Griots Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner vs Sonax Full Effect (My Thoughts)

[Pats300zx]

This is a short review that I put together testing two wheel cleaning products that have gotten a lot of attention recently. To begin, this review pars in comparison to some of the amazing reviews that some of the other forum members have put together. This is not my simple thoughts on the products and a completely unbiased review on how I feel they worked.

The products to be tested are Sonax Wheel Cleaner and Griot’s Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner. I have never really been a heavy user of wheel cleaners. However I do feel that in many cases I need something for some of the client’s cars that I detail. I maintain my cars pretty well, washing them a least once a week, and keeping a nice coat of sealant on the wheels to cut down on brake dust. Most of my wheels get cleaned with simple soap and water. In extreme cases I will reach for Griots Wheel Cleaner (Green), Sonax or possibly P21S.

Recently with the release of Griots Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner I felt it would be a good time to compare it to Sonax.

Here are the product descriptors and costs:

Griots Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner:

Griot's Garage Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner packs a powerful punch against road grime and brake dust, yet it's safe and gentle on all wheel finishes. The high viscosity formula clings to the wheel face to deliver targeted cleaning muscle. Use Griot's Garage Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner on your painted, chrome, powder coated, and uncoated aluminum wheels with confidence.

Cost: 35 oz for $16.99 on average

Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner:

SONAX Wheel Cleaner safely and effectively eliminates the most stubborn dirt such as brake dust, oil and rubber residue. Color-change foam lets you know it's working! SONAX Wheel Cleaner's acid-free, non-corrosive formula is safe on all types of painted, alloy, anodized, clear coated, chrome, aluminum and stainless steel wheels. Clean with confidence!

Cost: 16.9 ounces for $15.99 on average.

Note: Both cleaners claim to be able to clean without agitation. I am am of the school that all wheels cleaners need some form of agitation to completely clean the wheels, calipers, or inner wheels. Both cleaners claim to be safe for all wheel types. Sonax claims to change color during the removal or iron deposits (nice feature).

Pictures: (The vehicle to be tested is my 2005 Toyota 4Runner. The wheels have not been cleaned in 1.5 to 2 weeks.)



Wheel to be tested with Sonax



Sonax Full Effect



Wheel to be tested with Griots



Griots Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner

Both products were applied to a wet wheel.



Griots Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner in action



Sonax Full Effect in action. Notice that there is a slight color change but nothing dramtic.



Sonax Wheel being cleaned. Method was Pinnacle Wash Soap and a Grout Sponge. EZ Detail brush for inner barrels.



End results of cleaning with Sonax


End results cleaning with Griots Heavy Duty (same cleaning method)

Note: Westleys Bleach White and a scrub brush were also used on tires.

Observations and thoughts.

I feel that the Griots HD Wheel Cleaner stacks up to and compares to the Sonax Full Effect. The Griots has a very nice cherry scent and seems to foam more that the Sonax. The Sonax smells horrible and does not foam so I felt that I tended to use more Sonax product.

Both cleaned the same and were a pleasure to work with. For the money you can’t beat the price of the Griots. For just about the same price you almost get double the amount of wheel cleaner. Granted that Griots does not have the “color changing” aspect as it reacts with the iron deposits as the Sonax does but for the money it is an excellent wheel cleaner. All and all both seemed identical, safe on all wheels, and both were excellent at cleaning and rinsing clean.

[Jhaight11]

"Watch Griot's Garage Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner work! It changes color as it releases brake dust and greasy grime from the wheel. It is clear in the bottle but turns red as it encounters soil. You can see it working!"
From the products page. its suppose to change color which is why people were comparing these two products too begin with.

[mg6045]

You are supposed to apply the sonax to a dry wheel. Its VERY important to do so IMO and IME.

I dont mean to be rude, but this review is incomplete without following the instructions of the Sonax.

When you apply the Sonax to a DRY wheel, it creates a film kind of that is swipped away with agitation. Once the film is ready to be agitated , it cleans off with the first swipe of a brush. But with the wheel wet, the Sonax will not be able to create the film it needs to.

This is where many people get confused as to why Sonax does not foam. Its not supposed to. It makes a readily removable film layer that the particles are swiped away with. With that said, I use a car wash bucket like you did with a foaming car wash soap to help wet the solution when agitating.

[Harleyguy]

Pat great review and were the heck have you been hiding . I got a chance to play around with some of the Griot's Garage products and was very impressed with them . Also the design of the bottles they use on all there products are really user friendly .

[Pats300zx]

Pat great review and were the heck have you been hiding . I got a chance to play around with some of the Griot's Garage products and was very impressed with them . Also the design of the bottles they use on all there products are really user friendly .

Hey Adam...How are you doing? I see you sold the Vette. I can't wait to see your next acquisition I agree that the Griots stuff is great. I really like their regular wheel cleaner as well.

[Harleyguy]

Hey Adam...How are you doing? I see you sold the Vette. I can't wait to see your next acquisition I agree that the Griots stuff is great. I really like their regular wheel cleaner as well.

Yes the Vette is gone and the new toy is all ready in the garage .Pictures soon

[Pats300zx]

Yes the Vette is gone and the new toy is all ready in the garage .Pictures soon

Can't wait ....

[S2K]

You are supposed to apply the sonax to a dry wheel. Its VERY important to do so IMO and IME.

I dont mean to be rude, but this review is incomplete without following the instructions of the Sonax.

When you apply the Sonax to a DRY wheel, it creates a film kind of that is swipped away with agitation. Once the film is ready to be agitated , it cleans off with the first swipe of a brush. But with the wheel wet, the Sonax will not be able to create the film it needs to.

This is where many people get confused as to why Sonax does not foam. Its not supposed to. It makes a readily removable film layer that the particles are swiped away with. With that said, I use a car wash bucket like you did with a foaming car wash soap to help wet the solution when agitating.

I have used Sonax on some very dirty wheels and I started off dry and after rinsing tried a second application and it didn't seem to do much at all so I let them dry and applied again and it was working like it should again. Though I never did get them completely clean I could see that the Sonax worked better dry. I've haven't used the Griots yet so I can't comment on it.

[Pats300zx]

I will definitely try Sonax on a dry wheel the next time. I felt it cleaned very well and comparable to the Griots on a wet wheel. If you RE-READ my observations you will find that I found both to be excellent wheel cleaners.

[supercharged]

Thanks for sharing your review...IMO, Sonax Full Effect is meant to be used on high performance german cars which do dust quite a lot. In 3 days, a BMW builds up more brake dust then a Toyota in 3 weeks...And I know it is capable of cleaning 2 months+ of brake dust from a BMW wheels...I will have to try Griots though, just because I don't always need Sonax Full Effect - pricey wheel cleaner...Another very nice wheel cleaner is AG CWC...