Make Your Wheels Gleam with These Wheel Cleaners
Your wheels look yecchh! Wheels are almost certainly the dirtiest part of your car. Not only are they up close and personal with all the dirt, muck, salt, and grime caking the streets, wheels have an extra disadvantage inherent to the function of every car on the road.
It has to do with brakes. Every time you hit the stop pedal, your brake calipers squeeze brake pads against either side of the rotor to create friction and bring the vehicle to a halt. Problem is, every time those pads squeeze against the rotor, both pad and rotor lose a very thin layer of material in the process. That material turns to dark metallic brake dust, which, combined with heat generated by braking friction, bakes onto your wheel like the glaze on a freshly fired ceramic mug.
Brake dust lying on the surface of a wheel looks awful, but plenty of folks don’t care about that kind of thing. However, leave it there too long and those tiny metallic particles can etch into the finish of your wheels, causing permanent damage.
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Because a car’s wheels are subjected to this bonus layer of pesky particulates, it’s necessary that they be washed differently than the rest of the exterior. Not only does baked-on brake dust require a more aggressive chemical than most car shampoos, washing your vehicle’s exterior with a brush or microfiber cloth filled with brake dust can ruin the paint job you’ve worked so hard to keep clean.
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Top Rated Car Wheel Cleaners
best for aluminum rims
Hot Rims Aluminum Wheel Cleaner
best for serious wheel grime
Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner
best for wheels and tires
Wheel & Tire Cleaner
best for factory wheels
Wheel Cleaner Full Effect
best for removing rust
IronX Iron Remover
best wheel and rim protectant
MAX Coat Wheel Guard
best for repelling brake dust
Wheel Rim Shield
best for cleaning between spokes
Master Wheel Brush
How to Properly Clean Your Wheels or Rims
We recommend a decontaminator, such as Sonax Wheel Cleaner. Spray this wheel-specific cleaner on a cool, dry wheel and wait 10 minutes or so. Though it sprays on clear, as its chemicals interact with the iron molecules in brake dust, the product’s color changes from clear to red. Once you see the change in color, give the wheel a rinse and bask in its dustless glory.
If you have a set of precious aluminum wheels, take care of them with Meguiar’s Aluminum Wheel Cleaner—which is specifically designed to be gentle and safe for sensitive metals. For a more versatile cleaner, CarPro Iron X is a little pricey but offers the same potency and ease of use as the Sonax, with one key advantage: It’s safe on all surfaces, including paint. There are plenty of other acceptable products as well.
Using the absolute best wheel cleaner—there probably isn’t one—is not as important as doing the job properly and smartly. Some wheels may require a little scrubbing. But do not use anything abrasive, such as a kitchen dish scrubber, Dobie pad, or steel wool.
Most wheels are painted silver or black or have a top coat of clear paint on them. Anything more aggressive than a soft brush risks scratching them and ruining the finish. Be careful and follow the product’s instructions, and you’ll have wheels that sparkle in the sunshine.
FAQs About Wheel Cleaners
Q: Can wheel cleaner damage wheels?
Different wheel cleaners boast varying levels of dirt-busting strength. For most wheels, wheel cleaners won’t cause damage—but if you have sensitive finishes, like polished aluminum or powder coating, seek a wheel cleaner with a gentler compound to be safe.
Q: What happens if you leave wheel cleaner on too long?
The risk of staining or pitting your wheels does increase if wheel cleaner is left on too long, but an extra 15 minutes won’t hurt.
Q: Can wheel cleaner damage brakes?
Not unless you leave the wheel cleaner on for an excessive amount of time, which adds a slight possibility of rotor stains. In general, you don’t have to worry about wheel cleaner damaging your brake system.
Q: Are wheel cleaners necessary?
If you want to truly clean your wheels to their maximum potential, yes. Scrubbing and water won’t get all of the brake dust and other contaminants off—these cleaners are designed to cut through the stuff your elbow grease won’t.
Q: What will clean brake dust off my wheels?
Spray, sit, scrub, rinse. Simple as that. If your wheels are super cruddy, look for some stronger wheel cleaners to do the trick.
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