Wheel cleaner for WORK wheels or 3 piece wheels.

For a strong, yet safe wheel cleaner I really like Mothers Foaming Wheel and Tire Cleaner.

Mothers Mothers Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaner

I've found this to be strong enough to cut through brake dust and all manner of grime that builds up on wheels. I also like the way it cleans the tire sidewalls to get them ready for a tire dressing. I simply spray the stuff on, let it dwell for about 30 sec ~ 1 min, agitate all the surfaces, and then rinse it off. I found it to be stronger than P21S's products, but less harsh than other consumer-grade products you find in stores. Frankly, those scare me after what I've seen them do to a set of old wheels I had on a Subaru.

In the individual bottles it's inexpensive and can be found here and just about any big-box or parts store. You can also get it here at AG in gallon jugs which is what I'll be doing when I place my next order.
 
RaskyR1 said:
Agreed! This is my go-to cleaner when it has to be very safe but effective.
Click to expand...

Have they updated the formula over the years? I used both around 10 years ago when I owned a BMW. It was very gentle on the painted wheels...too gentle actually. I found my car shampoo cut through the brake dust better with less effort. I really liked the way the gel covered the surface after being sprayed on, it just didn't do much for me once it was there.
 
Desertnate said:
Have they updated the formula over the years? I used both around 10 years ago when I owned a BMW. It was very gentle on the painted wheels...too gentle actually. I found my car shampoo cut through the brake dust better with less effort. I really liked the way the gel covered the surface after being sprayed on, it just didn't do much for me once it was there.
Click to expand...
That's really what's so nice about it:
It won't clean by itself.

I "agitate" it. :)

Desertnate said:
For a strong, yet safe wheel cleaner
I really like Mothers Foaming Wheel and Tire Cleaner.

Mothers Mothers Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaner
Click to expand...

Note:
•Mothers Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaner
is not recommended for:
-motorcycles,
-polished or roughcast aluminum,
-billet or
-anodized wheels.




Bob
 
FUNX650 said:
That's really what's so nice about it:
It won't clean by itself.

I "agitate" it. :)

Note:
•Mothers Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaner
is not recommended for:
-motorcycles,
-polished or roughcast aluminum,
-billet or
-anodized wheels.




Bob
Click to expand...

I would as well...still do. I don't believe in a spray-on rinse off wheel cleaner. Maybe two weeks between wheel cleaning was a bit of a stretch for the product? Either way...if I had wheels which required special attention, P21S would be my first choice. For painted/clear coated wheels on my DD's, I still like Mothers.
 
Here's the real question, is there a wheel cleaner on the market that REALLY requires no agitation or actual physical cleaning?

I am talking, spray it on some filthy wheels > spressure wash> dry. No hand touching.

Have tried most of them over the years doing thousands of cars. Iron-X, Ferrex, Sonax FE and the newer stronger cleaner they have, P21S, Diablo, Brake Off, etc. All require some form of agitation.

OP, I am with all the people saying that if you honestly clean your wheels 3X a week, there is no way in hell you need a wheel cleaner. I call BS as well. I have full race Brembos on my car and the wheel turns BLACK after an hour of driving, even on those I can wash it off with soap if I wash them 3X a week like you claim and that dust is worse than any German OEM spec vehicle you will come across.
 
Hey OP, Sorry you had to go through some unpleasantness to get some actual help :(

Although I dont have expensive Work VS-XX wheels, my Subaru STI does have some sensitive wheels which take a lot of damage from the huge 6 piston brake calipers the car has. I've had good success with the P21S gel cleaner paired with Sonus All Wheel Cleaner for the really rough stuff. I recommend testing the Sonus first in a less conspicuous area because it can be a bit harsh.

Definitely seal your wheels though. I have to agree with the previous poster (sorry don't have your name) who recommended the Collinite 476. I use this too and its fantastic. Make cleaning your wheels later MUCH easier.

As an aside, if you want to drastically reduce the brake dust, look into Endless brake pads. I have a friend who recently put them on his Mitsubishi Evo and his dust went from a ton to almost zero. I'm switching to them for sure when I have my brakes done.
 
Kaban said:
Here's the real question, is there a wheel cleaner on the market that REALLY requires no agitation or actual physical cleaning?

I am talking, spray it on some filthy wheels > spressure wash> dry. No hand touching.

Have tried most of them over the years doing thousands of cars. Iron-X, Ferrex, Sonax FE and the newer stronger cleaner they have, P21S, Diablo, Brake Off, etc. All require some form of agitation.
Click to expand...

Not that I know of. To be honest, with most wheels I don't see how a spray on an walk away would work well. There are too many contours in even the most simple wheel designs for something like that to work well. Add in the fact the product is being applied to a vertical surface and that complicates things even more. I would think a wheel cleaner able to clean wheels well without any agitation would require it to be clingy like a gel and be really strong. The gel part I like; really strong...not so much.
 
Kaban said:
Here's the real question,
is there a wheel cleaner on the
market that REALLY requires no
agitation or actual physical cleaning?
Click to expand...
Autogeek sells Poorboy’s World
Spray and Rinse Wheel Cleaner.

There are numerous Professional
spray & rinse wheel cleaners that
Autogeek doesn't sell.


Bob
 
I have had good luck with Sonax on all my wheels. Spray on, slightly agitate, rinse off. I too follow up with Collinite 476. Makes future cleanings much easier.
 
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