Cleaning Snowflakes

[41047]

Besides using a large amount of elbow grease are there any preferred cleaning agents or methods that may help with this job ? Thanks !!!!!

[Bob_M]

My wheels are powder coated so the process is a bit easier, but still time consuming. I put on cheap brown cotton gardening gloves squirt simple green into the wetted gloved hands and just go at it. Drying the wheels with a soft cloth assures that brake dust and grime I missed gets picked up. I keep the bike sorta clean all the time, and really detail it out 2 or 3 times a year.

You have to establish your priorities. Time spent cleaning is time spent not riding. However time spent cleaning is time spent drinking beer, so there is a secondary upside

[jamesdunn]

I use "Bike Brite". (Available at my local bike shop.) Spray, let sit a bit, and rinse. Gets 'em fairly clean without "elbow grease", but then I am not real picky. Bob has a point regarding the drinkin' o' the beer. Use the stuff on the rest of the bike as well. Snowflakes look good when new, but like a pretty woman degrade over time. A real pain to clean.

[Red1974]

coat them with teflon

[rinty]

I got a special wheel cleaner brush from Fuller Brush, and it worked well on snowflakes, and also on our car wheels.

In the U.S., I think you could also get wheel brushes and other specialty brushes at major automotive supply stores. In Canada, I have seen them at Canadian Tire.

There was also a whole article on detailing, in the News, a while back.

[seniorasi]

Home Depot carries a product called Krud Kutter in the paint department at a reasonable price. It is a degreaser used for prepping walls prior to painting. It works well on white wall tires, rims, and won't harm paint. Just spray it on and use a soft bristle brush to lightly scrub, then rinse with water and admire your handi work!

[krehmkej]

I took some time and smoothed my wheels up and then painted them with DupliColor silver wheel paint and clear coat.

Now, I just spritz them with HondaBrite and hose them off. If they are really bad, a quick wipe with an old paint brush before the hosing.

[pffog]

Go to the grocery store and pick up this. http://www.dawn-dish.com/en_US/powerdissolver.do

It is the BEST cleaner/degreaser I have found, better than the motorcycle specific products at 1/4 the price. Spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes, hit the tough stuff with a brush and hose it off. Works on all surfaces.

[tghsmith]

the big box home improvement stores sell brushes for clean 4in air ducts(or called a cobweb brush), a big ball of soft brissels , works great for the wheels, frame and othe hard to get to areas, won't take off the the old heavy fossilized crud. small brushes and elbow grease...the dawn products work great!!! (even used for de-oiling animals after an oil spill)

[seniorasi]

If you have an air compressor and don't mind pumping solvent into the atmosphere a Murphy gun and Stoddard solvent work really well. It is not as destructive to bearing seals and gaskets as the high pressure car wash and works nearly as well. One could also mix up some Gunk and spray that as well. 150 psi and a degreaser works wonders on the caked on stuff, road scum, and the weeping around seals, gaskets, etc.