Reading time: 6 minute(s)
Your car will never be truly clean if its tires are not washed properly. It's like going out in a very clean suit, but with dirty shoes. Soapy water won't really clean your rims properly, which is why you need a wheel rim cleaner. This product is mainly designed for tires and rims, removing dirt, dust and stains, leaving your wheels "fresh" and looking like new.
However, there are many varieties of these cleaners in the market and many people have a question, which is the best disc cleaner? To make it easier for you to choose the best product, we will compile a rating of car wheel cleaners.
How to choose
When choosing this chemical, you should pay attention to:
- Wheel material
Wheels, and rims in particular, are made using a variety of materials, and therefore there are special cleaning products designed to ensure the effectiveness of each.
For example, there are some cleaners that are specifically formulated for chrome wheels.
In general, you should consider the type of discs you have and buy the most suitable chemistry for it.
- Ease of use
Another important thing to consider is ease of use. Some products require that they be mixed or applied to the wheel in a certain way. We recommend choosing regular wheel cleaners, such as those with a spray, as they are easy to apply and will do the job just as well as those that require specific application.
Sink with brush
Finally, we generously water each of the discs with our product and proceed to washing using a brush.
Of course, the final result in this test is influenced by the quality of the physical impact - after all, something can be cleaned not well enough, but we rubbed each disc for a long time and actively. And GRASS did the worst job - the remaining dirt on the disk after it is visible to the naked eye.
Eclipse worked a little better: a little dirt remained, but you need to look closely to see it.
The Lesta cleaner showed good results - there is minimal static on the disk, visually it looks clean. If you are not a fan of perfectly washed discs, the result will more than satisfy you.
The winner of this stage is LAVR. Dirt, sand and block dust were completely removed, only bitumen stains remained, although none of the products could cope with them. But it shouldn’t have been able to cope - completely different substances are used to remove bitumen.
Top 10 Disc Cleaners
CarGuys
WCG-18OZ from CarGuys stands out as the best quality auto wheel cleaner because it gets rid of harsh road salts that can damage rim protective coatings and create rust. Plus, the cleaner also gets rid of winter grime, leaving your wheels and tires clean.
This product is also one of the best cleaners for chrome wheels because it has a non-corrosive, acid-free and pH balanced formulation that is safe for use on all types of wheels, be it aluminum, alloy, painted or clear coated.
In addition, the cleaning gel is highly concentrated, which reduces the amount of solution needed for each cleaning. The thick texture allows it to cling to wheels and rubber to provide maximum cleaning power when cleaning away dirt, brake dust, iron particles, etc.
On the other hand, this gel is quite expensive, but it can be used on a wide variety of tires.
3M 39036
This 39036 from 3M is a powerful cleaner designed to remove brake dust, dirt, grease and road tar in a few simple steps: apply and wipe.
These actions give the wheel a shine and also remove scuffs from the sidewalls of the tire, leaving it in its original deep black color.
However, the cleaner may cause eye irritation and should be handled with care.
LAVR Wheel Disk Cleaner
This product comes with a very long spray wand that reaches deep into corners. The bottle is designed in such a way that tilting while spraying allows you to use all the solution to the last drop.
The cleaning solution has an acid-free formula that is safe for use on all types of wheels and will clean wheels from chrome to aluminum and even white tires.
On all of these types, the cleaner is highly stain-resistant, with its concentrated formula penetrating deep into road salt, snow dirt, brake dust, oil residue and other types of stains, restoring your wheel's shine to its original goodness.
Other features include a 500ml pack which is very easy to use thanks to the spray nozzle. However, an applicator or microfiber towel is not included.
Sonax
Although it may cause skin and eye irritation, this wheel cleaner is actually acid-free and has a neutral pH composition, making it safe for use on aluminum, anodized, clear coat, painted and other wheels.
The product is also safe for use on motorcycle wheels as well as custom wheels and it is VOC compliant, making it environmentally friendly.
When applied, the cleaner first glows green fluorescent light and then changes color to red as it loosens contaminants. It is recommended to give it 10 minutes to completely clean, you should only reapply if all dirt is not removed.
Sonax gel is very effective at removing dirt and brake dust and is also very effective at getting rid of caked-on dirt that has been building up on the wheel for some time.
A towel for cleaning after rinsing is not included and must be purchased separately.
Eltrans
Eltrans is very similar to the Sonax cleaner above in that it has a color changing formula that goes from blue to bright purple and literally allows you to watch the disc being cleaned.
The product's formulation is also acid and pH free, making it safe for use on factory finishes, chrome, alloy and other wheels.
In addition to cleaning brake dust, the cleaner gets rid of stubborn metal contaminants, as well as salt and water dirt.
The product has a special texture that sticks to the wheel for more effective cleaning, and a screw-on sprayer that has a long tube to reach the corners of 500 ml bottles. However, the cleanser may cause skin irritation and should be handled with care.
MICHELIN
This MICHELIN is a triple action wheel and tire cleaner designed to target the three most common types of wheel stains such as brake dust, grease and road grime. These 3 tend to bake.
The cleaner is formulated to adhere to the vertical surface of the wheel for deeper penetration and then forms a foam that is very effective at removing most stubborn dirt and stains.
This formulation also includes a protectant and helps distribute the cleaner into nooks and crannies to effectively tackle tough, stubborn dirt.
However, the formula is mildly acidic and can only be used on wheels with factory and aftermarket coatings so as not to come into direct contact with the underlying metal surface. However, disc cleaner is also very irritating to the skin and eyes, so it should be handled with care.
Eagle One
Eagle One Wheel and Tire Cleaner is specially formulated to produce a thick foam that "grabs" the wheel and tire surfaces to penetrate deep into nooks and crannies to remove all dirt, grease and brake dust, plus it restores tires to their black finish. .
The product is very easy to use as you only need to spray on the cleaner and then wait 20 minutes and rinse it off.
Another benefit you get is that it is acid-free and can be safely used on all types of tires and wheels, including hubcaps. However, you should handle the cleaner with care as it causes skin and eye irritation.
GRASS "Disk"
The cleaner is a highly concentrated formula that is best for removing tough dirt and is 35% better than other cleaners.
However, it is recommended to dilute it to a 4:1 ratio to create an ideal solution for cleaning wheels. Additionally, the formula can be further diluted to an 8:1 ratio for light duty applications.
This diluted version is much gentler on rims such as polished metal and chrome, it even scrapes the rubber to a deep black.
Which wheel rim cleaner is best? There is no winner in this ranking, all products are quite good, but we recommend paying attention to 3M 39036.
Removable cleaning
All recommendations on how to wash alloy wheels (chrome plated) agree on one thing - they should be cleaned in the removed position. Materials needed to remove contaminants:
- Professional brush. You can also use its substitutes. A brush with hard bristles is ideal.
- A bucket of water.
- Sandpaper.
- Wax for wheels.
- Apple cider vinegar and citric acid.
- Home washing machine. If this is not available, you can use a watering hose.
Having prepared all these materials, you can quickly clean alloy wheels from plaque. It is important that the citric acid solution is weak. Concentrated will lead to the destruction of the protective coating of the wheel.
- Use good water pressure to remove all dirt.
- Use a sponge to remove dirt more thoroughly.
- Any remaining dirt can be removed with a toothbrush. If that doesn’t work, use sandpaper (it must be wet so as not to scratch the surface).
- After all these procedures, brake dust will remain. It can be removed with special products that are sold at any car store. But in order not to waste money, use a solution of citric acid.
- Apply the solution to a dry surface and wait about five minutes. Then rinse everything off with clean water. If not everything has been cleaned, you should repeat the procedure.
- Machine oil stains can be easily removed with apple cider vinegar.
- After the whole process, you need to wipe the disks. To get it dry, it is better to use a microfiber cloth. If you don't have one, toilet paper will do.
- The last stage is the application of protective materials.
Application of protective coatings is very simple. It is most convenient to use a regular sponge. This procedure will allow you to clean the wheels in the future with less effort and will give the car a well-groomed appearance.
Any chemicals used to clean alloy wheels harm the pipes and brake pads. If you wash the wheels of a car, then auto chemicals will certainly have a detrimental effect.
How and why you need to clean disks
Proper car care is important, and wheel maintenance is necessary to keep them looking good and to protect the rim and rubber from harsh salts and other substances.
All in all, you need to buy the best wheel and tire cleaner for the job to get positive results, and the above review is perfect to help you with that.
Petr Alekseev
Regular author of articles for the magazine rating cars.
Garage Recipes
There are several garage recipes that will help you make anti-oxidation products.
Boiling soda
Ordinary boiled water will help remove new traces of oxide. The liquid must be boiled in a small saucepan in advance. Then the boiling water is poured into a basin in which all parts that need cleaning will be soaked. The soaking time lasts about 3-4 hours. Then all products are washed and wiped from any remaining water. If the oxides have not disappeared, you will have to use other, more effective means.
How to clean a cast iron bathtub
Knowing how to clean a bathtub using folk remedies, you can quickly get rid of old stains.
Cleaning powder
To properly clean a cast iron bathtub, you can use regular washing powder, which is always at hand. Work process:
- A little mixture of powder and water should be applied to dirty plumbing fixtures.
- Then rub over the surface with a synthetic bristle brush until foam forms and leave for 15 minutes.
- Then rinse with hot water.
What you need for quality cleaning
How to clean carbon deposits from wheel rims at home? You will definitely need:
- soft sponge that perfectly absorbs water;
- microfiber;
- sandpaper;
- brush for cleaning teeth;
- a composition that can be used to clean wheels;
- small bucket;
- water;
- car detergent;
- jack;
- hose and spray nozzle.
Contactless washing
It’s almost impossible to wash discs without using a brush, but it’s worth a try. Apply four products to two spokes of one disc and into the space between them, wait a couple of minutes, and wash off with high pressure.
The triggers for all the remedies are far from good. None of them produce a long “zilch” with a cloud of finely dispersed suspension. GRASS sprays generously, like Lesta, LAVR foams heavily, Eclipse practically flows like a stream.
The only thing I honestly didn’t like about the smell was GRASS, which smells like cheap and effective toilet cleaners. “Lavr” also has a slight acidic smell, but it is not so pungent. Lesta and Eclipse are practically odorless. All liquids are initially transparent, except for LAVR cleaner, which is pink.
In terms of wow effect, the Lesta wins, which, after application and reaction with metallic inclusions, acquires a purple color, as befits an iron.
LAVR and Lesta coped best with dirt in this test. Although after “Lavr” the spokes are still cleaner.
Lesta left a lot of dirt on the spokes and between them.
But in general, the attempt to wash very grimy discs without contact, as expected, was a failure.
Third place goes to GRASS.
Well, the worst part of the Eclipse disk was washed.
We take another disk, on one half of which we apply a bathroom product, on the second - vinegar. Here the result is interesting: a lot of dirt remains, but after Clean Tone it is mostly sand - the black shoe dust has been washed off from more of it, although overall the result is worse than that of Eclipse. This is not very noticeable in photographs, but in person the difference is obvious.
Therefore, it’s definitely not worth trying to wash discs with vinegar, but in principle it’s possible to use an acidic household cleaner in the absence of special equipment.
The result of the first stage of the test: none of the cleaners is capable of washing dirty disks without contact, but LAVR and Lesta will probably be able to remove a week’s worth of dirt without any extra effort on your part.
