I thought I would post my experience with wheel care protection, I'm talking about wheels with a clear coat finish.
Over the years I have used Carnuba waxes, sealants (such as Zaino) and then a couple of wheel specific care finishes such as Wheelwax and Poor Boys Wheel Sealant.
They all make your wheels look good, but how long they last and how easy they stay clean is the big issue.

I was sold on Wheelwax, it protected my winter rims through the cold months and did repell brake dust better than most other protectants. It was a bit more difficult to buff off. Then Ian said he found Poorboys Wheel Sealant buffed off a bit better.
Well, I used all my Wheelwax, then switched to Poorboys. My Poorboys is almost gone now, I have tried it for the last 1 1/2 years.
My vote now goes to Poorboys and I will be ordering some more shortly.
It worked great through the winter, wheels clean up very easily and the big test was I just returned from a 2 week 6,000 km trip. They (20" Enkei GTC 01s) were only hand washed once while away. I drove through lots of wet dirty roads and roads under construction. I managed to get a fair bit of fresh tar on them also. I just cleaned them up after my trip, it was easy-peasy!!!!! I used my regular Zaino Car Wash mix. They cleaned up real easy, the tar which was sometimes as big as 1/4" poppped right off with the aid of my finger nail. It seems like the protective Poorboy's finish is staying on there too.
I really Do recommend the Poorboys Wheel Sealant.

Now, what do you guys recommend to clean tires ( I do not mean tire dressing), that will not affect your Clear coat finished wheels. I always use my car wash detergent, but it would be nice to use something stronger, once in a while to get off that stubborn dirt.

 

You can use pretty much any quality APC to clean the tires.

 

Sorry Dan, what do you mean by APC ? (I googled it and did not get a cleaning product)

 

all purpose cleaner.

 

I wouldn't try anything harsh on tires, as they might get on your wheels.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience, Wayne. No killer suggestions for tires here, I'm afraid.

 

Megs APC+, Adams APC, Amazing Roll Off, Optimum Power Clean, all fine for tires.

 

Thanks, so they will not affect your wheel finish ?

 

Maybe if you leave it on the wheel for a longgggg time and let it dry.

 

the APC will likely remove the protective finish from the wax/sealant on the rim and you will need to reapply. a car wash soap will be much more gentle and leave the wax on.

 

That's what I was wondering. Thanks, I guess I will stick with washinf the tires with my car wash soap.

 

Hes spraying it on the tires, not the wheels. It'll be fine.

 

Any residual splatter is not going to soak into the rim at all, because like the water, it will just bead off the rim. OP, use an APC on the tire, pretty much anything will do, and a stiff bristled brush. Then, after it's agitated, just hose it off, hitting the rim too to get off any extra APC. It won't do anything to the rim, trust me, I do it almost everyday. You'll be glad when you see how much crap comes out of the tire, car wash soap doesn't really clean them.


Case in point. Yes, those bubbles would be white if it was clean.: