White Walls!!! Help??

MB · #1 09-15-2005, 01:39 PM

Hey guys, i washed & waxed my bike for the first time a few weeks back. I had been warned well in advance that white walls are beautiful when clean, but a chore shall we say to keep clean. At the local dealership, a service guy told me to use "blue scotchbrite pads" as were the best thing he had found for cleaning/whitening white walls. I tried with deplorable results. Basically, all the scotchbrite pad did was make "smear" streaks in the whitewalls and they looked worse than pre cleaning. What have you guys found that works great for cleaning whitewalls. I hate to use Wesley's Blech-white as i hate working around harsh chemicals & bleach and really do not want to use on my bike for fear of getting on paint. I'm not aversed to some scrubbing with a brush and soap if that would work as would prefer a investing a little more elbow grease than having to revert to harsh chemical cleaners. Nonetheless, if chemical cleaners are my only option, i guess i'll have to deal with it. Thoughts? Did a search on this topic and couldn't find anything, so hope have not hit a subject that has been beaten to the ground, sorry if so. thanks again,mb

rgerber · #2 09-15-2005, 01:41 PM

I've always used SOS pad. Worked for me since the 70's!

screamn_eagle · #3 09-15-2005, 01:57 PM

when i had my 00 heritage softail i used the normal sos pads also they worked great. i also used oxy clean more recently on a buddies car white walls and that also worked very well....a little more elbow grease but they came out really nice. good luck

MB · #4 09-15-2005, 02:01 PM

Hey guys, are you talking steel wool SOS pads? I was told to use blue "scotchbrite" pads, which are different.. Hoping you are/were using steel wool SOS as that could explain the problem i encountered. If it was steel wool SOS pads, do you just dip them in water and scrub, or use a soap solution to dip them in and scrub? thanks,mb

screamn_eagle · #5 09-15-2005, 02:03 PM

YES, thats the ones....scotchbrite pads are not steel wool o dont think. i actually had bought a roll of steel wool at one point. it should work for you...let us know

rgerber · #6 09-15-2005, 02:04 PM

You got it! Steel SOS pads, a little water, some elbow greese and rinse well. The white walls will look outstanding! As a side note, don't try to smoke the used SOS pad, they are too hard to keep lit!

Quote:

ORIGINAL: MB

Hey guys, are you talking steel wool SOS pads? I was told to use blue "scotchbrite" pads, which are different.. Hoping you are/were using steel wool SOS as that could explain the problem i encountered. If it was steel wool SOS pads, do you just dip them in water and scrub, or use a soap solution to dip them in and scrub? thanks,mb

MB · #7 09-15-2005, 02:07 PM

Screamin Eagle, unclear which you use, Blue Scotchbrite, or, Steel Wool SOS. Blue scotchbrite pads are blue and rectangular (roughly 4x6" and 1/4" thick), SOS steel wool pads are round and very apparent they are "steel wool". thanks,mb

MB · #8 09-15-2005, 02:12 PM

Problem solved. this forum is an awesome resource. thanks a bunch guys. mb

JBBOOKS · #9 09-15-2005, 05:36 PM

I use a purple liquid cleaner, sold as "Purple Power" or some such non-sense. It's great. Spray it on the white walls and wheels, a light wipe with a scotch brite pad and they are spotless. It's also great on any grease stains and even bug splat.

Wal-Mart, Sams Club and Auto Zone all sell it.

mikeisglidn · #10 09-15-2005, 10:22 PM

changed mine to black