Best Wheel Cleaner 2024

Do you notice every time you wash your car that your wheels are still dirty? That’s not surprising, wheels are working at much harder conditions than your main car body. Brake dust, tar from the road, and higher temperatures all of that make dirt on your wheels much harder to remove. If you want your wheels to be clean, even the best car pre-wash will not help so much that is why you need the best wheel cleaner.

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At the end of the day, if you will not remove old dirt from your rims, it will ruin the wheel’s protection coat and they will get corroded. To avoid this problem and to make them look brand new, you need to use proper wheel and tire cleaner. Check how to clean wheels properly to get the maximum out of your wheel cleaning experience.

Below you will find a list of the seven best wheel cleaners based on my experience working with different cleaners. They will fit the majority of rims, but always check if a cleaner will fit your wheels. Some of them can be harmful to chrome, uncoated aluminum rims.

Best Wheel Cleaners 2024

Meguiar’s Ultimate All Wheel Cleaner

This cleaner is my personal number one for everyday use. It’s an Acid-free and pH-balanced cleaner, which means it’s Safe for all-wheel finishes! If you have 2 or more cars in the family, or if you are not sure which wheel finish you have, this one will fit perfectly.

Based on my experience, it gives you one of the best cleaning results from non-acid cleaners for a very decent price. It won’t harm your wheel’s finish, this product does not have a hardcore chemical smell that will make you feel bad even when you are outside. Even more, it has a purple colored indicator when cleaner dissolves brake dust, not the main factor for cleaning, but let’s be honest, we all love to admire how this thing is working.

Chemical Guys Diablo Gel

Diablo Gel is the least aggressive wheel cleaner from Chemical Guys. It is pH balanced, non-caustic oxygen-infused wheel cleaner, which can be a safe and effective companion for weekly wheel cleaning. If we compare how good it’s removing deep contaminants, might not be the best variant.

On another side, it works perfectly fine when you wash your car as you should, not once a year, but every week or two. A benefit of this product is a good degreasing job, and it smells great. This product will suit more people who are washing their car more often, around once a week, and not having a lot of mud or brake dust after a week of driving a car.

Adams Wheel Cleaner

Adam’s Polishes Wheel Cleaner is the best cleaner for brake dust on wheels. It has a color-changing formula, that dissolves brake dust and iron particles, and it will show you when it’s working by changing color to purple. Adams Wheel Cleaner is highly effective and safe for use on factory clear coated, factory powder coated, factory painted wheels, and high-performance brakes. It doesn’t have a harsh chemical odor.

Gyeon Q2M Iron Wheel Cleaner

It is an effective wheel cleaner for removing grime, dirt, and brake dust. and at the same moment, Q2M is safe for all rim types, including coated and non-coated. Q2M has a gel consistency and a color-changing formula that allows you to see where it dissolving iron.

Koch Chemie Mwc

Mwc is a powerful magic wheel cleaner from the German company Koch Chemie. It provides an effective wheel cleaning with its reactive components that dissolve iron particles and indicates them with red color. Based on Koch Chemie you can use it on painted alloy wheels, high-quality chromed wheels, and steel rims.

Bilt Hamber Auto-Wheel

It is a non-acid, non-alkaline wheel cleaner from Bilt Hamber. Auto-Wheel is the best solution for alloy and aluminium wheels as based on Bilt Hamber this reactive cleaner was pH adjusted for alloy, aluminium and steel wheels. It can remove iron particles and brake dust and you can see the color changing during this reaction.

Sonax Wheel Cleaner Full Effect

Sonax was the first high-quality product I used on my wheels. I was amazed by the result it brought, cleaning even old and deep contaminants. It was pretty hard to find something more effective after I used this one.

As well it’s a non-acid and pH-balanced cleaner that will fit alloy and steel wheels. Purple indicator included. It works perfectly but has a bad smell but not too hardcore, so it will let you lose your consciousness but let’s say you will notice it.

FAQs

Can a wheel cleaner damage wheels?

Yes, there are high-alkaline or high-acidic wheel cleaners that are not suitable for specific wheels type. For example, chrome and aluminum rims are sensitive to the cleaner you use, and using improper ones can damage them. Always check that your cleaner is pH adjusted to your rims type. And check that your wheel’s protective coating is not damaged.

Can you use wheel cleaner on tires?

Yes, if you use ph-adjusted wheel cleaners like on our list. The majority of car care companies develop wheel cleaners they do not expect you to remove tires before wheel cleaning, so they make it safe for tires. What you cannot do is leave the wheel cleaner on the tires, after cleaning you should rinse it off thoroughly!

However, if you use high-alkaline or high-acidic cleaners, be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions as such type of cleaner can be not recommended for long use on rubber. Instead, use the best tire cleaners, that can make deep clean even old tires, and make them look like new! And don’t forget to apply tire shine.

Can a wheel cleaner damage brakes?

Yes, but it’s more relevant for high-performance braking systems, and acidic or not pH-adjusted wheel cleaners. Using wheel cleaners from our list on regular cars will not damage brakes if you spray accidentally a small amount of product on a brake disk. However, you should not use them for cleaning the brake system, and rinse your brakes thoroughly after wheel cleaning.

What do professional detailers use to clean wheels?

Unfortunately, there is no one magic solution that professionals can use, as professional detailers have different clients with different wheel types. It means that professional detailers should have in their arsenal different cleaners that will be the most suitable for specific needs.

As well, depending on the area the professional detailer is working in, he looks for the brands of cleaners he can get access to and who can offer high-volume bottles of cleaner at the most reasonable price. On the other hand, detailers who work in car mobile detailing may look for other products as they work in different conditions.

What is the best cleaner for chrome wheels?

In my opinion, the best wheel cleaner for chrome wheels is Meguiar’s Hot Rims Chrome. It has a reasonable price, is easy to find anywhere, and it cleans chrome wheels safely and effectively!

Conclusion

Wheel cleaner is an essential part of car detailing, so it’s not a surprise it’s in my list of the best car care products for beginners!

There are many high-quality wheel cleaners on the market. I shared with you my top list of cleaners that can safely and effectively clean wheels. It doesn’t matter which exact wheel cleaner you use, you should clean the wheels every time you wash your car. Even the most expensive and effective cleaner will not remove one-year contaminants in one wash.

Wheels collect a lot of iron contaminants that burn into wheel finish at high temperatures, and a lot of road chemicals. Use high-quality cleaners that can remove iron to keep your rims last longer. If you have too much brake dust and iron particles on your wheels, and removing it is your main concern, use the best iron remover for car paint on your wheels!