Cleaning Alloys with Steam Cleaner

[Frelon]

I have seen many advertisements on TV where high pressure steam cleaning gadgets are promoted for cleaning alloy wheels.

Anybody had any experience of these, and would they damage the protective lacquer on the alloys?

[Frelon]

OK, no replies so perhaps nobody has done it yet!

I did today with a cheap (£15) handheld steam cleaner from Robert Dyas, and an excellent job it did too.

The tar spots normally left behind when using alloy wheel cleaner were quickly removed without too much effort. The wheels look like new again, ready to be put away for the winter, now that I have my winter wheels on

[Ignacious]

On the whole,using a normal garage or domestic size " presure" washer wouldnt do much harm as for safety reasons,the pressure is reduced.However if you were to use a heavy duty industrial strength wsher then there may be a problem with the cleaner actually getting under the lacquer.To be on the safe side id recommend the use of a garage strength washer and then wash off with a hose pipe or bucketof water.I use our works Karcher washer all the time..no problems..yet!!

[phil miller]

only just seen this thread for 7 years where i use to work we used a pressure washer for cleaning all the sale cars and for service washes, and over that time we never had one wheel damaged by using it, also another good trick is to use diluted TFR sprayed onto the wheels this takes all the crap off them

[Frelon]

I did not emphasize enough that this is a "home" hand held gadget type steam cleaner NOT an industrial cleaner!

I have used my Karcher cleaner on the car with good results until last week when it gave up on me and leaked oil out of the bottom!! On Googling "Karcher Leaking Oil" I found that I was not alone! Seems to be a common problem!

Contacted Karcher who suggested that it had been misused (washing a car!). I told them that I only used it about five times a year, but they said it was not worth repairing.

Off to look at a Nilfisk now.