Washing rims - what product to clean rims?

Tips

Artur Owczarek

Brand Product Manager Moje AutoHe has been involved in the automotive industry for years. He is passionate about cars and detailing. On his blog, he shares his knowledge and experience, offering tips on how to effectively care for your car and extend its life.

• Types of contamination of car rims
• Are the rims susceptible to dust?
• How to care for your rims?
• How do preparations for removing dirt from car rims work?
• What preparation to clean rims? “Bleeding rim” remedies
• Super strong rim cleaner
• Safety above all – neutral rim cleaners
• Washing rims with neon power - Moje Auto X-Neon

Types of contamination of car rims

The most common contamination of car rims is: operational contamination that accumulates on the rims and much more difficult to clean contamination from metal dust from brake pads. While operational dirt is not difficult to remove and we can get rid of it at any car wash, removing dust from brake pads can be quite a problem.

Soiling can be divided into two categories. The first includes those mentioned earlier, which are easy to remove. The second includes those that require appropriate knowledge, time, and professional cleaning products, as they facilitate the removal of dirt. In many cases, using these products is essential, as only they can clean properly. Only their strength can achieve satisfactory results, as the dust that accumulates is very difficult to remove. Which rim cleaner can handle such dirt? We'll advise you!

Are the rims susceptible to dust?

What kind of dust settles on the rim? This dust is abrasive filings from brake pads, which heat up to several hundred degrees during braking and then settle on the rim. High temperature causes dirt to bake on the surface, which is the greatest difficulty in removing it from the cleaned rim. Dust from brake pads is easy to remove in the initial period. Therefore, systematic cleaning is recommended. Severely neglected rims that are not cleaned regularly will even require sanding off the paint layer and repainting.

How to care for your rims?

Taking care of your rims, to put it simply, is a fight against time from which only regularity can save us. Drivers who take care of their vehicles do not want to take risks and regularly clean their rims. This brings many benefits. They always have well-kept cars, and they don't have to put much effort into cleaning the rims, regardless of how dirty they are. These easy-to-remove dirt come off immediately, and when the dust settles, it is removed before it can bake.
If we start cleaning the rims only when the dirt is glaringly visible, we must be patient and use professional car cosmetics. However, this does not provide a XNUMX% guarantee that we will be able to clean them. As previously mentioned, the most neglected rims may even require sanding off the dirty layer.

How do preparations for removing dirt from car rims work?

Which wheel cleaner should you choose? Before purchasing a cleaning product, it's important to understand how these products work. Most often, cleaning products are based on strong acids or alkalis. They are effective in removing contaminants, but very aggressive to the surface, and therefore to various protective coatings. Before applying such a product, remember to wet the wheels. It's important to follow the instructions on the label . After applying, wait a few seconds, then rinse the wheel with plenty of clean water, preferably with a high-pressure washer. Aggressive cleaning products are effective, but they should be used as intended and strictly in accordance with the instructions on the label. Furthermore, they are not suitable for all wheel types due to the risk of damaging the surface being cleaned.

What preparation to clean rims? “Bleeding rim” remedies

We usually have high-value rims or want to clean them, reducing the risk of damage to a minimum. In this case, we should use more expensive cleaning agents with a neutral pH, safe for each surface being cleaned. Recently, neutral products, the so-called "bleeding" iron off products, have become very popular because many of them have a unique formula. After using agents based on this principle, the preparation on the rim changes color to red-violet; such a color change indicates that the main ingredient, which is sodium thioglycolate, has dissolved brake pad dust. The effectiveness of such a preparation is high, making the color change effect spectacular. The only minor inconvenience is the unpleasant smell of the preparation. After all, the smell is caused by the main ingredient responsible for the action of the liquid.

Super strong rim cleaner

The Moje Auto brand offers both strong and neutral products. Which product is best for cleaning heavily soiled rims ? Moje Auto Super Strong Rim Cleaner is perfect for this type of task . This acidic cleaner is designed for heavily soiled car rims. It effectively removes brake pad deposits and other road grime. It's also suitable for cleaning steel and aluminum rims . However, it's important to remember not to use it on hubcaps, plastic parts, or hand-painted rims.

In the case of more delicate materials or when we want to reduce the risk of damage to a minimum, we should use neutral preparations. We offer two such preparations. Both are safe to use.

My Car Bloody Wheel Rim Cleaner

Where to buy View product

Moje Auto Neutral rim cleaner

Where to buy View product

Moje Auto – X-NEON rim and tire preparation 750ml – Atomizer

Where to buy View product

Safety above all – neutral rim cleaners

Using the products as recommended on the label will not negatively affect the rims in any way. Therefore, a driver struggling with the problem of dirty rims can feel completely safe. The preparations have been developed in such a way as to remove dirt without damaging the rims. If you have any doubts, we explain in detail below how both measures work.

Which wheel cleaner should you choose if you're looking for a neutral product? The first is " Neutral Wheel Cleaner ." It's safe for all types of wheels. It's acid-free, making it recommended for cleaning painted wheels and hubcaps. The second is " Moje Auto Krwawe Koło Wheel Cleaner, " a wheel cleaner with a "bloody wheel" effect. It reacts with heavy brake pad contamination, turning the product red-burgundy. This is caused by the reaction of the metals in the brake pads with the main ingredient, sodium thioglycolate. Using this product, cleaning dirty wheels becomes quick, effective, and safe for any surface, as it was designed for this purpose.

Washing rims with neon power - Moje Auto X-Neon

Our newest neon wheel cleaner , Moje Auto X-Neon , is an interesting option . It's acid-free and therefore safe for wheels. It contains corrosion inhibitors, which protect wheels from the harmful effects of external factors. Besides its effectiveness, the product is also very effective. This is all thanks to the green coating it leaves on the cleaned wheel. This not only looks spectacular but also makes applying the product to the rim easier.

See also:

• Cleaning aluminum rims
• How to clean steel rims?
• Rim renovation – how to do it yourself