I have used many different wheel cleaners in the past. Griots, meguiers, sonax, pretty much the gamete. The professional detailer I talked to told me about superior products. Rage is their wheel cleaner. It is safe on all paint. It can be used to remove bugs and tar too.other products I had used, took lots of scrubbing and I still wasn't happy with the results. I'm talking on the inside of the wheel after being neglected for to long. This I sprayed on took the wheel brush to it and rinsed it off. It was quick and easy. My Land Rover wheels had really been neglected period. I'm going to take the wheels off all my cars clean them with this. I'm also going to clean the brake backing plates and other parts that get caked on brake dust. O'reillys auto parts carries it or can order it. It is only $20 for the gallon. It mixes 4 to 1. This bottle will last a long time. It's not to often I'm impressed enough to write about a product, but this one did it for me.


An extra bonus is this is an all USA company. USA owned and products are all made in the USA.

 

This is fantastic, thank you Cole!
I do believe I will place an order for a gallon.
Dish soap is my normal cleaner for wheels.
Have you tried it on bugs that stick to the front edge of the hood?

 

Bgw, this was the first time I had used it. So I have not tried it on bugs yet. There are sellers reselling the already diluted bottles on Amazon. It's not such a great deal that way. The gallon jug undiluted at o'reillys is an awesome deal, since $20 makes four gallons diluted.

 

If you look at the Technical Data Sheet provided on the company's website, you will see that the pH is listed as >12 indicating this is a very strong alkaline cleaner. Using a pH calculator to see how the recommended 4:1 dilution ratio effects pH, you will see the pH remains above 11 (assuming original value to be 12), so diluting the product does not effect the balance much.

Be very careful using this chemical... do not allow it to dwell for extended periods of time, and certainly do not allow it to dry on the surface of either a wheel or paint. I would highly recommend using it on a completely cool surface and out of direct sunlight.

If you are looking for a more neutral product, there are many great wheel cleaners that are pH neutral.
Sonax Full Effect
Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus
P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner

-Zach

 

Looks very similar to Brown Royal wheel cleaner. It's very basic. I would avoid using it on wheels without clear coat.

 

Yes it says not to use on raw aluminum. It doesn't stink like brown Royal does. It has a chemical smell , but doesn't smell like brown skid mark like the BR.

 

Well gonna buy this until I read that. I still sonax wheel cleaner.

 

Ok a little chemistry. A measure of the degree of the acidity or the alkalinity of a solution as measured on a scale (pH scale) of 0 to 14. The midpoint of 7.0 on the pH scale represents neutrality, i.e., a "neutral" solution is neither acid nor alkaline. Numbers below 7.0 indicate acidity; numbers greater than 7.0 indicate alkalinity. It is important to understand that pH is a measure of intensity, and not capacity; i.e., pH indicates the intensity of alkalinity in the same way temperature tells how hot something is, but not how much heat the substance carries. Other than the two pH extremes, the pH scale becomes secondary to the inherent properties of the specific chemical in terms of corrosiveness. As an example, the pH of carbonated cola soda (which contains phosphoric acid) is in the 2.5 range. A concentrated (35%) hydrogen peroxide solution has a pH of approximately 3.5. Carbonated cola soda may be slightly irritating to the eyes, causing no permanent damage. However, a 35% hydrogen peroxide solution will cause chemical burns to the skin or mucous membranes. Thus, it is not the pH factor alone that causes corrosion of products to surfaces.

 

Very good points... the reasoning behind my comment is from experience of dealing with chemical stains caused by other chemicals of the same family that had been used on paint and wheels improperly. If used properly, there should be no issues, as I mentioned... For instance, we use acidic wheel cleaners regularly without issues, but a lot of people seem to not think things through before using chemicals... like spraying a heavy cleaner on a hot wheel or hot paint.

-Zach

 

Very well stated Zach.