What do you use to clean inside wheel well/fender?

[groovemach]

I,ve put a lot of elbow grease with soapy water, but Im having hard time getting good results. Just inside a fender the plastic looks faded, and further down wheel well the textures material appears dirty no matter how much I scrub. How do I fix that? What product & technique do you recommend?

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[ack154]

I'd think a decent wheel brush and some basic cleaner should help. If that's not cutting it, I'd consider a wheel cleaner for something a little more aggressive on the chemical side.

Does anything come off if you rub it with a clean towel? If it does, you may just not be getting into it enough with whatever tools you're using.

 

[groovemach]

I'd think a decent wheel brush and some basic cleaner should help. If that's not cutting it, I'd consider a wheel cleaner for something a little more aggressive on the chemical side.

Does anything come off if you rub it with a clean towel? If it does, you may just not be getting into it enough with whatever tools you're using.

Some stuff came off the wheel well, so maybe I can just take the wheel off and get better leverage and remove the rest. The fender flares look way to faded for a car that was garage stores for its life. Its a 2022 that I just bought. Any way to make that plastic black again without having to reapply something every few weeks?

 

[ack154]

You could try something like Larry's Frame Pro - as long as it's supposed to be a textured plastic. Based on some of the details he's done on his YouTube channel, that seems to last quite a while.

If it's a smooth plastic (I really can't tell and haven't looked too closely at mine), you might not get as long-lasting protection. He uses his tire gel on smooth fender plastics - but I wouldn't expect that to be as durable.

Frame Pro: https://ammonyc.com/products/ammo-frame-pro-trim-coat
Tire Gel: https://ammonyc.com/products/ammo-mud-tire-gel

I'm sure there are other similar products out there that would be just as good of options - those ones are just in my brain because I watch a bunch of his details on YouTube.

EDIT: I've seen this recommended a few places as well: https://www.amazon.com/Solution-Finish-Black-Plastic-Restorer/dp/B0CZML4B6B/

 

[Scooby24]

I have a very very old concentrate of MAGnificent wheel cleaner from Auto Magic which is one of the best I've used - but most any non-acid wheel cleaner (alkaline) does a very good job, and then I have a long handled wheel brush that I use for JUST the wheel wells (don't use on the wheels after that!)

Alkaline cleaners break down dirt, brake dust, and other road grimes very very well.

https://www.amazon.com/Mothers-1558...pcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A2YD48BUUKTZMQ

 

[Mach-Lee]

You need a good alkaline (high pH) cleaner to get that road grime off.

I recommend Meguiar's Hot Rims wheel and tire cleaner, the one in the pink bottle. That has a pretty high pH and gets most grime off. They have it at Walmart and most places.

If you still have stuff left, then you might want to go for a tar & sap remover with mineral spirits. Such as Stoner Tarminator (which you can get at Harbor Freight). That should be mostly safe for plastics provided you wash it off when you're done.

If you want to get something to go on to make the plastic look better, then you want a VRT/VRP product such as Chemical Guys VRP. Which is also available from Walmart.

 

[Phantom E]

It's tough to clean crappy textured plastic. I use a brush and car soap to get the big stuff off, then apply Chemical Guys Natural Shine to the tires and all black trim. It's a nice low-gloss dressing that makes plastic look new without making it look wet.

 

[joebruin77]

How do I fix that? What product & technique do you recommend?

I recommend a two-step process, first to clean and then second to protect.

To clean the wheel well liner, I use Optimum Power Clean, which is my favorite automotive all purpose cleaner, and a stiff brush. First try OPC diluted 3:1. If that doesn't get your liner clean, you can then try it at full strength (no dilution). Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry.

For protection and to create a nice darker finish, I highly recommend Meguiars Hyper Dressing D-170. The great thing about this product is that you can spray it on the liner and walk away. No need to wipe down. The product will dry on its own, leaving a nice finish.

If you buy the gallon concentrate, you can dilute it to different strengths. Used diluted 4:1, it will leave a satin finish. If used 2:1, it will create a more glossy finish.

https://www.meguiars.com/profession...ine-finish-rubber-plastic-vinyl-both-interior

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