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.

Dirt can therefore be divided into two categories. The first group includes those previously mentioned, i.e. easy to remove. To the second group we will assign those whose removal requires appropriate knowledge, time and professional resources, because they facilitate the removal of dirt. In many cases, the use of these products is necessary because only they can clean properly. Only the force of their action can bring a satisfactory effect, because the dust that settles is very difficult to remove. What preparation to clean rims? Can it handle such dirt? We give you a hint!

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 rim cleaning agent should I choose? Before purchasing a cleaning product, we should look at how such products work. Most often cleaning agents are based on strong acids or bases. They are effective in removing contaminants, but very aggressive to the surface, and therefore also to various protective coatings. Before using such a product, remember that the wheels are wet. It is important that the method of use complies with the instructions on the label. After applying, wait a few seconds and then rinse the wheel with a large amount of clean water, preferably with a high-pressure washer. Aggressive cleaning products are effective, but they should be used as intended and strictly according to the instructions on the label, and they are not suitable for all types of rims due to the possibility of damaging the cleaned surface.

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 strong and neutral preparations. What preparation to clean heavily dirty rims?? It will be perfect for this type of tasks Moje Auto Super strong preparation for rims. This is an acidic cleaning agent intended for heavily dirty car rims. Effectively removes brake pad deposits and other road dirt. It will work for cleaning steel and aluminum rims. However, it is worth remembering not to use it on hubcaps and plastic elements, as well as 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 rim cleaning preparation should you choose if you are looking for a neutral agent? The first one is "Neutral rim cleaner". Safe for all types of cleaned rims. It does not contain acids, which is why it is recommended for cleaning paint-covered rims and hubcaps. The second preparation is "My Auto Bloody Wheel Rim Cleaner "rim cleaning fluid with a "bloody rim" effect. It reacts with strong impurities from brake pads, changing the color of the preparation to red-burgundy. This is caused by the reaction of the metals in the brake pads with the main ingredient sodium thioglycolate. With the help of the liquid, washing dirty rims becomes quick, effective and safe for every cleaned surface, because this is what it was created for.

Washing rims with neon power - Moje Auto X-Neon

Our latest one is an interesting proposition neon cleaner rims. This My X-Neon Car. It is acid-free and therefore safe for rims. Contains corrosion inhibitors. They protect the wheels against the harmful effects of external factors. Apart from its effectiveness, the preparation is very effective. All thanks to the green coating it leaves on the cleaned wheel. This not only looks spectacular, but also facilitates the application of the preparation on the rim.

See also:

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