Looking for a good and safe water-based wheel cleaner

[Whitethunder46]

I"m looking for a good water-based or non-acidic wheel cleaner. Something not too expensive and that can be ordered in bulk.

DP's wheel Gel has caught my eye, any experience with this?

Also, DG's All-Purpose wheel cleaner for it's price. Says it's safe for all wheels so I'm assuming it's water-based? any thoughts?

I was going to use Meg's Wheel Brightener cut 4:1, but I don't know how safe this really is for all wheels, and if I'd feel comfortable using it on expensive wheels.

[justin_murphy]

I love Wheel Brightner. I've never had an issue with it. You just have to know your wheels. Most of the time I use my wash water. I really only have to use it when I do an initial detail. I do one wheel at a time too.

[Whitethunder46]

I love Wheel Brightner. I've never had an issue with it. You just have to know your wheels. Most of the time I use my wash water. I really only have to use it when I do an initial detail. I do one wheel at a time too.

And it's completely safe on anodized wheels? Painted wheels? Chrome? etc?

[supercharged]

DP gel wheel cleaner is an excellent product for an excellent price. It is safe, works on all type of wheels. I never had any issues. Yes, it's water based.

[ScottB]

P21S .... costly but the best and safest. I believe The Wheel Brightner you are all talking about is highly solvent based.

[sparkie]

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/autogeek_1923_52369376
It deep cleans!
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m139/sparkymm6/00Expy010.jpg

[dengood1]

DP Gel Wheel Cleaner is probably the best wheel cleaner I've used to date. VERY good product! If you don't like it, I'll buy it from you!

[Kelso]

dp is pretty much the same as the wolfgang gel correct? because i too liked it on my wheels and on a nissan pathfinder i did, but my girlfriend has a chrysler cirrus with some aluminum mag wheels and when i was finishing up, they were stained like never before... im pretty sure it wasnt like that before and im hoping i can clean them back up....i might try out the p21s next

[Whitethunder46]

Maybe I'll use the DP Gel for newer nicer wheels and Megs Wheel Brightener for older vehicles.

Do you also use the DP Gel Cleaner as tire shine or just a tire cleaner?

[MikeyC]

I have both the DP Gel Wheel Cleaner and Meguiar's Wheel Brightener. I've used both cleaners extensively and I hope my thoughts on the two products can help you in your decision . . .

Meguiar's Wheel Brightener - Absolutely unequivocally the most powerful wheel cleaner I've ever used. It's acid based but it contains IIRC ABF acid and not HF acid. Supposedly, ABF is safer to use health wise but I've read articles which say otherwise. Since it's acid based you can only use it on painted or chromed wheels. For neglected wheels I use it diluted 3:1 for normal cleaning you can dilute it 10:1. It's really economical too considering a gallon of concentrate is around $20.

DP Gel Wheel Cleaner - My favorite non-acid wheel cleaner. Very effective considering it contains no acid and is very easy to use as it's not as thick of a gel as some other products. It also does a fantastic job cleaning tires and is safe for all wheel types. At $15 for 32 oz. it's not a bad deal either IIRC P21S wheel cleaner is the same price for a much smaller bottle.

I actually ended up using both of these wheel cleaners today. I was cleaning two cars and I started with the DP Wheel Cleaner. However, the wheels on both cars had a fairly open design and I wanted to get the "barrel" area cleaner. The DP wasn't getting it quite as clean as I wanted but the Wheel Brightener cleaned them perfectly.

[Whitethunder46]

That info definately helped.

So what wheels can I NOT use Megs wheel bright on?

[sparkie]

Maybe I'll use the DP Gel for newer nicer wheels and Megs Wheel Brightener for older vehicles.

Do you also use the DP Gel Cleaner as tire shine or just a tire cleaner?

DP Gel Cleaner is just the cleaner. After cleaned top with dressing.

[supercharged]

A professional grade wheel cleaner for factory coated wheels!

How does the body shop always get your wheels so clean? You’ve tried to replicate those results at home, but your wheel cleaner always falls short. We’ll let you in on a little secret; the professionals use Meguiar’s Wheel Brightener.

Meguiar’s Wheel Brightener is a super concentrated wheel cleaner for clear coated, factory painted, and chrome wheels. It easily removes brake dust, tar, dirt, and grime with little or no scrubbing. With a dilution ratio of up to 4:1, Wheel Brightener is an easy choice for cost-conscious detailers. You can get sixteen 32 ounce bottles of wheel cleaner out of one gallon of Wheel Brightener!

Meguiar’s Wheel Brightener is for professional use. Dilute as directed. Do not use on polished aluminum or anodized wheels. For severe accumulation of brake dust, use a wheel brush to agitate the wheel surface. Spray on and let sit for 30-45 seconds before rinsing. Wash one wheel at a time.

As Meguiar’s says, there’s a fine line between effective cleaners and dangerous chemicals. Meguiar’s Wheel Brightener is one wheel cleaner that is both safe and effective on factory coated wheels.
I cut and pasted it form AG site. Turns out to be for factory coated wheels only. Just don't use it on uncoated alluminum or billet wheels. In that case just use DP, or even better - P21S gel wheel cleaner.

[supercharged]

It deep cleans!
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m139/sparkymm6/00Expy010.jpg
Is that Armor All on those tires, Sparkie?

[Whitethunder46]

I cut and pasted it form AG site. Turns out to be for factory coated wheels only. Just don't use it on uncoated alluminum or billet wheels. In that case just use DP, or even better - P21S gel wheel cleaner.

so no Megs on alloy wheels? Is that aluminum?

Basically anything that is not chrome or painted wheels, I should use something else, like DP?