Best wheel cleaner out there?

[EVOlved]

As others have said, the question cannot be answered. There probably are 'best' products but they are best at a certain thing. For instance, if you want the most effective product, no questions asked, you need a hydrofluoric acid based product (a bit like wheel brightener, but stronger). However, it will be far from mild on your vehicle and it is extremely dangerous. Likewise, if you want a product to bleed, there are certainly some products which are better than others but you shouldn't think that they give a clean like a strong HF product.

Yes I understand it was poor wording. I should have said what is your favorite wheel cleaner. And like previously mentioned I don't need anything to dangerous to clean my wheels. I'm sure all of it is to some degree.

[EVOlved]

What up man! Long time no see!!!

For a well taken care of wheel I would personally use the Meguiar's Non-Acid wheel and tire cleaner. Dilute it 7:1ish...works awesome on tires too (As the label states)

I do remember thinking about this one previously as I do like all of the detailers line that I have used thus far. Good to see you as well.

[Desertnate]

I like Mothers Foaming Wheel and Tire Cleaner.

Mothers Mothers Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaner

It works well without being too harsh, inexpensive, and can be found almost everywhere.

[briarpatch]

I've used a few......recently tried Diablo Wheel Gel from Chemical Guys. It is a decent product, but not really any better than Meguiars Hot Rims. Once the diablo runs out, I'll be trying the Einszett Colour Tec.

[Setec Astronomy]

Likewise, if you want a product to bleed, there are certainly some products which are better than others but you shouldn't think that they give a clean like a strong HF product.

What about some of the non-HF/ABF acid wheel cleaners? Although those seem to be a dying breed with the popularity of the iron-eating cleaners. Meguiar's used to have a variety of other acids across their lines, but I think they may only have a citric acid left (if they even still sell that). I use a brand not sold here that has citric and dicarboxylic acids, but it appears that isn't being sold anymore, either.

[PiPUK]

What about some of the non-HF/ABF acid wheel cleaners? Although those seem to be a dying breed with the popularity of the iron-eating cleaners. Meguiar's used to have a variety of other acids across their lines, but I think they may only have a citric acid left (if they even still sell that). I use a brand not sold here that has citric and dicarboxylic acids, but it appears that isn't being sold anymore, either.

The ABF is an attempt to be safer than HF but it won't clean as well and still is pretty toxic stuff. The reason for the limited use is that they are too dangerous. If we went to our insurers and told them that we intended to sell something, to the public, which was highly toxic and could potentially be lethal through skin contact, they would probably decline to insure us - I suspect that the same thing is true with other manufactures and thus they become less common.

Acid cleaners have lost favour in recent years, mainly through poor public perception. In my view, there are many 'non-acid' cleaners which are dramatically more hazardous than a well designed acidic product would be. However, try telling that to a public who reads about 'acid attacks' and people with permanently deformed faces. I suspect that most people would struggle to know what 'caustic' means and would definitely struggle to realise that it means something as nasty as hydrochloric acid, just on the other side of neutral. Acid just rings alarm bells.

In practice, we have a whole load of options on acid based cleaners. We can use acids which are not transport hazardous, very low corrosion and combine with modern technologies which mean that we can almost rival HF. But do we bring this for automotive use? Dream on! Whilst we can beat most products on the market (and others could too), as soon as users hear 'acid' we would be sunk. So it would be a waste of time, sadly.

[Setec Astronomy]

Acid cleaners have lost favour in recent years

A couple of years ago I did a back-to-back test of Sonax FE vs. my citric/dicarboxylic acid cleaner, as well as some neutral (detergent) cleaners, P21S and the Griot's, as I recall.

The Sonax left stuff behind that could only be removed by the acid. On the other hand I did have a set of summer wheels that wound up with corrosion around the valve stems, which made me wonder if I left some acid residue in there while in storage (that would have been washed out during regular in-season washes).

[10secdream]

I have used a lot of the major offerings and recently tried Adam's Deep wheel cleaner and I am very impressed. Some of the highlights are price point, pleasant smell, clings and foams exceptionally well, and turns red when it reacts with brake dust.

[EVOlved]

I have used a lot of the major offerings and recently tried Adam's Deep wheel cleaner and I am very impressed. Some of the highlights are price point, pleasant smell, clings and foams exceptionally well, and turns red when it reacts with brake dust.

Compared it to Sonax FE at all? Or Sonax Plus? I do remember reading favorable reviews for that as well. Well I guess not much has changed I'm seeing the same culprits as last time I shopped.

[Setec Astronomy]

Compared it to Sonax FE at all? Or Sonax Plus? I do remember reading favorable reviews for that as well. Well I guess not much has changed I'm seeing the same culprits as last time I shopped.

I dunno, there's a lot of newer players, Optimum FerreX, 3D has one, PBMG has multiple color-change wheel cleaners, Griot's has one, etc.