DFB
Well-known member
- Aug 12, 2019
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Koch Chemie Magic Wheel Cleaner MWC
I'm not a big wheel cleaner user, mainly because I find them unnecessary for well maintained and coated wheels. My go to for wheel cleaning is a slug of soap into my wheel bucket, then whatever shampoo I have chosen on the day and applied with my foam cannon. Every few months, I switch things up by grabbing a dedicated wheel cleaner for the occasional deep clean. This is where I would use NV Purge (for iron removal) or P&S Brake Buster (high pH).
But there are times when I'm faced with someone else's neglected vehicle, in which case I both WANT and NEED a powerful wheel cleaner. In these situations, I find attacking neglected wheels with an iron-removing type wheel cleaner, followed by an alkaline product to be more effective. The theory here being the iron remover type goes on first, is allowed to soak before being rinsed away. Quite often, this step removes the bulk of the contamination, meaning the following contact washing with the alkaline cleaner to be vastly more effective. Typically, this combination will be NV Purge, followed by Shine Supply Wise Guy. So, how would Koch Chemie fit into this procedure?
At the moment, the only dedicated wheel cleaner offered here by Koch Chemie is Magic Wheel Cleaner. They also have Alkali Wheel Cleaner AWC, which is like their version of Wise Guy or Brake Buster, however it still hasn't arrived in Australia.
Magic Wheel Cleaner is termed an "acid-free" wheel cleaner, although the published pH value is 5.5, which to me is slightly acid leaning. That doesn't mean it HAS acid in it though. This is an iron-remover type product, so it does have a very potent stench, in that regard I find NV Purge to be the least offensive. There are a couple of areas that MWC holds an advantage -
- The thicker, viscous consistency clings to the surface of the wheel. I'm not a big fan of that, I'd prefer more consistent coverage. However, it does mean you extend the working time of the product.
- Contamination is encapsulated within the cleaner and prevents it from drying on the surface as you work, again prolonging your working time.
How To Use -
Always use these products on cool surfaces, and out of direct sunlight where possible.
1. Shake the bottle well before use.
2. You can use MWC as a pre-treatment and/or with agitation. For best results, I like to apply onto a dry wheel and allow to dwell for 2 - 5 min.
2. Once you have seen sufficient red colour-change reaction, rinse the wheel. A pressure washer will be most effective here.
3. Reapply or switch to your alkaline wheel cleaner, then agitate with brushes.
4. Rinse, then dry.
Usage Notes -
- I've found this product to produce bubbles when spraying, so be mindful of wind direction and probably wear eye protection too.
- MWC is a ready to use product, no dilution required.
- Safe for alloy, steel and chrome wheels.
- If you have ultra dirty wheel barrels, I've found the wool type brushes to be more effective than the microfiber and bristle type brushes here.
- Not as pertinent for this product as some of the others of its type, but if you find its drying too quickly, you can lightly mist the surface of the wheel to continue the iron reaction.
- These iron-remover type wheel cleaners aren't very effective at cleaning tyres, so you would need to carry a separate product for that.
- Close off the spray head after use to prevent leakage.
Final Thoughts -
For me personally, Magic Wheel Cleaner is not a product I use very often, I just don't need it. But I do see why it's so popular. If you are dealing with heavy brake dust from a European or high-performance vehicle, then the added bite of MWC could be up your alley.
I'm not a big wheel cleaner user, mainly because I find them unnecessary for well maintained and coated wheels. My go to for wheel cleaning is a slug of soap into my wheel bucket, then whatever shampoo I have chosen on the day and applied with my foam cannon. Every few months, I switch things up by grabbing a dedicated wheel cleaner for the occasional deep clean. This is where I would use NV Purge (for iron removal) or P&S Brake Buster (high pH).
But there are times when I'm faced with someone else's neglected vehicle, in which case I both WANT and NEED a powerful wheel cleaner. In these situations, I find attacking neglected wheels with an iron-removing type wheel cleaner, followed by an alkaline product to be more effective. The theory here being the iron remover type goes on first, is allowed to soak before being rinsed away. Quite often, this step removes the bulk of the contamination, meaning the following contact washing with the alkaline cleaner to be vastly more effective. Typically, this combination will be NV Purge, followed by Shine Supply Wise Guy. So, how would Koch Chemie fit into this procedure?
At the moment, the only dedicated wheel cleaner offered here by Koch Chemie is Magic Wheel Cleaner. They also have Alkali Wheel Cleaner AWC, which is like their version of Wise Guy or Brake Buster, however it still hasn't arrived in Australia.
Magic Wheel Cleaner is termed an "acid-free" wheel cleaner, although the published pH value is 5.5, which to me is slightly acid leaning. That doesn't mean it HAS acid in it though. This is an iron-remover type product, so it does have a very potent stench, in that regard I find NV Purge to be the least offensive. There are a couple of areas that MWC holds an advantage -
- The thicker, viscous consistency clings to the surface of the wheel. I'm not a big fan of that, I'd prefer more consistent coverage. However, it does mean you extend the working time of the product.
- Contamination is encapsulated within the cleaner and prevents it from drying on the surface as you work, again prolonging your working time.
How To Use -
Always use these products on cool surfaces, and out of direct sunlight where possible.
1. Shake the bottle well before use.
2. You can use MWC as a pre-treatment and/or with agitation. For best results, I like to apply onto a dry wheel and allow to dwell for 2 - 5 min.
2. Once you have seen sufficient red colour-change reaction, rinse the wheel. A pressure washer will be most effective here.
3. Reapply or switch to your alkaline wheel cleaner, then agitate with brushes.
4. Rinse, then dry.
Usage Notes -
- I've found this product to produce bubbles when spraying, so be mindful of wind direction and probably wear eye protection too.
- MWC is a ready to use product, no dilution required.
- Safe for alloy, steel and chrome wheels.
- If you have ultra dirty wheel barrels, I've found the wool type brushes to be more effective than the microfiber and bristle type brushes here.
- Not as pertinent for this product as some of the others of its type, but if you find its drying too quickly, you can lightly mist the surface of the wheel to continue the iron reaction.
- These iron-remover type wheel cleaners aren't very effective at cleaning tyres, so you would need to carry a separate product for that.
- Close off the spray head after use to prevent leakage.
Final Thoughts -
For me personally, Magic Wheel Cleaner is not a product I use very often, I just don't need it. But I do see why it's so popular. If you are dealing with heavy brake dust from a European or high-performance vehicle, then the added bite of MWC could be up your alley.