zmcgovern45
New member
- Sep 5, 2012
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One of the most common things for people to ask me about are wheel cleaners. While I certainly have not tried every wheel cleaner on the market, I have tried a few of the major ones and I continue to use them because they work very well. Here are some of my thoughts on Sonax Full Effect, CG Diablo Gel, and P21S Wheel Gel.
It is important to remember that having the right wheel cleaning tools is also a big part in being able to quickly and easily clean your wheels.
Note: "When caring for your wheels it is important that you have the proper products and tools. It is also important to know what type of wheels you have so you use the proper products on them. If you have factory alloy wheels, chances are they have a layer of clear coat on your wheels. This makes things easy because you can use a variety of wheel cleaners without worrying about oxidizing your wheels finish. You can also treat them like you would your clear coat on your paint, which means you can wash, clay, polish and protect your wheels. After market or upgraded wheels that have a high polished finish or bare metal need to be treated carefully, otherwise you may oxidize the finish and potentially damage your wheels.
Your wheels should be completely cool when you start to clean them. If you have been out driving, even just a little bit, give them ample time to cool down before using any cleaner on them. You can spray them down with water to help them cool down but it may take some additional time for them to reach air temperature so you can begin cleaning. Clean the wheels in the shade whenever possible to avoid water marks or rinse them frequently while in direct sunlight."
^An excerpt from the DI Detailing Guide
My current "go to" product for significantly dirty wheels has been Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner. This product is sprayed liberally onto the dirty area, agitated with wheel brushes, wheel woolies, and/or wheel sponge/mitts in order to quickly and easily remove even the heaviest buildup.
Wheel before cleaning...
You can see it has a substantial layer of dirt, brake dust, road grime, etc...
Sonax Full Effect wheel cleaner was sprayed liberally on the wheel. The chemical starts as a bright green and turns purple as it starts to react with the dirt and brake dust that cover the wheel.
Here you can see the color change as the wheel cleaner begins to work and the dirt and contaminates start to flow from the wheel.
After agitating with various brushes and wheel woolies, you can see the amount of grime that is coming off of the wheels.
After cleaning (tires dressed as well)... a significant difference.
Another product that I was very pleased with was P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner. This product seemed to work quite well on rather heavily soiled wheels (and therefore was obviously effective on lightly soiled wheels as well). The thicker "gel" formula allowed it to cling on the wheels which enabled you to let it dwell on the wheel for a longer period of time before proceeding with agitation if you wished.
Wheel before cleaning:
Wheel cleaner applied to the wheel, prior to any agitation. You can see how it is still clinging to even the very top of the wheel and not simply running off.
After agitating with a wheel brush and wheel woolies, the wheel looks perfect (tire was also dressed, of course).
A favorite of mine for routine maintenance (ie wheels that are cleaned weekly) is Chemical Guys Diablo Gel - Diluted 4:1 with water. This is a more cost effective wheel cleaner and works well to clean up light dirt and brake dust.
Wheel before cleaning - light brake dust and dirt
CG Diablo Gel Sprayed onto the wheel and left to dwell for a minute or two. The product starts to cut through the brake dust and grime even before it is agitated.
After a quick pass with a wheel brush and/or wash mitt/sponge the wheels look as good as new (tires were also dressed in this picture).
It is important to remember that having the right wheel cleaning tools is also a big part in being able to quickly and easily clean your wheels.
Note: "When caring for your wheels it is important that you have the proper products and tools. It is also important to know what type of wheels you have so you use the proper products on them. If you have factory alloy wheels, chances are they have a layer of clear coat on your wheels. This makes things easy because you can use a variety of wheel cleaners without worrying about oxidizing your wheels finish. You can also treat them like you would your clear coat on your paint, which means you can wash, clay, polish and protect your wheels. After market or upgraded wheels that have a high polished finish or bare metal need to be treated carefully, otherwise you may oxidize the finish and potentially damage your wheels.
Your wheels should be completely cool when you start to clean them. If you have been out driving, even just a little bit, give them ample time to cool down before using any cleaner on them. You can spray them down with water to help them cool down but it may take some additional time for them to reach air temperature so you can begin cleaning. Clean the wheels in the shade whenever possible to avoid water marks or rinse them frequently while in direct sunlight."
^An excerpt from the DI Detailing Guide
My current "go to" product for significantly dirty wheels has been Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner. This product is sprayed liberally onto the dirty area, agitated with wheel brushes, wheel woolies, and/or wheel sponge/mitts in order to quickly and easily remove even the heaviest buildup.
Wheel before cleaning...
You can see it has a substantial layer of dirt, brake dust, road grime, etc...
Sonax Full Effect wheel cleaner was sprayed liberally on the wheel. The chemical starts as a bright green and turns purple as it starts to react with the dirt and brake dust that cover the wheel.
Here you can see the color change as the wheel cleaner begins to work and the dirt and contaminates start to flow from the wheel.
After agitating with various brushes and wheel woolies, you can see the amount of grime that is coming off of the wheels.
After cleaning (tires dressed as well)... a significant difference.
Another product that I was very pleased with was P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner. This product seemed to work quite well on rather heavily soiled wheels (and therefore was obviously effective on lightly soiled wheels as well). The thicker "gel" formula allowed it to cling on the wheels which enabled you to let it dwell on the wheel for a longer period of time before proceeding with agitation if you wished.
Wheel before cleaning:
Wheel cleaner applied to the wheel, prior to any agitation. You can see how it is still clinging to even the very top of the wheel and not simply running off.
After agitating with a wheel brush and wheel woolies, the wheel looks perfect (tire was also dressed, of course).
A favorite of mine for routine maintenance (ie wheels that are cleaned weekly) is Chemical Guys Diablo Gel - Diluted 4:1 with water. This is a more cost effective wheel cleaner and works well to clean up light dirt and brake dust.
Wheel before cleaning - light brake dust and dirt
CG Diablo Gel Sprayed onto the wheel and left to dwell for a minute or two. The product starts to cut through the brake dust and grime even before it is agitated.
After a quick pass with a wheel brush and/or wash mitt/sponge the wheels look as good as new (tires were also dressed in this picture).
