# Stjärnagloss Hjul - Users Review



## Urran (May 27, 2010)

*Stjärnagloss Hjul - Users Review -UPDATED!*

This time, full review. With photos.

I noticed that nobody has done even a slightest review on this. I dont have that much experience over other PH-safe products. But I thought I might say a word or two about it. This Review has been edited due second use of the product and added photos of the testing. Hope you like it!










What was said on Shinearama.com webpage:
_Our pH-neutral wheel cleaner gel is perfect for every type of wheel. The cling-on gel formula increases contact time with the muck and brake dust without using harsh acids or alkalis. Dilute 5:1 for regular use, 15:1 for light maintenance, then spray onto the wheel. Leave for 5 minutes before washing away to a sparkling finish. For heavily soiled wheels use Hjul neat by painting onto the worst areas, leave for 5 minutes and wash away. Agitate as required. Safe on alloy, painted, chrome and carbon fibre finishes. Concentrated for value and efficiency. Unique and refreshing Piña Colada fragrance._

In the bottle it was almost the same, but with a few extras;
"For heavily soiled wheels use Hjul neat by painting onto the worst areas." "Caution: Harmful if swallowed. If swallowed do not induce vomiting and seek medical advice. Keep out of reach of children". And the same with two southern languages.

The product is non toxic and non alkali, so I can't really compare it to my previous products (which were toxic, and alkali). And like I said, I really dont have much or almost none experience on other non-toxic/non-alkali products. After reviewed this, and thought about it. I think this should be definitely compared against Meg's Wheel Brightner and R222 

I tested the product on my wintertire's wheels, which we're most likely cleaned only once, before me (I bought the car 5 months ago from dealership). So when I started the wheels we're pretty clean to touch, I would say semi-clean (not clean on my standards). On the bottom angle of every spoke there was this yellowish/brownish area of burnt in brake dust. And tbh the whole wheel was covered in really ingrained crap. I think the wheels we're cleaned at the dealership with somekind of "spray and rinse" type of method. There was no tar or glue/ect so I cannot comment on the cleaners effect on those. And I cannot comment on regular use purposes yet (will edit that later). Like I said, the wheels we're cleaned so I can't tell you how the normal grime will come off. I edited this part, later on I reviewed this too.

I made two strenghts to two Shinearama 16oz clear plastic bottles (which are great btw). 450ml of 1:5 and 450ml of 1:15. The 1:15 is meant for later uses in normal washing procedure. It's kind'a strange that you can dilute this stuff, it really is a gel. At first I had my doubt's but after shaking the bottle one or two times with effort it made to two bottles of pink stuff in them. One slight lighter pink (1:15). The 1:5 stayed pretty thick, but I would say that 1:15 is liquid, not gel. The scent is definetly some Malibu rum or that kind. I just wonder when is Zymöl or Swisswax going to start producing detailing products that smell of Scotch Single Malt Islay Whisky?

You could propably use Hjul pretty sparingly, at least the 1:5. When sprayed on the surface it pretty much stays there, or at least you have time to start agitating it before it runs down on the ground. I used the product pretty much, as I knew the wheels we're really dirty. But tbh I don't think the little goes a long way count's in product's priced this way, and when used non-professional. Product contains a lot of dye in it, and propably E120, carmine (which Im allergic to). That's why this product doesn't reach my standards, "Function over Form". I would rather have more product or smaller package than a package with dye and aromatics in it.

I sprayed Hjul on dry wheel with Meg's Chemical Resistant Spray Head, left for a couple minutes and rinsed to see was there anything coming off. There was some grime coming off, which I was kind of surprised to see (as I said this was propably done in the dealership before), but there was no "WOW!" react. The cheapo wheels light gray (not silver, as in the front) inside got a couple steps brighter also I think. But it really didn't shift any of that burnt in brake dust (well, not much anyway). The Conclusion: It did the job better than the stuff that dealership uses, that's something isn't it! BTW It's propably not that amateur detailer working there, I saw this 3 feet tall "Menzerna" text on the wall.

Then was the time to test it with a brush. I used these Biltema (Scandinavian shop, kinda like Asda, Tesco, Aldi or Clas Ohlson) round brushes (As shown under, but with electric tape on the metal part. These are great too.) to agitate every hole and all. I put loads of product on the wheel (I put it more until I got a really rich foam while agitating), brushed it really much, but lightly, every little hole. Left if for couple of minutes and rinsed with PW. The results we're excellent, but I still didn't get the "WOW!" effect. Some of the burnt in grime behind the spokes wouln't shift but It did shift much of the tight brake dust on the spokes bottom (not all thought). I got the with clay in the next step (with a LOT of effort).

As you will find out. I got that WOW! react later on 

Now it is time for what people want, and deserve. The photos;

*Weaponry against grime and brake dust:*








The ready-to-use mix. 1 part of Stjärnagloss Hjull Concentrate, 5 parts of distrilled water.









The brushes. From Biltema, sizes small, and big. I dont remember the exact specs . Washing the Tire I have a bit rougher/bigger brush.









APC's in new bottles. My APC is Finnish Pineline, whitch is great BTW!









CYC Tim's sponsor for my detailing. FinnishKare 108AS. I can highly recommend (later on you will find out why)

*The starting point:*


















*Wash:*








Let's put it on and test it!









Let it set for a while and let's dig up the brushes from the toolboxes.









After brushed









..and a little bit closer. Some grime coming off, anyone? A bit "greysish" the foam? 

*The results from washing:*








The toughest brake dust stayed on. Still happy with the results. This is the left front wheel. Because of my schedual I didn't have time for another go on all wheels.









..









..









There were two sports which were clearly dirty from burn't in brakedust.









The other one.

*So I tried the 1:5 mix again, left a better result: *








Better, but not clean enough. 









I wonder, if I would have used 1:1 would these be clean?

*APC wash for the tires:*








This is my chosen weapon. Foam Spray Head from Shinearama, insanely good! With the right size bottle this could be a Mobile Foam Lance  :lol:









Spray'ed on, let it set for a while before brushing.









Brushed properly.









And the result. Clean rubber/plastic does bead without polymers 

*After Claying (I didn't take photos of the claying stage. I had my hands all over Dodo Born Slippy ):*








Bang! and the dirt is gone!









..









Clay is also excellent in hiding scratches. Shame I didn't take a before photo. The scratches were REALLY dirty.

*Waxed surface:*








It's funny how the deepness of the shine boosts after a coat of wax. You can't see the difference from the pictures that much though.









Take a notice on the flake pop. Collie 915 FTW! 









..









The cleanest on from the back









And the dirtiest from the back. A bit shame I didn't have the extra time :/

*Tire Dressing - FinnishKare 108AS:*








Sprayed on and brushed. It will go allmost matt before you can wipe it off (still too shiny for me)









Buffed with MF. Satin. This is really good dressing.

*The Final results:*








I can drive with these (at least there clean!)  But actually it was raning and really muddy outside when I took this photo  At least I can clean them again later on.









Why do people buy wheels with this kind of ET? The car looks like a train. These came with the car, I didn't choose them.









Dirty? Anyone?

Because I tested this the next day on my summer wheels. I made a bit like "another review". And fixed my conclusions about this product a lot.

While cleaning the summer wheels I got this "WOW!" experiense that I wanted from the winter tires. The Wheels came really clean only from washing with Stjärnagloss. Basicly all the dirt from outer side of the rim. So I take back some that I already said about this product. So the dealership uses pretty good wheel cleaner, but not good as Stjärnagloss! :lol:. Let the photos speak for them selfs;

*Starting point:*








You just dont sit, drink Lagavulin 16yo and watch cars like mine. You drive them, so that's why the dirty wheels.









Dirty. I mean R-E-A-L-L-Y D-I-R-T-Y.









From the back (I almost forgot to take this picture).









No one probaly cleaned these properly before either.









Mitsubishi OEM = Not any crap from the market, Enkei 

*Washing Stage:*








Now that's dirty foam. Hey, we're these wheels silver?









Like in all special wheels. The inner part of the rim is the same paint as the outer. Or is it?!









Wheel washing porn.

*The Result's after rinsing:*








I was staggered! You can picture me with the PW in my hand when I was rinsing these . Now this is WOW!









I dined on this after I finished 









The tight gap in the wheels came really clean with the first hit, first time ever. Except from the back. I wasn't so throughout. But I finished them when I was doing the back 









..









Came up pretty good?









..









This is one spray, brush and rinse for either side.









Ready to be placed in the corner of warehouse… Hey wait a minute! No they are not! Next time I'm gonna do a tar remow on them, clay them and put a coat of 915 on top. Then put them in the warehouse. 

*The Final Conclusion;* 
Excellent wheel cleaner, maybe even a bit phenomenal. A big plus about being safe on all surfaces, and because of being gel type, can be left to dwell for a long time before drying. I still didnt test it 1:1, even if the package adviced to. I used half of the 1:5 mix I made when testing two different methods on 4 wheels. And in the summerwheel test about one fourth about what was left (~½ bottles. So about 1/8 bottles was used in this). It took about one fourth of a bottle of the consentrate to mix 1 450ml bottle of 1:5 and 1 450ml bottle of 1:15. So it really is pretty economical (At least if you compare it to R222). As a warning to people who have allergies, wear gloves. This contains unnessessary ingredients like dye or aroma, that can cause severe allergic reaction (I didn't have one though, and I have 84 different allergies).

*Pros:*
-PH-safe (wax safe). Can be used on bare aluminium, carbon fiber and chromed surfaces. In my test, the wheel's center hub or something like that was black plastics. 1:5 did nothing to it, when some say that bilberry can leave some grayish marks. 
-Exceptionally good wheel cleaner, even a bit phenomenal.
-Some might like the flavor (a little too candy for me, not natural like Dodo Juice products). But the fragrant is not that strong that it would bother anyone. Second time used this, I didn't even notice the smell.
-Price (473ml = £7,95 @ Shinearama, Bulk 1 gal = 24,95 @ Shinearama)
-Dilution ratios: Even 1:15 according to Stjärnagloss (I can believe, but not vouch yet. I will edit the 1:15 use experiences later on). 473ml/oz bottle will get 7 liters/1.874gal of 1:15 mix at the price of 8 quid. And the bulk bottle/canister will give you 56,7 liters/15 gallons of ready to use 1:15 wheel washing magic. If you have only one car to use it to, you really don't need to use it sparingly 
-The bottle has this handy sprout helping you fill the right amount of concentrate in the bottle.
-I think this product is great to be used in professional use. With some restrictions thought. This propably wont touch 2 years of grime on Caterpillar 988F wheel loader that has been working on coal mine. But if used on normal car's, you'll be just fine. And if you have problematic wheels that you are working on, put it 1:1 and leave it to dwell for a long time. Really good for really expensive car's wheels due PH-safe. So you wont wreck someones ridiculously expensive wheels 

*Cons: *
-Waste the space in the bottle with dye and fragrances. The bottle in the picture is transparent, so it is really red. And its propably bad on your hands if you have carmine allergy (I really didn't feel I want to spread this onto my body thought. I do feel like that with Dodo products :lol
-Some might like the flavor (a little too candy for me, not natural like Dodo Juice products). But the fragrant is not that strong that it would bother anyone. I think it's a con too, if you don't like it 
-Only for sale at Shinearama at the moment

This product has had some argue about the origins. Some say that it's the same stuff as Chemical Guys Diablo. I really cant comment on that 'cos I haven't used it. But what I can say is that the guys at Shinearama answered this to my query about this question:
"Stjärnagloss is a small but growing company owned in part my Michael but we take care of the distribution side of things.

Kind regards,

Foxx
Shinearama Ltd."

So everyone can now take their assumptions and start a new topic about this conspiracy, AGAINST DETAILERS!

*OT photos about clean wheels and Dodo PHP beading (after a month old):*









Dodo Juice Purple Haze Pro 23.9.2010 applied. After the day's rain.









DJ PHP FTW!









A must have "Beading and Bokeh" -photo. Nikkor 35mm f1.8G on the bayonet (and in almost every other picture, you dont change lenses if your hands are covered with Wheel Cleaner :lol









In door panels the bead is a little "tighter".









Bead. Also take notice on the FK108AS in the mirror's black plastic part. It's as old as DJ PHP!









FK108AS beading (Contains polymers )









Just installed rim's are beading and the disks show their best, rust! 

For everybody! Im really sorry about my bad english, not my native you know


----------



## Bratwurst (Jan 23, 2009)

Good thorough review Urran :thumb:

I use this as often as possible as I find (like you did) that the gel style of it helps hugely with dwell time therefore making cleaning easier. Being safe on all finishes is a huge bonus for this product too, a thing that a strong alkali or acidic cleaner will never be. While it is very similar to Diablo, there are differences in smell, colour and dilution ratios. Possibly a re-branded slightly re-engineered Diablo, but that's no bad thing as Diablo is also very good.

Will you be doing any more Stjarnagloss reviews?

Tangerine Wash and Gloss Korsbar Wash and Wax are well worth a try, as too is the clay/lube combo!


----------



## Urran (May 27, 2010)

wee_green_mini said:


> Good thorough review Urran :thumb:


My pleasure. I want to do these because I hate it when Im trying to deside what to buy on 2 or 3 possibilities and no-one has anything but "It's great and you should try it too" to say about my #1 choice. When someone reviews a product/hypes about a product in under 3 line post, its worth nothing to me. That's what the problem with Bilberry is for example (well, not fully. There are reviews but too much counterarguments)



wee_green_mini said:


> I use this as often as possible as I find (like you did) that the gel style of it helps hugely with dwell time therefore making cleaning easier. Being safe on all finishes is a huge bonus for this product too, a thing that a strong alkali or acidic cleaner will never be.


Yup, you said it. Great advantage. Im gonna try this on my wheel wells (plastics, bitume based undercoating) also because I know it's safe on it.



wee_green_mini said:


> Will you be doing any more Stjarnagloss reviews?
> 
> Tangerine Wash and Gloss Korsbar Wash and Wax are well worth a try, as too is the clay/lube combo!


I would love to. But Im just one person with one persons budjet so I can't order products just for test just because I'd like to try. I have my list what I want for basic purposes, before that . The reason I dont do wax reviews for example, is the fact that I haven't used more than 4 or 5 different ones. I can tell what beats what in my opinion but that's not much. A cleaning product is easy to review. Does it do the job and how well?

If any product rep or manufacturer would like to see their products tested this way, they should produce more free samples. If I would get samples, of course I would review them. As a thank you for the manufacturer. I did get a sample from Dodo Juice, Purple Haze Pro Wax for testing in Finland (GREAT THANK YOU DOM!). But like I said, I need more waxes to test, so I can really compare. Will be buying many small size products, because I like testing.

And if Dom reads this. The review on that wax is coming, but really cant compare it right now :wave:


----------



## Bratwurst (Jan 23, 2009)

Good answers/replies too :thumb::lol:

Totally understand about the wax thing. I'll bet there's lots of people on here that crow on about how good a certain wax is, yet it's probably the only 'decent' wax they've bought 

Agree with you about the free samples thing too. I bet a lot of these products have good profit margins (plus detailing popularity is well on the increase) so surely it wouldn't hurt too much to have a few small samples made up somehow. It wouldn't even need to be anything fancy, or big, usually using something once is enough to tell you if you like it or not.

I'll keep my eyes open for your PHP test :thumb::wave:

Dennis


----------



## Urran (May 27, 2010)

Updated!


----------



## Bratwurst (Jan 23, 2009)

Great update Urran!

A lesson in reviewing :thumb:


----------



## tfonseca (Jul 31, 2008)

I love the smell of it!!! It's not as strong as Bilberry though. But smells so good (pina colada)!


----------



## Eppursimuove (Sep 28, 2010)

kiitos arviosta. Great pictures. I didn't know Biltema sold those basting brushes. Thats also useful


----------

