Wheel Cleaner Stain?
 

Hey Guys. I used Meguiers Wheel & Tire Cleaner... I think I stained my wheels. What is going on here? I can't seem to get this off..

Which wheel and tire cleaner did you use? Were your wheels hot when you applied it?

And yes, I washed after I drove.

If the wheels were hot, there in lies the issue. There is a warning on all wheel cleaners to apply to a cool surface because what you posted above will happen and that is the chemical seared itself into the wheel finish. You can try a compound or polish to see if it will minimize the damage but I think the only way to fix it will be to powdercoat the wheels.

Shxt.. I did not think this was perm. Thanks for the information.

Detailing 101 - NEVER clean or wash the vehicle when it is hot/warm. That goes for paint, wheels, engine... Anything.

Hopefully this is just a surface stain and can be removed. If the chemicals have penetrated the painted wheels because you used it while it was warm then you will have to have the wheels refinished.

If you must clean the wheels while warm/hot (always wait to cool down as much as possible), using something safe like P21S Wheel cleaner and removing it quickly is much better than acidic or aggressive cleaners. Let us know if it comes out... hopefully it does but from the photos it looks pretty bad :(.

Ivan @ DI