Wheel-Well Cleaning

GTGallop

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I'm not OCD or clean freak by any means but this AZ Dirt we have sticks really well to the wheel-wells. Even when it's dry, it sticks as dust that doesn't wash off. I actually kinda like it because it sets my truck off from the Mall Crawler Crowd - authentic dirt and all.

But on my security system cameras at night when they flip into IR mode the truck looks dark and menacing - but the wheel-wells look absolutely hot white. I'm probably the only guy that has cleaned his wheel-wells because of how they looked on Infra-Red Vision. Yes, I'm special. :crazy::clap: I get that.

Now that we all know I'm damaged goods...
How do you keep your wheel-wells clean?

It seems there are three materials
1. Plastic - Easy
2. Metal - Not too hard.
3. Some fibrous stuff that NASA rejected - Hard AF to clean!

I got a toilet brush for 50 cents at Wally-World and it didn't do as well as just getting after it with a soapy rag and then I applied some tire shine stuff that has silicone in it thinking that the dirt won't stick as bad to silicone. Am I on the right path? How did you clean yours? How do I get that fibrous stuff up front clean and why the hell did Ford use THAT STUFF on the truck and not just plain plastic like the back?
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Trigganometry

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I'm not OCD or clean freak by any means but this AZ Dirt we have sticks really well to the wheel-wells. Even when it's dry, it sticks as dust that doesn't wash off. I actually kinda like it because it sets my truck off from the Mall Crawler Crowd - authentic dirt and all.

But on my security system cameras at night when they flip into IR mode the truck looks dark and menacing - but the wheel-wells look absolutely hot white. I'm probably the only guy that has cleaned his wheel-wells because of how they looked on Infra-Red Vision. Yes, I'm special. :crazy::clap: I get that.

Now that we all know I'm damaged goods...
How do you keep your wheel-wells clean?

It seems there are three materials
1. Plastic - Easy
2. Metal - Not too hard.
3. Some fibrous stuff that NASA rejected - Hard AF to clean!

I got a toilet brush for 50 cents at Wally-World and it didn't do as well as just getting after it with a soapy rag and then I applied some tire shine stuff that has silicone in it thinking that the dirt won't stick as bad to silicone. Am I on the right path? How did you clean yours? How do I get that fibrous stuff up front clean and why the hell did Ford use THAT STUFF on the truck and not just plain plastic like the back?
Get yourself a cheapo power washer if you don’t have one already. Up north here the road salt imbeds itself into everything. Best cleaning so far has been effortless with the power washer. Honestly it’s the best way to wash the truck too after soaping it down
 

AzScorpion

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Like Rick I use a power washer with a foam cannon. I pre rinse the truck to get and heavy dirt and dust off then I foam the whole truck and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The foam will loosen the dirt and then I use a microfiber mitt to wash the body of the truck. If it's really dirty (after off roading) after the first foam, I'll rinse the truck without using the mitt then reapply the foam a second time so I do not to scratch the paint.

Edit: I do all the wheels and wheel wells first because this is where the most dirt is. Let that sit and scrub with a brush, rinse then do the whole truck including the tires and wheel wells again. Oh, and yes you are OCD but that's a good thing! ;)


IMG_3339.jpg
 

Trigganometry

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Like Rick I use a power washer with a foam cannon. I pre rinse the truck to get and heavy dirt and dust off then I foam the whole truck and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The foam will loosen the dirt and then I use a microfiber mitt to wash the body of the truck. If it's really dirty (after off roading) after the first foam, I'll rinse the truck without using the mitt then reapply the foam a second time so I do not to scratch the paint.

Edit: I do all the wheels and wheel wells first because this is where the most dirt is. Let that sit and scrub with a brush, rinse then do the whole truck including the tires and wheel wells again. Oh, and yes you are OCD but that's a good thing! ;)


IMG_3339.jpg
Then you wash the driveway because you made a mess of it!!! ?
 

bkosh84

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I work in infrastructure construction as a supervisor and every season I get a nice thin coat of concrete slurry (from sawcutting) or just packed construction debris/grim in my wheel wells. My cheap little power washer takes care of my wheels wells easily with no issues.
 


dmeyer302

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TORQUERULES

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Use 409 foam carpet cleaner on the carpet stuff in the front if it is really bad. Let it set and then rinse. The when you clean the rest of the wheel well run over it again with your mitt. I also spray foam tire cleaner/dressing on both the clean front and clean rear wheel wells when I am finished drying the truck and let it do its thing. It keeps dirt from collecting and sticking to everything and makes them look nice much longer.
 

DukeCanBuildit

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I was thinking it might be worth it to get some WeatherTech or Husky wheel well liners, but it looks like only rear liners are available. ?
 

D Fresh

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Like Rick I use a power washer with a foam cannon. I pre rinse the truck to get and heavy dirt and dust off then I foam the whole truck and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The foam will loosen the dirt and then I use a microfiber mitt to wash the body of the truck. If it's really dirty (after off roading) after the first foam, I'll rinse the truck without using the mitt then reapply the foam a second time so I do not to scratch the paint.

Edit: I do all the wheels and wheel wells first because this is where the most dirt is. Let that sit and scrub with a brush, rinse then do the whole truck including the tires and wheel wells again. Oh, and yes you are OCD but that's a good thing! ;)
Ok.

You guys got me thinking numbers.

I'm a carwash guy. I like to hear my quarters plop into the machine I guess, maybe it's nostalgia.

I've poopoo'd a pressure washer/foam cannon due to costs, but you've got me wondering.

What would you consider an average equipment cost to get into a pressure washer and cannon?

Quick math says I probably spend a grand a year washing vehicles at the car wash.:facepalm:
 

bentroia

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On my Cherokee, Simple Green diluted about 15 to 1 does great. Spray on, let penetrate, rub tough spots with a rag rinse. Have not tried on my Ranger yet
 

wanted33

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Like Dave @AzScorpion I start with the wheels/tires, and yeppers, the wheel wells. I've not found a brush that works worth a damn, so I bough a cheap hand mitt just for the wheel wells. I just get up in there with my mitt, and scrub 'er up good. It's harder that way, but works very well. When it dries I spray it all down with Armorall spray tire shine. Sometimes the that process takes longer than cleaning the entire vehicle. Thankfully we don't have any of that sticky Arizona dust to deal with.

BTW, I do know what y'all are talking about for sure. We came out of AZ in our GM plastic car a couple years ago, and it looked like I brought half the state with me. :)
 

GrinchsDog

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Ok.

You guys got me thinking numbers.

I'm a carwash guy. I like to hear my quarters plop into the machine I guess, maybe it's nostalgia.

I've poopoo'd a pressure washer/foam cannon due to costs, but you've got me wondering.

What would you consider an average equipment cost to get into a pressure washer and cannon?

Quick math says I probably spend a grand a year washing vehicles at the car wash.:facepalm:
I got a reconditioned Ryobi Pressure Washer from home depot for around $70. Newer and higher PSI you can still probably walk away around 200. If I remember correctly you don't want greater than 2000 psi for washing anyway.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoor...ght-Duty/N-5yc1vZbxbeZ1z1caoa?storeSelection=
 

Trigganometry

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Ya, a couple of hundred is on the high side for a decent power washer. Craigslist is another option along with Harbor Freight. Figure a dozen payed carwashes and your even. Then you start putting it back in your pocket for more mods! ?
 

AzScorpion

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Ok.

You guys got me thinking numbers.

I'm a carwash guy. I like to hear my quarters plop into the machine I guess, maybe it's nostalgia.

I've poopoo'd a pressure washer/foam cannon due to costs, but you've got me wondering.

What would you consider an average equipment cost to get into a pressure washer and cannon?

Quick math says I probably spend a grand a year washing vehicles at the car wash.:facepalm:
Doug this is the set up I have now and it works great. I use to have several large commercial power washers ( part of my business) when I was back east but sold them when I moved out here. You don't need anything more than this for cleaning you vehicles and car washes unless touches will do more harm than good. So for about $230.00 you can get everything you need and save the rest of the money for more mods. ?

Washer:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073FCV1ZC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Extra Hose:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRRZJBZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Foam Cannon:
https://www.amazon.com/TriNova-Cann...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Soap:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VS4JH62/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 

AzScorpion

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Ya, a couple of hundred is on the high side for a decent power washer. Craigslist is another option along with Harbor Freight. Figure a dozen payed carwashes and your even. Then you start putting it back in your pocket for more mods! ?
I guess we think alike! I just read your post and we had the same last line. lol ?
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