WylieKylie

iTrader: (2)

The consensus for most of the world seems to be that Sonax Full Effect is one of the best cleaners on the market. I have no argument with that, however it is rather expensive so I'd rather not use it on my cars every week. I also think if you are cleaning your wheels on a semi-regular basis you only need something like Sonax once in a while.

So what good everyday wheel cleaner should I be using? Meguiars has a couple of wheel cleaners in their professional line for ~$20 per gallon (and then you dilute from there). Chemical Guys also have some gallon sized products for reasonable prices. There has to be something on the market that gives ~75% of the cleaning power for ~25% of the cost for the in-between maintenance cleanings.

monkey92

iTrader: (3)

you can maybe try using 3D all purpose cleaner. the orange citrus degreaser, my friend uses it on his wheels. and its fairly cheap for a gallon. and you go on diluting with water as well.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

To be honest, if you keep up a regular maintenance routine (you mentioned washing every week) you do not need something like Sonax FE or P21S Gel or any of the other "big boys". Those wheel cleaners work great at eliminating built up brake dust and grime, but that will not accumulate over the course of 1-2 weeks.

A good budget wheel and tire cleaner would simply be an all purpose cleaner like Meguiar's D101. At $16 per gallon of concentrated cleaner, it is an incredible value (you can dilute it at 4:1 for heavier cleaning or 10:1 for light cleaning). At a 10:1 dilution (water : product) you can create 11 gallons of cleaning solution (or 5 gallons at 4:1 ratio)! This product is also great for cleaning the engine bay, wheel wells, interior stains/grime, etc etc.

If you wanted a true wheel cleaner, Chemical Guys Diablo Gel is another good budget friendly option. This product can be diluted 5:1 (water : product) and works great for routine maintenance. (0.75 gallons of solution per 16 oz. bottle when diluted at 5:1)

-Zach

rustyd

I foung a good tire and wheel cleaner here locally at a store called Prevettes. I also picked up some mequires on sale at Target this fall on clearance. It seems to work ok. Like mentioned above,,,if you wash regularly, you can just use your left over car wash soap.

is2506spon

i use sonax for full cleaning and then coat the rims with turtle wax ice polish. after that i only need to rinse the wheels with warm water , and the brake dust washes off. this lasts a good 2 months.

kennyD

I have used Meguiar's wheel cleaner with good results. But then, I also keep up with the wheels once a week. if I don't wash the car, I'd still hose down the wheels. Lexus IS with oem pads have horrible brake dust.

sydtoosic

cheap everyday wheel cleaner... soap and water. i use OCWC and a wheel woolie. once a month i'll clean them with Sonax wheel cleaner. i have Hydro 2 on my wheels so cleaning is not a problem.

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

+1. There is no need for a wheel cleaner at all if you wash your car regularly about every 1-2 weeks.

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

also a nice wheel wax and or sealant will prevent brake dust from forming on the wheels... It does help..

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

How does the Chemical Guys Diablo Gel compare to Sonax Full Effect? I can get a gallon of the Diablo Gel for $58 and that is way cheaper than a gallon of Full Effect?

I wash cars for other people and I want something safe for aftermarket wheels. I've got Work and SSR wheels on my own cars and don't want to harm the finish on them. Sonax has been pretty good but expensive.

sirsaula

Meguirs professional aluminum wheel cleaner

jfelbab

I use plain car wash soap and a soft brush to clean my wheels. I don't use wheel cleaners regularly as they remove the sealant I have on the wheels. I remove my wheels at least once per season and do a thorough cleaning and resealing. Brake dust and road grime easily washes off with car wash soap. I do apply D156 (a.k.a. Ultimate Quik Wax) to the wheels after each wash which keeps them slick and shedding dirt and grime. This spring I will be using a coating on them rather than my regular sealant.

sydtoosic

no comparison Kira... i've used diablo and IMO it will not be as close to effective as Sonax FE. my wheels are coated with OC and topped with Hydro 2. quick rinse with my PW and they are 90% clean, then i'll get out my trusty wheel woolie and soap... good as new again. my guess is the Sonax will last a lot longer than the Diablo, when you're considering gallon sizes.

AdvanSLF

If I remember correctly the dilution for chemical guys diablo is actually 3:1. The sticky gel citrus is 5:1 which was what ur thinkin of--but this would be higher bc it's actually higher concentrated than diablo and the sticky gel is also a degreaser--hence higher potency. CGs also have their signature series wheel cleaner as well. Buy the 16oz and try each (less than $10) for concentrate, do your own diluting and try it out and see which u like.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

The Diablo Gel label specifically states "Always dilute 1 gallon of product to 3 gallons of water or as desired"

I've used it at dilutions of 5:1 and it is just fine as a maintenance cleaner for wheels that are already in good shape

With that being said, as I already mentioned, nothing beats the cost/volume of an all purpose cleaner... and as others already mentioned, soap and water is often very effective as well if you maintain your vehicle regularly.