Good god you go weeks between cleaning your wheels?! I can't stand dirty wheels I may see 3 days between cleaning. Im going to have mine opti coated the next time I have them apart, will make them easier to clean and longer between cleanings.

Pick up a wheel wax.

The pads on my Speed3 throw off a stupid amount of dust as well. I picked up Chemical Guys wheel wax and it makes regularly washing them a breeze.

There are several products out there.

The thing to remember about leather is that it was once living skin. To keep it from drying out and cracking, you need something that has a moisturizer in it.

Most of the nicer products are usually a two step thing. A cleaner and a moisturizer/protectant.

Stay away from the cheap shit for leather care.

pretty late to the party on this one but wtf...
I'm pretty anal about my car. it's badass and I pretty much want it clean as much as possible. I too have detailer and a collection of microfiber towels with me....BUT...even when my car is clean, being a dark blue, if I clean some bird shit off I've made a very noticeable "clean spot". and I just can't have that! :D
I can literally wash my car, shammy it, drive it two miles home....and it's dusty. so I purchased a california duster from oreillys for about 15 bucks. if your car is clean to begin with, you can dust it off in about 2 minutes with this thing. it's a must have. wipe the shit....dust the car....and SPLADDOW! you won't be caught ridin' dirty.

http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/73...43_500X500.jpg

I'm going through all the shit my FIL brought down for the car and found this below. So that's what this is, a duster? You really wanna drag that across a dusty paint surface?

Some just wax their wheels with their paint wax. I'll probably do that a few times a year. I've heard cleaning with ammonia free Windex works well for spot touch-ups.

I'm going with the Chemical guys set for leather car.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TJ3HUG/...0APOR4FS&psc=1

Buy a new one. The one you have is toast.

When they're new, they have a slight charge that attracts dust and keeps it from being dragged across the paint. Once they get full, you have to change them out.

I use the conditioner and love it. I haven't needed the cleaner because my car has a minimal amount of leather and I've never allowed it to get dirty.

Thanks for the suggestions... I'll probably try some wheel wax first, and maybe consider covers over the winter when I'll be lazier about cleaning them.


Heh, I'd say I don't have time for that shit, but I guess it would only take a few minutes... guess I've never had wheels nice enough to care, but the difference in dust was a bit of an eye opener.

And I decided against the 3M clear bra stuff. Seems like you are putting something on that protects your paint but will likely cause some issues solely related to looks anyway. Reading reviews it seems like half like it and half don't. Many issues with discoloration to opaque or yellowish after only 1-2 years. I'm worried about that happening in this heat. Still shows rock dings in the film, although it's not your paint I guess, but it's still unsightly whether it's in the paint or the film. Sounds like quite a chore to keep wax buildup out of the edging of film so you don't have a "glowing" car. I'll take my chances instead of spending close to $700 for part of the hood and front bumper, as these are the quotes I'm getting. Might as well save that money to repaint the car if it came down to that after a few years.

Just got off phone to schedule my window tinting. Lifetime warranty on pealing and bubbles with black limousine tinting on rear window and 35% on side widows for $150. Prices for window tinting were much higher a decade ago. That's awesome!

Don't bother. Wax is unable to withstand the heat from the brakes and the corrosive brake dust. The first drive you take after waxing the wheels will take the wax right off. You need something like a polymer polish, such as Nu Finish. It is better able to withstand the harsh conditions near the wheels, and polymer polish has the advantage of removing some of the oxidation and contaminants from wheels or paint. I personally put a coat of polish on my paint before putting a carnuba wax on top. The polish helps me clean up the paint and gives a layer of protection. The wax gives me depth/shine.

So a synthetic wax, not just a carnuba wax, would work on the wheels?

And yes, seems like even a non-abrasive or mildly abrasive polish before waxing preps the paint the best for a wax, right?

If it's a polymer, then it should work just fine. It's mostly that carnuba isn't particularly tough. It looks like money right after you put it on, but it does't have staying power.

Polishes are great for prepping the paint. And you don't need anything abrasive. By their nature a polymer will clean up some of the paint. If you have the time, I definitely recommend putting polish down before a coat of wax. Keep in mind though, that polish will pretty much take off whatever is on the paint (wax, other coats of polish). So it isn't necessary to do it every time. I usually put polish on every couple of months and in between just wash and occasionally wax.

The other good thing about polish is that it helps buff out those 60 grit sandpaper scratches. :D

They are still high, you need to look into the type/brand of tint. The solar rejection and color retention. I can tell you at that price level they quoted you a bottom shelf tint with minimal solar rejection that will turn purple in a year. Get a decent tint, do it once.

IIRC I had a windshield done with a decent ceramic tint last year and paid around 200.