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Best overall wheel cleaner?

Intuit

3000 Post Club
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Location
South West Ohio
#24
I have painted gloss black wheels and the cleaning methods will be different from those suggested. A "traditional" cleaning can leave a lot of visible fine scratches in the gloss.

May look into the wheel coatings that CGM9999 alluded to.

Honestly, with wheels like that, I'd recommend a wheel coating. You can reference my thread here for pics of my wheels after an application of Pinnacle Wheel Coating:

http://www.fiestastforum.com/forum/threads/4417-Finally-was-able-to-detail-the-FiST-Pic-Intensive

It takes but a single afternoon to do and the benefits are well worth it. The benefit of a coating isn't just about making the wheels shine like glass, but more importantly, the upkeep is far easier. After treating my wheels with a coating, they stay cleaner longer in between washes, and best of all, the brake dust comes right off with a simple swab with a wheel woolly and regular old car wash which is a huge perk because you save a ton of money in the long run because you're no longer buying Sonax wheel cleaner at $20 a bottle.

With wheels like yours, I personally would dread cleaning those with my bad knees and back. The higher up front cost of a wheel coating would easily be justified in your case, imho.

As for an actual wheel cleaner though, Sonax all the way. Fantastic product. Pricey, but makes the choices at Autozone/O'Reilley's/etc look like kids stuff.
 


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Location
-
#25
Ammo's stuff is good, Waxed Shine is another good alternative. Very gentle, but powerful like the Ammo stuff. I use Waxed Shine because I can get it locally in-store.

Waxed Shine Iron Off: http://waxedshine.com/product/iron-off-decontamination-remover/

I let it sit for a minute or so, light agitation, and wash off. I have 15x8 Pro Races, so I wanted something that wouldn't make them any worse to clean lol... Their paint sealant, and soap are fantastic too.

I also agree with the suggestion of coating your wheels. It was recommended to me by my local supplier, Waxed Shine has a kit for like $45, he said it'll do a set of 20s, IIRC. I think I'll do mine when I pull them off this winter. It really does make all the difference.
 


Messages
312
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124
Location
Toronto
#26
Sonax is best. Also you can get it at any BMW dealership rebranded as BMW wheel cleaner
 


Messages
92
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13
Location
Charlotte
#27
I've had great experiences with Sonax products as well. My only complaint is how expensive they can be. My local detail supply (who is a Sonax vendor) recommended one of the own products called wheel-brite. A quart of concentrate ,which they recommend diluting at a ratio between 1:2 and 1:4, ran me $11 and works just as well as the Sonax product.

http://www.majesticsolutionsinc.com/purchase-page/cleaners-degreasers/wheel-brite
 


Messages
14
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7
Location
Killington, VT
#29
I just bought the complete AMMO nyc kit.
Paint regimen
Wheel regimen
Interior regimen

Holy crap does it cost a lot of money, but holy crap does it work good. Larry's video's and philosophy of treating paint like skin are great. The time and work saved protecting your car with his "skin" is much appreciated in my busy life.
I have always used various Sonax products, P21S, Chemical Guys, and Zymol. Giving it all away now that I got Ammo.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


Messages
11
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1
Location
College Station
#30
Sonax full effect is my fave wheel cleaner. It really helps remove brake dust easily.
Quick question, will this remove glue? The dealership did not remove the glue residue from the wheels, and dawn dish soap and a scrub brush will not get it off.
 


MKVIIST

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#31
Quick question, will this remove glue? The dealership did not remove the glue residue from the wheels, and dawn dish soap and a scrub brush will not get it off.
You can just use car polish.
 


Messages
293
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74
Location
Mesa
#32
I use chemical guy's diablo gel wheel/tire cleaner. Spray it on, lightly scrub, rinse off. Makes quick work of all the brake dust, and smells like cherries!
 


Messages
11
Likes
1
Location
College Station
#33
So I grabbed a cheap $6 after tax (in Texas) can of Turtle Wax Renew Rx Label and Sticker Remover. Worked super fast, cut through the glue and brake dust in less than a min. All you have to do is wipe it away with a paper towel. Highly recommend it! Left my wheels nice and sparkly and smelling of oranges.
 


Messages
27
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Location
Westchester
#34
Sonax full effect wheel cleaner, or nanolex wheel cleaner and iron remover, can also be applied to the paint of the car for decontamination. Wheel woolies are good brushes for getting all the crevasses and there soft brushes.
 


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