Review: SONAX Full Effect Wheel Cleaner

[mchess1]

Special thanks to CEE DOG for allowing me to use his patented review template!

Review: SONAX Full Effect Wheel Cleaner

Introduction:
After the introduction of the SONAX line at Autogeek, I took a look at Matt’s post of the use of Full Effect. Even though I missed out on the SONAX Giveaway, I had to give it a try so into the AG cart it went. Shh, don’t tell my wife.

I have been a big user of P21S over the years, moving from the original product to the gel for the last few years. That said, I have found myself reaching less and less for the P21S over the last few months. My BMW and the wife’s minivan have been treated to a constant diet of Poorboy’s Wheel Sealant which makes cleanup very easy. Soap, a wheel brush and a sponge are all that are needed to clean my wheels regularly.

To test the SONAX Full Effect on clean wheels seemed like a waste, so the following vehicles were used: My brother’s Honda Odyssey will be a focus of an extreme makeover I will publish soon, so the cleaning of the wheels were included in this test. Since I also remember (not so) fondly wrestling with BMW brake dust, I also asked a neighbor if I could test it on her 335’s wheels…so Honda and BMW brake dust today for your viewing pleasure.

Product Description (from back of bottle):
SONAX Wheel Cleaner Full Effect easily removes even the most stubborn soils, such as burned on brake dust, oil and rubber residues as well as typical road soils from all types of steel and alloy wheels (including chromed and polished wheels). Acid free so it will not attack wheel coatings, lug nuts or brake systems.

Instructions:
- Turn nozzle to spray position
- Spray evenly onto all wheel surfaces
- Depending upon soil level, allow to stand 3 to 5 minutes. Cleaner turns red upon contact with iron particles. This is a natural reaction.
- Use a brush for extremely stubborn soils.
- Rinse wheels thoroughly with a sharp stream of water from hose or pressure washer.

Important:
- Do not use in hot sun or apply to wheels when warm
- Do not allow to dry on wheels
- Keep from freezing

Initial Product Observations:
1.- Manufacturer Claims: True
2.- Packaging: Silver spray bottle. Labels on front and back.
3.- Directions: Clear and concise
4.- Consistency: a thick watery consistency from the sprayer. Not quite a gel like P21S, but thicker then plain water.
5.- Color: Antifreeze Green, turning to a dark maroon red as it cleans (the color change is worth the price of admission!)
6.- Scent: Rotten Egg / Sulfur (not quite as bad as others have indicated, but I did work outside)
7.- Size: 16.9 oz. (500ml)
8.- Current Price: $19.99 ($1.18 per oz) Also available as 5L for $99.99 or $0.59 per ounce.
9.- Manufacturer: SONAX
10.-Made in: Germany

Additional products used for prep, during application, or removal:
1.- Wheel Brush
2.- Sponge
3.- Hose

Method of Preparation:
No preparation needed for this particular test. I have read in some other reviews a debate on whether to pre-soak the wheels or not. I applied the SONAX on dry, cool wheels. See my barrels comment below, but I wonder if it would stick as well to the tops of wet wheels? The day was overcast and muggy with temps in the low 90’s.

Method of Application, and noted Observations:
I seem to shake every product I use these days so after shaking the bottle, I sprayed the SONAX Full Effect Wheel Cleaner on the wheels. I liked the spray bottle and how it fit my hand. It also provided a nice concise spray. You can use this on your tires as well as your wheels, but why spend that much on a tire cleaner when there are much more economical options?

I was prepared by others for the scent, so wasn’t surprised by a Rotten Egg/Sulfur scent. It wasn’t miserable to work with, just an off-odor. (Ahh, bubblegum Natty Blue Liquid) I was working outside, so it may be worse in an enclosed environment like a garage. The spray goes on in a fluorescent green color that I would describe as antifreeze green. It was a runny liquid, much more so to me since I am used to a gel wheel cleaner. The top portions of the wheels stayed wet and the excess cleaner pooled in some of the edges of the wheel design.

The directions say to let stand for 3 – 5 minutes, but to not let dry on the wheels. So unlike my typical work flow with P21S where I spray all four wheels, I sprayed on just one wheel and set my watch. I had seen the “show” in Matt’s post so I was watching intently. As the green liquid works its magic, it turns to a deep red/maroon color. As geeky as it sounds, it was pretty cool to watch. I found myself fascinated by the change on each of the 8 wheels I ended up doing, it never got old.

As the time went on, some of the excess liquid began to pool on the driveway. Not much liquid, but still I began to worry that the green/red show might stain the concrete. My worries were for naught as this did not happen.

After 5 minutes, I used my wheel brush dipped in rinse water to agitate the SONAX on the wheels. The wheel cleaner does foam up a bit as you scrub the wheels. As always, you need to be careful when using a wheel brush to not pull a bunch of black grime all over your clothes. The SONAX did a great job of very quickly destroying the grime on both the Honda and BMW wheels. Following up with the brush, I was able to get into the “details” of the wheels where grime seems to hide/stay. I found that the SONAX works better then P21S in those really intricate spots. I sometimes have to come back with the P21S to re-agitate the most stubborn places, this was not necessary with the SONAX.

I followed up the brush with a small sponge. Not sure if this was necessary or not, but why take a chance when you are dealing with wheels? The product was really easy to work with and it had done most of the work. There really was very little scrubbing needed after the brush.

After scrubbing, the directions said to spray directly with a hose. The product washed off quickly and as mentioned above, the small pool on the driveway did as well. The shine of the wheels was very evident, these wheels were clean! Directions also noted to dry to avoid water spots, so that was quickly done.

One spot where I felt P21S shines was on the barrels or backs of the wheels. Because of the consistency of the products, I found that the gel sticks to this area of the wheel better then the liquid. Not a deal breaker for the SONAX, just be careful to ensure even coverage on the backs of the wheels when spraying.

I am simply estimating here by eye, but I would guess it takes around 2-3 ounces to spray and clean 4 wheels. So you are talking about getting around 5.5 to 8.5 uses out of this particular size of cleaner. This is comparable to the P21S, so it did not favor either cleaner. It is, however, not many cleanings to get out of a bottle.

Dirty Honda Wheel


Close Up Honda Wheel


Brush on Honda Wheel


Honda wheel ready for final cleanup


Dirty Bimmer Wheel


Closeup Bimmer


Antifreeze Green Sonax


OOOH Colors!


Bimmer Wheel clean of major dust and ready for final touchup


Brake Dust Smoothy anyone?


Pros:
1.- Effective - Destroys even the toughest of brake dust
2.- The Show - Have I mentioned the really cool Color Change process? For pro detailers out there, showing this process may be slick enough to sell clients on.
3.- Cleans Nooks/Crannys - The consistency of the SONAX made it great on the most intricate, difficult to get to portions of the wheels. This is where I would typically find “leftover dust” that needed to be cleaned.
4.- Doesn’t Stain - Seems to be safe on driveways
5.-. Safe on Wheels – When used as directed PH Neutral (See below for cons)

Cons:
1.- Price - This is a pricey wheel cleaner. For SONAX vs P21S GEL we are talking $1.18 per ounce vs $1.06. And the P21S comes with a sponge too!
2.- Safe? The statement on the bottle to not let dry on wheels is concerning. What happens if you do?
3.- Work Time – With the above statement on not drying, I found myself working on one wheel at a time. Apply, wait 5 minutes, then clean. With P21S, I spray all 4 wheels and work my way around the car when it has sat long enough. (up to 2 hours based on the instructions)
4.- Smell – Not a good one
5.- Doesn’t stick on barrels of wheels as easily as a gel

Final Observations and Summary:
First off, let me say that I would recommend this product assuming you have the correct use in mind. Yes, it is smelly and pricey but it is more effective on filthy wheels then my typical P21S. It cuts through the baked-on grime on wheels in the 5 minute time frame and is a god-send for tricky/intricate wheels. This product combined with the Daytona Wheel Brush would clean just about anything I have run across.

For a professional detailer who runs up against the worst of wheels at times, this would be my go to product only for those really bad wheels. It will work quicker then P21S and time = money for those folks, even with the 11% higher price per ounce.

For slightly soiled wheels and/or for a detailing enthusiast (prosumer?) like myself who takes care of their wheels, I can’t see using this very often. Just like I have kind of relegated my P21S to the shelf with regular maintenance and Poorboy’s Wheel Sealant, I think the SONAX will find a similar spot. I’m glad I have it in my bag of tools when faced with a disaster set of wheels, not sure how often I will use it.

[Finemess]

Nice write up and cool colors.

[Dubbin1]

Great review!!! Its the price that's keeping me away from trying this product.

[FastZR1]

Great review. I agree with your final observations. I bought some Sonax two weeks ago because I was so curious to try it, mainly due to the awful smell everyone wrote about. Anyway, I'm like you and will only use this for the real bad wheels. I use PG wheel cleaner and I like it so I'll keep Sonax as a backup.
The smell wasn't awful, but reminded me of the perms my mother would get back in the 70s. The smell did stay around until the next morning too.

[ScottB]

Nice review ... I really like the product but found you seem to use more than other wheel cleaners.

[trhland]

i used it and its nice . but ill stick with my trusty p21s gel...

[cwpcasey]

Thank you. Needed a review before I bought this product. Not sure a price is a big deal. You get what you pay for. If the product works will keep buying. Thanks again for a good write up!

[mchess1]

Nice write up and cool colors.

Thanks Finemess, I enjoyed the colors too!

Great review!!! Its the price that's keeping me away from trying this product.

Thank you Dwayne, this review thing kind of gets addictive when you get started.

Great review. I agree with your final observations. I bought some Sonax two weeks ago because I was so curious to try it, mainly due to the awful smell everyone wrote about. Anyway, I'm like you and will only use this for the real bad wheels. I use PG wheel cleaner and I like it so I'll keep Sonax as a backup.
The smell wasn't awful, but reminded me of the perms my mother would get back in the 70s. The smell did stay around until the next morning too.

Thanks FastZR1. You are right, perm smell from the 70's may be a better description. Some of the forum members weren't even born in the 70's, damn I am getting old.

Nice review ... I really like the product but found you seem to use more than other wheel cleaners.

Thanks KillR, I did seem to use a lot but no more then P21S in my opinion

i used it and its nice . but ill stick with my trusty p21s gel...

I will use my P21S on deeper barreled wheels and SONAX on the intricate ones. My old VW Jetta had BBS wheels that it would have been perfect on.

Thank you. Needed a review before I bought this product. Not sure a price is a big deal. You get what you pay for. If the product works will keep buying. Thanks again for a good write up!

Thanks cwpcasey, I am glad you liked it. I know you were asking questions today about the product. You do get what you pay for and I think this product has a definite niche where it works best.

[mikep288]

Great review! I too picked this up and am very impressed with the results I had. I keep my wheels clean to where only soap and water is needed but having tried it on my wifes minivan and my in-laws Sonata (rarely if ever washed, lotsa stuck-on, baked on brake dust) this stuff will have a very special place in my detail cabinet. The smell reminding of a perm from the 70's is dead-on. Brought back some baaad memories of being subjected to that stuff for hours on end waiting for Mom to get done @ the Beautician's .

Oh and for those who may be wondering, this stuff will still do the color change, even on vehicles with ceramic brake pads.

As for showing potential customers, friends and spouses just make sure you don't lead in like I did, by asking my wife if she hit anything on the way home and then asking her to look at her freshly Sonax'd wheels. EEEEKKK!!!!

[CEE DOG]

Excellent review Jon! Thank so much for a very detailed writeup! I just ordered some myself. Do you know if its safe on plastic hub caps as well?