Couldn't get much sense out of uk.rec.cars.maintenence, so I'll try here:
What's a good way of keeping alloys (mine are 17 inch 7J) cleaner, including on the inside? Not just the usual brake dust and mud, but also tar spots. There are so many products that it's impossible to try them all.
Or just a good coating of old-fashioned wax?
An answer that I got many moons ago from uk.rec.cars.maintenence when I asked about trying to keep brake dust to a minimum was to use just ordinary furniture polish such as Pledge or Mr. Sheen etc., etc.
Wonder Wheels as a cleaner and get a decent wheel brush that suits your wheels, not just a pound shop washing up brush.
Wax afterwards with a waterproof wax, i.e. one with silicones. This is probably going to be a spray furniture polish type wax, rather than a tub (although tubs are far cheaper). It's usually worth buying this from semi-trade car valet suppliers, rather than using a squirt of Mr Sheen.
I'd have thought that these days you would be looking for a reasonable blast cleaner. 'Steam cleaners' used to be the preserve of the pro garage, but many are affordable now.
As to keeping them shiny, that depends what they are coated with. If they are lacquered, the lacquer chips and dirt creeps underneath... If they are anodised, chips also leave oxide marks that absorb dirt too. So if it's shiny finishes you want on a regular basis then it's regular polishing you need - which means getting off any protective coating first, and lots of work or a wheel polishing machine thereafter.
Don't be fooled by fake finishes like 'Autosolve' these you can just wipe off with a bit of paraffin, and you may find you have to grind off fingerprints later. Better to properly polish with abrasives and then oil the surface, and wipe with an oily rag regularly to preserve the sheen, rather than to look for a mirror finish that will mark with the first drop of rain.
SIn message , Peter Twydell writes
Thanks for the suggestions.
So it's either actually use that old tin of Simoniz or raid SWMBO's cleaning cupboard. Meanwhile the weather's turned cold and there's a New Year trip to continental ice & snow on the way.
Pressure wash regularly BEFORE they get tarred up. Especially when salt is about.
solvents are available to loosen tar spots.
The wheels SHOULD be lacquer coated and not need any surface treatment.
I like to use Poorboys wheel wax or Wheel Seal and Shine from planetpolish.com They generally last 3 months or so for me. However they won't prevent tar from stick to the wheels. I don't think anything will to be honest. A spray with Tardis turns the tar to liquid and it runs off. A wealth of info at
In message , Steven Campbell writes
Thanks, Steven, they're products I've not heard of before.
Any work on the car will be postponed for obvious reasons, even though it's a balmy -2 here at the moment.
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