Do any of these spray-on products make it easy to keep your rims looking their best? Alloy wheels have become a chic and elegant fashion statement on today’s cars. They’re light, strong, and stylish. But their open-spoke design, which exposes the brakes behind them, can allow brake dust and road grime to accumulate quickly. That’s more than ugly, particularly if you drive in wintry conditions; road salt can cause corrosion, pitting, and permanent damage to those expensive wheels. A number of spray-on, hose-off wheel cleaners are sold with claims that they make it easy to maintain your rims. Some claims even say that no scrubbing is required, so you won’t have to get your hands dirty. But our tests of five such cleaners found that none was very effective without applying some elbow grease and that all required the use of a soft brush to get the best results. The products usually come in a pump bottle or aerosol can, but they don’t come cheap. We paid $4 to $7 for 23- or 24-ounce bottles of Armor All Extreme Wheel & Tire Cleaner, Eagle One A2Z All Wheel & Tire Cleaner, Meguiars Hot Rims All Wheel & Tire Cleaner, and Mothers Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaner and $7 for a 16-ounce can of Black Magic Foaming All Wheel Cleaner.

These wheel cleaners will typically provide three to four washings for all four wheels. We also found that when we used a brush, none of the tested wheel cleaners did a better job than a less-expensive all-purpose cleaner. The one we tried, Zep Industrial Purple Cleaner & Degreaser Concentrate, is available at home centers for about $10 a gallon. (Dilute this cleaner before use.) Putting them to the test We used a number of employee vehicles with dirty wheels to assess the effectiveness of the cleaners. We first applied each one according to directions but without brushing to see which worked well when simply sprayed on and hosed off. Before and after each cleaning we collected dirt samples on clean cloths and measured the soil level using a colorimeter. Next, we tried each cleaner with a brush. When used without brushing, none resulted in clean wheels, but we found the Eagle One, Meguiars, and Mothers cleaners to be the most effective. (Performance from these three products was similar.)

The Armor All product was less effective, and the Black Magic was the least effective. Keep in mind that some labels recommend eye and hand protection when using the product and advise against breathing its fumes. Since you need to scrub and come in close contact with the cleaners, you really should heed the warnings. All of the products are labeled as all-purpose wheel cleaners, which are safe for use on any type of rim. That’s important, since some cleaners are formulated for a specific type of wheel and can damage the finish on others. Consult your car’s owner’s manual for specifics. What we tested (in performance order) Eagle One A2Z All Wheel & Tire Cleaner Meguiars Hot Rims All Wheel & Tire Cleaner Mothers Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaner Armor All Extreme Wheel & Tire Cleaner Black Magic Foaming All Wheel Cleaner View and compare all Car wax ratings. View and compare all Tires ratings.Choose from cars, safety, health, and more!

Build & Buy Car Buying Service Save thousands off MSRP with upfront dealer pricing information and a transparent car buying experience. Get Ratings on the go and compare while you shop 1.5 Cu. Ft. Washer CapacityIt is never a fun situation. You got a huge mess to clean up and you pull your vacuum cleaner out of the closet… and it doesn’t work. Anytime a household appliance goes down it throws you for a loop, how do I fix it? groupon goods air purifierIs it worth to repair? efficacy of air purifierWill I be throwing good money after bad? car headlight restoration singaporeWe see broken vacuums brought into our shop every day and throughout the years we have a few tips to share with you to help you decide if it is worth it to fix your broken vacuum.

The first question you have to ask yourself is: was there ever a good time with your vacuum? Did you ever brag to your friends about how easy it was to use or recommend it to your family members? If the answer is yes, then you obviously have a tool that works well and is right for you. Putting money, time and effort into a repair is worth it to fix a vacuum that makes you love cleaning. Some people just never hit it off with their vacuum. Maybe it didn’t have the right tools, maybe it is too was heavy. Sometimes you need an excuse to get a fresh start and take that broken vacuum to the curb. Depending on quality, age and wear we normally suggest repairs cost amount to about half of what you paid for the vacuum. Lifespans of vacuums vary widely. For example we normally say a Miele should last about 20 years, a Dyson about 10 while some newer bagless models may last only 3 to 4 years. While every repair is different we find this a useful guideline to follow when even to start thinking about vacuum repair.

All problems aren’t created equal. The biggest compliant we get here is the vacuum isn’t picking up. We first suggest trying some of these tips at home (even if you don’t have a Miele or Dyson vacuum the same guidelines can be followed). If you have no luck fixing it yourself, a clog or an obstruction is something a trained technician can handle. If your vacuum cleaner isn’t turning on then it is most likely an electrical problem. Normally this requires the replacement of the powercord. New cords are pretty cheap but do require a trained technician to safely install and test them. If your brushhead isn’t spinning then you got yourself a belt problem. Vacuum belts are comparably inexpensive and can range from about two bucks up to 15, still cheaper than a new vacuum. Sometimes the machine you’ve been using for years needs a spa day. A full disassembly and cleaning, and a filter replacement or cleaning can do wonders. Debris stacks up inside all vacuums and flushing it out can create better suction, better pick up and a longer life span.

Residential vacuums and liquids are not friends. If moisture has been picked up you will probably want to chuck the machine. Replacement of certain items like motors and circuit boards will be expensive and hidden problems could manifest down the line. If your suction motor is VERY loud then he is probably at the end of his life. Suction motors are normally the most expensive part of a vacuum. Also, other wear may need to be replaced and cost can get out of hand. A major overhaul may be worth it on high-end vacuums but for the most part we encourage customers to purchase a new machine. If you picked up something gross (animal waste, bed bugs, lead) a technician probably doesn’t want to work on it. Like water damage the replacement item cost is going to be very high and may not fully clean the vacuum. Trace amounts of these lead and dangerous material can be harmful later on. So think before you vacuum, don’t pick up anything gross. After doing over 100,000 repair jobs, we can safely say they’re all different like snowflakes.