8 Best Wheel Cleaners: Reviews & Buying Guide [2023]

The wheels of your car need to be maintained just as much as the body and interior do. Finding the best wheel cleaners for you requires knowing the information listed here.

Best Overall: Meguiar’s G180132 Ultimate All Wheel Cleaner
Best for Tough Stains: Turtle Wax T-18 All Wheel and Tire Cleaner
Best Value: Chemical Guys Diablo Gel
Best on Custom Wheels: Car Guys Wheel Cleaner
Best Biodegradable Cleaner: WeatherTech TechCare Wheel Cleaner
Best Color-Changing: Adam’s Polishes Wheel Cleaner
Best Premium Spray: Sonax Wheel Cleaner
Also Consider: Duragloss 821 All Wheel Cleaner

There are numerous wheel-cleaning items available; which should you buy before grabbing a brush and a microfiber cloth and beginning to scrub that wheel surface?

Best Wheel Cleaners

Best Overall: Meguiar’s G180132 Ultimate All Wheel Cleaner

As the primary option of the best wheel cleaners, it doesn’t contain any acids and has a pH of 7, Meguiar’s Ultimate All Wheel Cleaner is safe to use on both painted and custom-made aluminum wheels. With a pleasant scent, the spray changes color as it works.

This tire cleaner (left side of tire shown below) was the second most successful one we tested. This foaming wheel cleaner seemed to remove dirt better than any of the other cleaners, though it didn’t quite work as well as the Turtle Wax (right side).

Best for Tough Stains: Turtle Wax T-18 All Wheel and Tire Cleaner

In the world of car care products, Turtle Wax is another well-known brand. The brand is known for value, but it is also on the more affordable side. This is especially true of their T-18 All Wheel and Tire Cleaner. We adore its strong formula, which we discovered makes it superior to many of its rivals in terms of effectiveness for even the toughest stains. There is nothing better than a little cleaning to speed up the process. But with Turtle Wax T-18, not much is required. Customers cautioned that if not used carefully, it can harm the finishes of custom wheels in the reviews.

Best Value: Chemical Guys Diablo Gel

Since it is offered in concentrated form, Chemical Guys Diablo Gel Wheel Cleaner is actually the least expensive product we looked at. The instructions call for mixing the gel with water at a ratio of 1:3, even though the gel costs no more than 81 cents an ounce. As a result, the final price per ounce of cleaning fluid is about 20 cents (less if you buy by the gallon or half gallon). Diablo Gel worked, but not quite as well as some of our other cleaners. Some customers even report effective results after mixing the gel at a ratio of 1:6. It required two applications of Diablo Gel to completely remove the thickest rust from our particularly rusted wheels. However, the product was worthwhile, especially considering the price.

Best on Custom Wheels: Car Guys Wheel Cleaner

Have a nice set of wheels with unique paint or finishes? Car Guys’ unique formula, which is renowned for being particularly gentle on those with plasti-dipped wheels, works best for people who need a good cleaner that won’t harm those delicate surfaces. However, because of its softer cleaning agent, it isn’t as strong against stubborn stains as some of its rivals. But a little cleaning can easily fix that.

Best Biodegradable Cleaner: WeatherTech TechCare Wheel Cleaner

Quick and efficient operation is provided by the TechCare wheel cleaner. We were able to easily remove the dirt and brake dust that had coated the tire of our test vehicle thanks to the foaming action, which started working as soon as we applied it.

It may be a great option for those who are chemically sensitive because the formula is almost completely odorless. After applying TechCare cleaner to the wheel, we polished it without noticing any streaking.

This wheel cleaner is by definition less corrosive than alternative products. Although it limits its ability to remove the stickiest grimes, this makes it safer to use (for the user and the environment). It worked perfectly on our test vehicle, but may not have quite the cleaning ability of Turtle Wax or Meguiar’s products

Best Color-Changing: Adam’s Polishes Wheel Cleaner

The performance of Turtle Wax and Meguiar’s was comparable to Adam’s Polishes (left side of tire shown below). It was a close competition even though it couldn’t quite topple Turtle Wax. One of the few sprays that changed color as it worked is this one; it serves as a useful cue for when it’s time to wash the cleaner off.

The smell, which was significantly stronger than the other wheel cleaners we tested, is one aspect of Adam’s Polishes that stands out. It has a very strong artificial cherry scent, which some customers might find unpleasant but isn’t terrible.

This guide will go over how to wash a car at home and some frequently asked questions about best practices for washing cars in order to assist you in keeping your car clean.

Best Premium Spray: Sonax Wheel Cleaner

German luxury automobiles are infamous for having quickly dirty wheels from brake dust. Sonax, a German company that makes car care products, is familiar with this behavior and as a result has developed one of the top wheel cleaners available. It has a color-changing formula, similar to Meguiar’s, giving users a visual cue to show that the solution is working. Once everything is finished, simply rinse it off to get a clean finish.

Also Consider: Duragloss 821 All Wheel Cleaner

Last, choosing the best wheel cleaners, any type of wheel, including painted, polished, or clear-coated metal, can be cleaned with Duragloss 821 All Wheel Cleaner. Although this cleaner is one of the more expensive options, it might take more work to completely remove deeply embedded dirt.

Despite being less efficient than the other cleaners on this list, Duragloss 821 still did a respectable job of restoring shine to our test tire even though it couldn’t completely remove the deepest rust in a single pass. It is safer for the finish of your wheel even though the product is less caustic to rust.

How to Get Wheels Clean and Keep Them Clean?

Use enough cleaner: Depending on the product, you might require more or less of a particular cleaner. In general, the higher-end cleaning supplies will use less and work more effectively. However, if the outcomes don’t quite match your expectations, try spraying a little bit more.
Scrub the wheel: Honestly, it’s really tough to find a cleaning product that’s a true “spray on, rinse off” deal. That is especially true for wheels that are extremely filthy and covered in brake dust, road grime, and dirt. So scrub a little and rub that cleaner in!
Separate buckets: Keep your car’s water separate from the wheels’ cleaning process. That’s a great way to mix impurities and won’t be good for your wheels or the paint job on your car.
Try a power washer: Brake dust and other debris can easily be removed from wheels using high pressure water. With the proper wheel cleaner and pressure washer, it completely changes the game.

Types of Wheel Cleaners

The majority of wheel cleaners operate in the same way. They come in a spray bottle and contain specific ingredients that lift or remove impurities like brake dust and road grime from the surface. Some cleaning agents can be sprayed on and rinsed off without the need for laborious labor. Some of them require a little agitation from a tool like a brush, especially if you’re working with thick grease and grime.

Key Features

Wheel Finish

Wheel cleaners are not a universally applicable product. Some products are especially formulated for use on particular materials, whereas many are universal in design and safe for use with all wheel finishes. Make sure your wheels won’t be harmed by the chemical composition by checking for compatibility prior to making a purchase.

Ease of Application

The majority of wheel cleaners come in spray bottles that are easy to use. Typically, you must spray the solution onto the wheel, wait a predetermined amount of time, and then scrub or simply rinse the solution off of the surface. If you don’t rinse off some products quickly enough, they can leave a residue. Some tasks require a little more work than others. Some have spray patterns and nozzles that are better.

Chemical Composition

The majority of wheel cleaners are advertised as being pH balanced or pH neutral, which means that they are potent enough to remove dirt and grime but not overly potent or overly acidic, which can lead to some problems. Some brands advertise that they are non-toxic or acid-free. Others, however, risk damaging a wheel if the formula is not properly rinsed.

Pricing

Products for cleaning wheels can cost under $10 or close to $20, depending on the brand. Although some products are less expensive, they are packaged in smaller bottles, which means they don’t last as long and require more frequent purchases of new ones.

Best Wheel Cleaners FAQs

Can Wheel Cleaner Damage Wheels?

Variable levels of dirt-busting power are claimed by various wheel cleaners. Wheel cleaners won’t harm the majority of wheels, but if you have delicate finishes, such as polished aluminum or powder coating, look for a wheel cleaner with a gentler compound to be safe.

What Happens If You Leave Wheel Cleaner on Too Long?

A further 15 minutes won’t harm, but leaving wheel cleaner on for too long does increase the risk of staining or pitting your wheels.

Can Wheel Cleaner Damage Brakes?

Not unless you leave the wheel cleaner on for an extended period of time, which increases the slight chance of rotor stains. Generally speaking, your brake system won’t be harmed by wheel cleaner.

Are Wheel Cleaners Necessary?

Yes, provided you’re interested in giving your wheels the best possible cleaning. These cleaners are made to get rid of the contaminants that scrubbing and water alone won’t be able to remove, such as brake dust.

What Will Clean Brake Dust Off My Wheels?

Spray, wait, scrub, and rinse. That’s all there is to it: if your wheels are really grimy, look for some stronger wheel cleaners to get the job done.

So, Which is the Best Wheel Cleaner?

We recommend Meguiar’s G180132 Ultimate All Wheel Cleaner as the primary choice. It only requires spraying the product, watching the foaming liquid turn purple, and then rinsing with a garden hose to remove it. No strenuous physical labor is required, but some agitation or scrubbing may help to hasten the process or remove some of the tougher stains from the tighter corners.

We also recommend Turtle Wax T-18 All Wheel And Tire Cleaner as the second option. We side-by-side compared the foaming Turtle Wax T-18 wheel cleaner to the wheel cleaners from Meguiar’s and Adam’s Polishes. In both tests, Turtle Wax T-18 outperformed the rival products in the amount of caked-on dirt that it was able to remove from the wheel. It only takes about 30 seconds for the Turtle Wax formula to start working, allowing you to scrub and rinse immediately after application.

Again, here are the best wheel cleaners that we choose: