Luckily with electric cars you get hardly any brake dust so really easy to clean with the right products and equipment.
Equipment.
I see you have some fairly tight spots in those wheels so the best option is the large EZ detail brush: https://www.in2detailing.co.uk/collections/ez-detail
Your wheel arches are best looked after with the EZ Go brush in the above link.
I know these are expensive but I know for a fact that they will last for years and years - I am a qualified detailer with tons of experience.
To clean your tyre walls ready for a tyre shine I recommend this: https://www.in2detailing.co.uk/products ... tyre-brush
For cleaning the wheel faces id use a dedicated microfibre mitt, may favourite being: https://www.in2detailing.co.uk/products ... -wash-mitt
Chemicals.
For a deep clean there is no better product than a Fallout remover (Really bad wheels need acid but I dont think yours are bad at all and id avoid using acid). The very best is Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel but its too expensive for me and not much difference is Iron detox by Car Chem https://www.car-chem.com/shop/iron-detox-fallout (Use detail12 for 12% discount on orders over £20).
Fallout removers are also miracle products for deep cleaning all painted surfaces.
If you are cleaning your wheels regularly you can use the fallout remover as I do mainly but you will also get away with a good dilutable All Purpose Cleaner which is much cheaper. 2 APC's of note are:
Bilt Hamber Surfex HD diluted 1:10. This is best value if you buy a gallon: https://www.in2detailing.co.uk/collecti ... -surfex-hd
Also Koch Chemie Green star is excellent and best value at 1 litre (Also dilute 1:10 for wheels): https://www.in2detailing.co.uk/products ... al-cleaner
These APC's are truly excellent for so many applications including prewashing your paint, plastics, interiors, Engine bay, literally anything and are cheap as chips as you heavily dilute them.
Snow foam is a prewashing product intended to remove as much dirt/dust from a car as possible before doing a contact wash of your paint. It will help with wheel cleaning but wont remove embedded contamination such as brake dust and agitation will be required.
P.S. I have no affiliation with In2detailing but I know they are a good reputable company up in Scotland whos prices are always competitive that I can recommend.
Re: Cleaning - Proteus alloys!
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2022 9:09 am
by IanEV
metalmadhammer wrote: ↑Mon Jun 13, 2022 8:23 am
Wheel cleaning.
Luckily with electric cars you get hardly any brake dust so really easy to clean with the right products and equipment.
Equipment.
I see you have some fairly tight spots in those wheels so the best option is the large EZ detail brush: https://www.in2detailing.co.uk/collections/ez-detail
Your wheel arches are best looked after with the EZ Go brush in the above link.
I know these are expensive but I know for a fact that they will last for years and years - I am a qualified detailer with tons of experience.
To clean your tyre walls ready for a tyre shine I recommend this: https://www.in2detailing.co.uk/products ... tyre-brush
For cleaning the wheel faces id use a dedicated microfibre mitt, may favourite being: https://www.in2detailing.co.uk/products ... -wash-mitt
Chemicals.
For a deep clean there is no better product than a Fallout remover (Really bad wheels need acid but I dont think yours are bad at all and id avoid using acid). The very best is Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel but its too expensive for me and not much difference is Iron detox by Car Chem https://www.car-chem.com/shop/iron-detox-fallout (Use detail12 for 12% discount on orders over £20).
Fallout removers are also miracle products for deep cleaning all painted surfaces.
If you are cleaning your wheels regularly you can use the fallout remover as I do mainly but you will also get away with a good dilutable All Purpose Cleaner which is much cheaper. 2 APC's of note are:
Bilt Hamber Surfex HD diluted 1:10. This is best value if you buy a gallon: https://www.in2detailing.co.uk/collecti ... -surfex-hd
Also Koch Chemie Green star is excellent and best value at 1 litre (Also dilute 1:10 for wheels): https://www.in2detailing.co.uk/products ... al-cleaner
These APC's are truly excellent for so many applications including prewashing your paint, plastics, interiors, Engine bay, literally anything and are cheap as chips as you heavily dilute them.
Snow foam is a prewashing product intended to remove as much dirt/dust from a car as possible before doing a contact wash of your paint. It will help with wheel cleaning but wont remove embedded contamination such as brake dust and agitation will be required.
P.S. I have no affiliation with In2detailing but I know they are a good reputable company up in Scotland whos prices are always competitive that I can recommend.
Thank you for the detailed response- much appreciated! I do have an Autoglym wheel brush and used their alloy wheel cleaner on them but the bits behind the spokes are the issue. I’ll get one of those brushes you recommend. I never knew there was such a thing as a tyre brush! Sounds like I need a car cleaning training course!
Re: Cleaning - Proteus alloys!
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2022 9:21 am
by metalmadhammer
Anything car cleaning/detailing for the beginner or pro, I recommend Forensic Detailing on Youtube:
I know Jon and he's a great guy. He also does proper online training courses.
Re: Cleaning - Proteus alloys!
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2022 10:03 am
by metalmadhammer
Thank you for the detailed response- much appreciated! I do have an Autoglym wheel brush and used their alloy wheel cleaner on them but the bits behind the spokes are the issue. I’ll get one of those brushes you recommend. I never knew there was such a thing as a tyre brush! Sounds like I need a car cleaning training course!
[/quote]
The best advice I gave there was the use of the fallout remover. It really is a miracle product and will clean out that gutter behind the spokes nicely.
Fallout remover was originally meant for paint decontamination as a preparation for paint polishing to ensure embedded contaminants are removed before the user swirls up the paint whilst polishing. As it removes the embedded contaminants, it turns out that it breaks down brake dust really well which of course is full of iron particles. The only problem is that it often stinks like rotten eggs and makes a mess of the driveway with what looks like the aftermath of a massacre. The active ingredient (thioglycolic acid - don't worry, it is PH neutral) turns the irons particles into a plum colour as it brakes it down and reacts.
Re: Cleaning - Proteus alloys!
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2022 10:08 am
by HarryHuk
IanEV wrote: ↑Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:58 am
I was planning on changing them myself. Jacking the car won’t be an issue. My campervan is 3.5 t and lifts the same as a normal car. I take your point regarding the lifting/ storage of the wheels though.
I had all season tyres on our Octavia (5 years) and full winter tyres on our two cars previous to the Octavia.(7 years).
Without question winter tyres are far better in the snow in my experience which is why I’ll be buying a set again. Our Octavia (1.0 Tsi) was poor on snow even with All Season tyres. It couldn’t climb hills if they had snow of them.
With the Enyaq being rear wheel drive, I’m expecting snow driving will be more challenging than the Octavia and it’s not something I’d want to risk to All Season tyres.
Cheers, I have family in a part of the east of France where you're required to have at least all season tyres on main roads in the winter months (and I pass through other countries on the way which require them as well)
Socks or chains are not really an option.
I'm unlikely to be driving up mountain roads with snow on them these days, (10 years ago after not being able to get up to a small ski station was when I first got a winter set) it's more a case of meeting regs.
When I'm there if there's snow, my family there have winter tyres on their car.
Will have to wait and see about the rear wheel drive, maybe the extra weight will help?
Re: Cleaning - Proteus alloys!
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2022 11:47 am
by IanEV
@ HarryHuk the weight might help, let’s hope so. I’d be interested to hear how your trip to French ski resorts goes in terms of range in the cold. I fancy driving there in the winter myself at some stage.
Re: Cleaning - Proteus alloys!
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2022 11:53 am
by IanEV
@ metalmadhammer thanks for the video and the product recommendations. He’s very enthusiastic about wheel cleaning - wow there is a lot to it. I’m sure the dog will like the smell of rotten eggs
Re: Cleaning - Proteus alloys!
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2022 3:21 pm
by HarryHuk
IanEV wrote: ↑Mon Jun 13, 2022 11:47 am
@ HarryHuk the weight might help, let’s hope so. I’d be interested to hear how your trip to French ski resorts goes in terms of range in the cold. I fancy driving there in the winter myself at some stage.
I got the heatpump, hoping that will help
Re: Cleaning - Proteus alloys!
Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2022 9:27 am
by white67
Also recommend Autoglym wheel cleaner - basically a mild caustic solution which you can buy in bigger quantities at Halfords (others available of course) A used toothbrush is always handy too for those idiotically small crevices.
My Betria wheels are a joy to clean, dead simple, but they too have the gutter you mention which is annoying.
I usually have the wheels off my cars now to do the insides but no chance with this thing. Too heavy for any of my jacks to use safely.
Re: Cleaning - Proteus alloys!
Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2022 10:03 am
by metalmadhammer
white67 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 15, 2022 9:27 am
Also recommend Autoglym wheel cleaner - basically a mild caustic solution which you can buy in bigger quantities at Halfords (others available of course) A used toothbrush is always handy too for those idiotically small crevices.
My Betria wheels are a joy to clean, dead simple, but they too have the gutter you mention which is annoying.
I usually have the wheels off my cars now to do the insides but no chance with this thing. Too heavy for any of my jacks to use safely.
I was planning on a wheels off to ceramic coat at some point and didn't think of the weight. I have a 2.5T racing jack which may struggle.
