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Update on my test wheel...
There are some great videos/threads with how some clean wheels which work great when the wheels are in good shape to begin with.
In my case the previous owner was a little negligent with wheel care and I have some baked on brake dust that just wouldn't come off with regular washing.
In my case, I removed the wheel which made it 10x easier but not something to do on the regular. I had run out of Sonax brand cleaner and went out and bought about $50 worth of various cleaners.
I found that the heavy duty rim cleaner (with acid) did a great job of loosening most of the baked on brake dust. I also used an Iron X equivalent which helped a little. After about 3 applications of both heavy wheel cleaner and Iron x, I was able to remove about 70% of the offending dust.
I did then use a magic eraser which removed another 20% that just wouldn't go away. I was satisfied that the magic eraser didn't damage the finish and wouldn't be a problem the odd time. It's even recommended for use on wheels on their website. Some people have speculated it might removed the clear coat, but I didn't have much to loose.
All in all I was happy with the outcome and am certain I wouldn't use steal wool. There were just a couple of spots I couldn't get cleaner most of which was around the lug nuts.
The one thing I didn't try which could be an option is the use of a steamer.
I've sprayed the wheels with a dust repellant but wasn't too happy with how it has to be applied. Anyhow I'll post a couple of pics of how the wheel turned out. Hopefully it'll be easier to maintain now then to have to start over.
Hope everyone had a good Mother's Day.
Cheers,
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