It sounds like you may have hard water stains. If off the shelf products from the neighborhood parts store doesn't do the trick you may need something a bit more aggressive. Eastwood has a buffing kit that works fantastic at making mag and aluminum wheels look new again. It's a bit spendy at $45 (last time I bought one years ago they were $25) but you will be amazed with what your wheels look like afterwords. I used their kit on a set of old U.S. mags that had been sitting in an unheated garage for a few years and were covered with oxidation and stains. When I got done cleaning and buffing them they looked like brand new.

Wheel Buffing Kit

 

My last car had the same problem. Try not to use acid based rim cleaner, it will fade the clear coat.

I used a bit of car polish & applied it with a MR clean eraser. Took the haze right out.

 

Ok do you by chance have many pictures of the wheel before and after? I have Polished aluminum with clear coat so i think that might work. If the magic eraser doesnt work i will be purchasing the polishing kit and aerosal clear coat so i dont have this big of a headache. Thanks for the info guys!

 

I wish I had before and after pics.. but what your describing sounds very similar to what happened. I was using acid cleaners and I noticed after using the dirt sticks more. The metal began to look 'dry'. obviously test on a small spot first to make sure its not going to ruin it.

 

Just to clarify this so you were using acid cleaners when the wheel looked dry and used a magic eraser and mag and aluminum polish and the results were great?

 

If i get my rims in the condition i want them i would like to seal them with clear coat...im assuming its self explanatory but is there "tricky" wways to go about doing it?

 

I use Mother's Mag and Alum polish, spend a long time by hand on each rim. Then I use NXT 2.0 liquid wax on the rims.

 

I actually used normal car polish. It didn't have that 'dry' hazy look anymore after. It took off alot of brake dust stains too. That thing was black after I was done. One thing I have learned, treat your rims like your paint. except in extreme cases such as this.

 

Im assuming this but if i sound wrong help me out...i should polish them to the shine i would like than clear coat and than maintain with wax?

 

I guess im fortunate...my factory rims clean up easily....Oh did i mention there plastic coated... But I too would use a good polish and then wax on my other wheels for a good protection and shine.