Wheel Cleaner Help!

[jackyl22]

Can anyone recommend a good wheel cleaner for painted satin wheels? I’ve tried a few that say spray and wash but didn’t work at all. I was better off just washing by hand with soap.

[Irma the imola red M4]

Originally Posted by jackyl22

Can anyone recommend a good wheel cleaner for painted satin wheels? I’ve tried a few that say spray and wash but didn’t work at all. I was better off just washing by hand with soap.

[nioh_lbbm2]

the craze in the detailing world right now is Auto Fanatic wheel cleaning but it requires a foamer to use.

Personally I've used Sonax wheel cleaner when I neglect the wheels for a couple weeks. Otherwise I just use regular car shampoo on my weekly maintenance washes

[RustySeatbelt]

I use Chemical Guys Meticulous Matte Wash for the satin black wheels on my Aston. I love the way it keeps the wheels, and it's not a harsh soap so I don't worry about it damaging the finish at all. Granted, this car rarely gets driven, and has CCBs, so the wheels have never been incredibly dirty. Depending on how dirty your wheels are YMMV, but based on my own experience I highly recommend it.

[yayaya]

I've tried quite a few dedicated wheel cleaners but find the best cleaner for my black stain wheels is Zepps all purpose cleaner diluted with water per instructions.

[Alvinized52]

This is why i changed my pads to dustless brakepads. Looks up Powerstop brake pads

[jdgamble]

Originally Posted by Irma the imola red M4

Second that. Nothing safe works.

[mindspin311]

Sonax plus a few wheel brushes always gets the job done.

[damageprone]

I've been using Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus as well. Not cheap when you buy it by the spray bottle ($20), but not bad when you buy it by the gallon (make sure to subscribe and save, and you'll get it for the cheapest I've ever seen it <$75.

As others have said, Sonax + wheel brush =

Wheel woolies are a little too dense for my liking, but I've been using the "Speed Master" brush from Autogeek and it gets into the smaller areas easier. But it does fling the chemicals back at you, so stand to the side.

[mindspin311]

Woolies are nice, but cant really get past the calipers on the 437M wheels, the speedmaster brush is able to do that, so it's my primary tool when cleaning wheels.

[HRE_Wheels]

At HRE we're very particular with the cleaners that are being used. If you're unsure what to use, just stick to your standard car shampoo and a good wheel brush.

When in doubt, remember, if you wouldn't spray it on the paint of your car, don't spray it on your wheels. Caustic/acidic wheel cleaners can eventually degrade clear coat and cause problems. Therefore your best option is a PH neutral wheel cleaner such as the two I've listed below that I personally use. Make sure to read the instructions or watch the video so you know how to properly use:

What I personally use:

https://www.esotericcarcare.com/gyeon-q2m-iron/


Sonax is another great option too that others have mentioned:

https://www.esotericcarcare.com/sona...-cleaner-plus/

Match that up with the wheel brush of your choice and you're all set.

[MrSmartyPants]

I really like Nanolex Wheel Cleaner & Iron Remover. Can also be used for decon on the paint. Hasn't damaged clearcoat like the cleaners with acid (like HRE mentioned above). I've been using it for 2 years now with my M3 and other cars I own. Everything from gloss, satin and matte finishes, no issues.

Not the cheapest but effective.

https://www.detailersdomain.com/prod...12283230519331

[LOW4LYF]

[damageprone]

Originally Posted by LOW4LYF

I wonder what kind of strict auditing protocol they had to go through to get that Approved by BBS certification on the bottle

[jackyl22]

Awesome reply’s all! I really appreciate it. How about wheel brush recommendations?

[Detailers Domain]

Here is Nanolex Wheel Cleaner and Iron Remover in action.





You mentioned that you had better results with car wash if that's the case go with it and what works for you.

Here are some brushes that we do extremely well with.

Wheel Woolies
Ultra Soft Detailing Brush great on lugs
Detailer's Domain's Standard Brushes
Wheel Woolies Wheel Brush 20 inch

[E30 Racer]

Have you tried coating your wheels? It makes cleaning infinitely easier. Personally I like Kamikaze Stance, but there are a number of other options. No real need to use the harsh stuff for regular cleaning...

[jackyl22]

Originally Posted by E30 Racer

Have you tried coating your wheels? It makes cleaning infinitely easier. Personally I like Kamikaze Stance, but there are a number of other options. No real need to use the harsh stuff for regular cleaning...

It’s more of a pain getting in between the spokes and calipers. Soap and water works but always miss spots with mit.

[halfempty]

I've used both Adam's and Ammo wheel cleaners with similarly decent results. This said, I get the best results when I remove the wheels and clean them separately.

[Poiseuille]

like in the HRE post above, I use Gyeon Iron and Sonax (not at the same time <==lawyer inserted caveat) and beginning to think I like Gyeon a little more. I never use brushes on my wheels, only use MF covered foam paddles of various sizes. Most useful tool I've found is the Griot's paddle below, it's about 19" long and gets between and behind spokes and calipers effortlessly.