Sorry to hear about your wheel surface damage-

Wheel cleaners that are formulated with Hydrofluoric acid; that is a solution of hydrogen fluoride in water, it is corrosive, meaning it will have a detrimental (and sometimes unrecoverable effect on surfaces it’s applied too) and it is also highly poisonous. Skin contact with concentrated hydrofluoric acid or inhalation of its vapour has caused many serious injuries, even death. Concentrated solutions of hydrofluoric acid pass quickly through the skin and cause deep, painful burns. Dilute solutions also penetrate the skin, but it does not give the immediate burning sensation caused by the concentrated form of the acid, a user may tend to be less aware of the contact with the acid.

There are specific ordinance to enforce Hydrofluoric acid hazard spill control / exposure and treatment methods and specific materials, most of which are just not going to be in the enthusiast or even mobile detailer's toolkit, non-compliance can result in heavy penalties.

It also has the unique ability to dissolve almost all inorganic oxides. In the human body, hydrofluoric acid reacts with calcium and damages nerves, bone, and several organs including the heart and kidneys - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrofluoric_acid

Critics say the lack of knowledge about chemicals exposes a system where environmental regulators largely rely on companies that profit from industrial chemicals to sound alarms about their safety. Questions about potential effects on human health and the environment often aren't raised until years after a chemical is introduced to the marketplace.

Notes –a) Acid is highly corrosive; the skull and crossbones warning on an acid label is there for a reason; acids will etch or erode anything in its path, they are also very effective in dissolving metals and etching glass.

b) Even a pH 5.0 acid with a dilution rate of 4:1 (as recommended by Meguiar's for their Wheel Brightener) results in a pH 4.5 solution. The dilution of an acid doesn’t make it safer as the addition of a molecule of water to a chemical compound, without forming any other products is known as hydration (i.e. dilution causes the pH to decrease) But since pH is not a very good indicator of the strength of the acid in every system, this approach won't always produce the desired results.

c) Always check the products MSDS and its pH value before you use it. It is always preferable that you use a 100% acid-free product with a pH of 7.5 – 8.0

 

I will say the paint on Infiniti wheels seems to be pretty sensitive to acid. I've been using Meguiar's Wheel Brightener for years without problem. The one (and only) time I used it on my G35 it definitely ate through the wheel paint in a couple spots (looks like pitting). The active ingredient in this wheel cleaner is Ammonium Bi-Fluoride which is a little different than the HF described in the post above. However, it's still a POWERFUL wheel cleaner and not too good for you.

 

you want to use a PH neutral wheel cleaner & no matter what you use never do so on a hot wheel, it wheel accelerate the active ingredients & burn the finish.

 

I just take the same stuff I use to wash my car (megs crystal wash) mix about 50/50 soap and water in a spray bottle. It get's the job done and it's safe...

 

wow the guy made a bad mistake...sorry bud. Get all the wheels repainted or pick up a new stock set for less than it would cost. I used Motul's silicone spray on my wheels, really keeps the brake dust off but I shoul invest in some wheel wax.