I think almost as bad is polishing the hub of a built wheel. I can't get my fingers in there, it seems. Who puts leather straps around their hubs to keep them polished?
I don't use a leather strap, but whenever I build a wheel, I put a rubber band around the hub. I do it as a goof, so people who don't know how wheels are laced ask me how I got the rubber band in there. Incidentally, it does keep the hub clean.
[MENTION=358745]LordMarv[/MENTION], your rims might have been made with a satin finish. You might be done polishing, and trying to get a mirror finish might prove futile.