriage cleaners, but none leave the wells looking so dark and shiny. I might have to get the Griot's stuff.
12-19-2011, 01:16 PM
#3
Moderator
Thread Starter
It's worth mentioning. I bought my dad Sonax wheel cleaner last year for xmas. He used it with great results. When he ran out he saw a good deal on the Griot's. He said he could not notice any difference between the two. I think Griot's can be had for cheaper than the Sonax especially when purchased by the gallon, which I will certainly do when my current 32oz's runs out.
12-20-2011, 05:56 AM
#5
Moderator
Thread Starter
^ Haha thanks. Most people that have not either seen ABP in person, or seen my pictures dont like the color. I probably would not have bought a ABP CR if I hadn't see a few of them in person first. The color is very difficult to capture.
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