Review: Scholl Concepts Rim 7 Wheel Cleaner

[Radarryan]

Scholl Concepts Rim7 Wheel Cleaning Gel Review



So I was happy to finally be able to try this wheel cleaner out since I have become a wheel cleaner junkie.

So, why did I want to try this wheel cleaner? Well, there have been quite a few color changing wheel cleaners coming on the market in the past couple years, with SONAX and 1Z being at the top of the heap. This one, though, is different than most, both with ingredients and hopefully, effectiveness. Like I said, I enjoy testing different wheel cleaners, and have used most of the various ones on the market today, both color and non-color changing.

There was also a lot of excitement surrounding this product when it was launched. Unfortunately, there are not many reviews on the product, though, which was another reason why I wanted to try it – to write a review. I think reviews are the unsung heroes of forums, and I know that I base a lot of my purchasing decisions on others members’ reviews. I hope that my prior reviews have helped people know if a product will be right for their particular needs.

So, Scholl Concepts says that this is a spray – leave – rinse – done, wheel cleaner. I wanted to test this claimed effectiveness. We know that scrubbing with various wheel-cleaning tools can make even the least effective wheel cleaners acceptable at removing most brake dust and grime. I have read that this is the first sulfur-based wheel cleaner, but I can’t find information to confirm that.

Regardless of its chemical makeup, let’s see the cleaner in action! But first, here’s the labels that are on the bottle.

Here’s the front:


And the back:


So, what have the labels told us? Well, it is a thick, acid-free gel. It also contains less than 5% Anionic Tensides, Polycarboxylate, and Phenoxyethanol, as per EU (European Union) regulations.

TESTING

So, now it’s time to see what this wheel cleaner, or should I say wheel gel, can do! The directions according to the label states to first shake the bottle vigorously. Then spray the DRY wheel with Rim7 until completely covered. Let it sit up to five (5) minutes and then rinse off with a powerful hose or pressure washer. I will not be using a pressure washer, since I want to see exactly how effective the wheel cleaner without it.

The Dirty Wheel

The test subject is my Porsche 911 wheel, which have gone a good deal of time before cleaning. A few things came up and a couple weeks passed, and then I figured since it has been that long I might as well let it get as bad as I could stand and then test the Rim7 wheel gel. I knew that this would provide a worthy test to see just how effective the cleaner is. Like various sales copy has said, Scholl Concepts is a product of Germany, so it’s no surprise that it works exceptionally well on brake-dust ridden German wheels.

Here’s the wheel:








Spraying Scholl Rim7 Wheel Gel



As you can see, I am wearing nitrile gloves, which everyone should do when dealing with any detailing chemicals.

Rim7 Spraying:


Before I started spraying, though, I remembered to shake the product vigorously. After that, you’re good to go. Immediately upon spraying the Rim7, I started seeing a reaction. Keep in mind that all of my opinions are based from using the leading other wheel cleaners, specifically the iron-dissolving ones like SONAX Full Effect and 1Z ColourTec. The reaction was quicker than I have seen on equally dirty wheels with the other wheel cleaners. These pictures are right after spraying. It was spray, then grab camera and take picture.





Pretty impressive, in my opinion… After spraying the entire wheel and grabbing my camera, this was the amount of color change that had occurred:


About a minute later, you get this:


Not too long after that, this is what I was seeing:


I was seeing the type of reactions that are seen in the sales brochures and company websites!

On the rotor, the reaction, obviously, was stronger than any other part of the wheel. As the reaction continued, the wheel cleaner started to turn a dark brown, or even blackish color.


Here’s the kicker, though: It’s supposed to! Here’s the Scholl’s Concepts website sales copy:


Right there on the website it says, “Intelligent colour change – from red to black – after spraying indicates when it can be rinsed off.” I’ll translate for those who cannot understand British English: “Intelligent color change – from red to black – after spraying indicates when it can be rinsed off.”

You’ll see that the copy also says that it has a, “Pleasant fresh fragrance,” which I can confirm. In fact, when I was using it, I didn’t notice any negative smell. I only realized this when on the next wheel I used 1Z ColourTec to compare my results of the Rim7, but more on that later.

As I started to see more of the wheel cleaner turn from that purplish red to brown, I knew it was time to start rinsing the wheel.


As I stepped back to begin rinsing, this is what I saw:


You can see the deep purple color or the reaction, especially when compared to the pink color that comes out of the bottle. I like when it is a color that you can see, like Rim7’s pink or the tracer neon yellow that SONAX Full Effect has.

Rinsing the Wheel

Here’s the stream of water that I used to rinse the wheel. The nozzle used is the one that is used with a Gilmour foam gun. Remember, I wanted to see what would happen when using a regular hose rather than a pressure washer.





After rinsing with the strong stream of water, here are the results:



And, a close up…


Looks pretty clean, right? Well, there is only one way to find out for sure, and that means I have to dry the wheel. In order to make sure that the drying process did not remove any light dirt, brake dust or grime, I am only going to blow the water off the wheel using the leaf blower.

The Clean, Dry Wheel

So, after drying the wheel with the leaf blower, here are the results:



As you can see, there doesn’t appear to be any brake dust, dirt, or grime left! So far, so good, but let’s go in for a closer inspection to really see how effective Rim7 is…











In the above picture, you can see some areas where not all of the dirt or brake dust was remove, specifically near the lug nuts. This area is traditionally a difficult area to get complete removal, and usually requires some sort of agitation to get the cleaner to the entire surface, since the spray doesn’t get into all the area. That being said, that was the first area in the pictures that there was anything left over. Again, very impressive, in my opinion.

I don’t know if anyone noticed in the prior pictures, but the area where the cleaner impacted the rotor really made its mark – literally!



Here you can see the pattern of the spray as well as the lines from the gel running. Though it looks bad, it’s not, and the cleaner impression is removed the first time the brake is applied.

But, all that being said, the wheel looks pretty darn good, especially when you think about the test being done in a manner that was a spray, dwell, rinse with no agitation.



Continued on the next page...

[Radarryan]

Scholl Concepts Rim7 Wheel Cleaning Gel Review, continued.

The Glove Test

I decided that I needed to do the glove test to really make sure that everything was removed, rather than being hidden or blending into the aluminum color.



I started by swiping my finger along the right side of the wheel. I couldn’t feel any dirt or bonded contaminates (not that I expected to), so that was a good sign. When I went to examine the swiped area, here’s how it looked:



As you can see, there was no dirt on the wheel in the area that was swiped because, well, it all looks the same. So far, so good, but what about the tip of my glove?



It may be hard for the camera to pick up minute detail, especially when the dirt would be dark and it’s a black glove, but rest assured that there was nothing on the finger of the glove. I am happy to report that part one of the swipe test was a success.

Part two was done on the opposite side of the wheel, in the same manner.



And after the swipe:


As you can see, there was nothing changed after the swipe, and nothing was found on the glove. This test was continued around the wheel, each time with identical results. This is really the first time that I have gotten such great results.

Here’s a picture of the barrel, so you can see just how clean it is, even after swiping. (Note: the reddish, brown liquid that appears on the barrel of the wheel dripped down from the rotor.)



So, the drips aside, it really is a clean barrel – exactly what we all strive for.

The Additional Wheels

For a comparison, I did the next wheel with 1Z ColourTec. While I tend to use SONAX Full Effect more often (I got a ridiculously good deal a while back so I stocked up. I mean, really really stocked up), I have noticed that 1Z ColourTec is more popular (from my observations), so I wanted to have a comparison with the most popular fresh in my mind. I did not take pictures of the wheels done with 1Z ColourTec, mainly for the sake of brevity.

1Z ColourTec is a great wheel cleaner, however the first difference I noticed, compared to Rim7, is the smell. It has that smell that we all have grown to love, only because of the results that we know the product will give. While the smell of Iron-X and iron disolliving wheel cleaners doesn’t bother me as much as most, I definitely noticed it more after using a wheel cleaner that gave fantastic results without the noxious fumes.

I allowed the 1Z ColourTec to dwell, though it did not turn as deep a shade as Rim7. That doesn’t bother me, as I just care about results, but for some enthusiasts that enjoy the show, it is something to consider.

After rinsing in the same fashion as the previous wheel, I blew it dry and started doing the swipe test. Most areas passed, though there were a few that didn’t, especially in the barrel. After the test was complete, I re-sprayed and used a Wheel Woolie on the barrel, and Auto Finesse Hog Hair brush on the face. It was really easy, but in this test it was definitely a mark against compared to Rim7.

So… About that brevity thing… Yeah, I messed it up, because I have a few more pictures for you. You see, I was doing the next wheel, and well, it plumbed up (that’s what I call the color-changing process – plumbing up – you know, like turning the color of a plumb. Think Willy Wonka with the girl that turns purple and big) so nicely that I just had to share it with everyone.







You can see the dark, almost black color that Rim7 has turned on the rotor.


Even the caliper is getting in on the action!


Now, I tried to do a 50/50, half rinsed, half still on, shot.


You can see with these 50/50s, that the Rim7 rinses away cleanly, just as the copy suggests. It really came off pretty easy, especially considering how hard it is working.



And, finally, fully rinsed. As you can see, the wheel is clean and beading nicely.



Conclusion

So, what do I think of Scholl Concepts Rim7 Wheel Cleaner? In a word? Wait, no, I’ll do one better… In a picture?



That picture, hopefully says it all. A thumbs up, with a clean wheel in the background should be the clue that this product certainly delivers, and, I dare say, lives up to the hype that surrounded it when it was first introduced into the United States and launched. That’s saying a lot, because, at least in my opinion, most of the products that I have tried fail to live up to the hype, or even the reputation of the product.

Here is the address for the MSDS for Rim7: Xtra Car Care. Unfortunately, this particular one is in German, however I’m sure a quick email to their customer service is all that is needed to get an English copy.

For those who have not seen a great video of this wheel cleaner in action, here’s one from Scholl Concepts:

SCHOLL Concepts RIM-7 pH-neutral Wheel Cleaner Gel - YouTube

Pros & Cons

Pros

1. Hands down, the best wheel cleaner that I have used on the market today.
2. Easy to use, just spray – dwell – rinse.
3. Pleasant fragrance (smell).
4. pH neutral – will not harm aluminum or delicate surfaces. Safe for all wheels.
5. Gel clings very well. Highly viscous concentration.
6. Concentrated. A spray covers a large area without having to unnecessarily saturate the surface of the wheel.
7. Good sprayer with even coverage with a fairly fine mist.

Cons

1. Price. It is $1.18 per ounce compared to SONAX Full Effect (94¢ per ounce) or 1Z ColourTec (89¢ per ounce). Note, all prices before any applicable discounts.
2. Size. It is not available, at least at time of writing, in the USA in bulk. It would bring the unit price down significantly if it could be procured in 5L bottles, like SONAX and 1Z.
3. Only available from select outlets, at current time.

Neutral Observation

1. Like the other products in this iron-dissolving wheel cleaner category, it cannot be diluted.

Final Thoughts

As I have already established (at least I hope I have!), Scholl Concepts Rim7 Wheel Cleaner is the best wheel cleaner that I have used to date. One of the common things that I have heard with these new breed of color-changing wheel cleaners is that it is not as good at dissolving ferrous (iron) particles as CarPro Iron-X. While that may be true, we must remember that Iron-X is not a wheel cleaner. It’s sole job is to dissolve iron, not to encapsulate dirt and debris and make the surface clean after rinsing. Now, if you want a full decontamination, then one may want to go ahead and do a round of Iron-X after the intitial cleaning. Just remember to use BobbyG’s technique, c/o Mike Phillips.

BobbyG's technique was to simply wash the wheel and tire first, thus removing the oily road grime and brake dust but then pat the wheel dry using a clean utility towel so there would be no excess water to flush the freshly sprayed-on Iron X off the wheel and onto the ground where it's not doing anything for you.

I agree with BobbyG and wanted to share his tip and give him credit for an incredibly easy tweak to my technique so I can get the best performance out of Iron X and get the most bang for your Iron X bucks...

So, is this a product that is going to be for everyone? Absolutely not – the price alone is going to scare a majority of people off. I think that most people in the category are going to be hard-pressed not to go with 1Z ColourTec or its contemporaries.

That being said, I think that every professional should have a bottle of this stuff in reserve. I think that the formula is incredibly strong, concentrated, and yet safe. If you came across something that you really needed the big guns for, I think that this may be your new go-to product. If it was this effective without agitation, it will only be that much better when it is scrubbed. Couple that with a pressure washer, and boom, you’ve got a winner!

Another group of people that may enjoy using this product is a detailer that only does iron-dissolving cleaning sessions occasionally, maybe once a month or once a quarter. In that situation, it may be nice to use this product rather than 1Z ColourTec or CarPro Iron-X. That being said, if it is that once a quarter or once a year wash where you want to get everything off the wheel, then maybe a traditional cleaning, followed by Iron-X and clay would be the best bet for you.

I fall into the class of detailer that wants the product that does the best job and makes my life the easiest. That’s where this product shines, in my opinion. I don’t have to worry about that obnoxious smell that SONAX, 1Z and Iron-X have, plus, even on dirty wheels I can spray – dwell five minutes (or less) – rinse – dry. Truly, this product makes it that easy.

Here’s the bottom line, yes I would buy it again, even in the 500mL bottle, when I run out of my other wheel cleaners. But the kicker is when it is released in a larger container, say 5L, then I would be all over it. If the price drops and puts it in line with SONAX or 1Z, then I would choose Rim7 in a heartbeat. The smell, or should I say lack thereof, is worth a buck or two more a bottle. That, coupled with the effectiveness, ease of use, and “fun” color changing experience makes this product a winner.

So, if you want the best wheel cleaner currently on the market, that changes color while dissolving brake dust without the traditional smell associate with those products, then pick up a bottle (or two!) of Scholl Concepts Rim 7 today! I hope that you enjoyed this review. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments, and I will be glad to answer. And, as always, happy detailing!

[Just02896]

I've been wondering about this stuff and how it would stack up against FE and Einszett. Great review! Thanks for taking the time! :-)

[mleun481]

Nice, detailed review. Sonax has been my favorite wheel cleaner, but if this is even better, I must try it!

[jamesboyy]

Excellent review very detailed too this will really help people who are looking for an iron remover wheel cleaner

[SYMAWD]

Very nice review. I may have to try this. It appears the sulfur compound is thioglycolic acid which is in quite a few of these color changing cleaners. According to Wikipedia, Thioglycolic acid reacts with diethyl acetylmalonate to form acetylmercatoacetic acid and diethyl malonate, the reducing agent in conversion of Fe (III) to Fe (II). My guess is that is what is going on with these cleaners.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Incredibly well written and documented review Ryan! I thoroughly enjoyed reading through it with my morning coffee!

May have to grab a bottle of it to try on my dirty BMW wheels.... Lol

[EVOlved]

Fantastic review!! If this comes down in price or larger size I may have some wheel brushes for sale .

[Radarryan]

I've been wondering about this stuff and how it would stack up against FE and Einszett. Great review! Thanks for taking the time! :-)

Thanks! After using Full Effect and 1Z, it was certainly nice to have a cleaner that doesn't have that characteristic smell they are known for!

Nice, detailed review. Sonax has been my favorite wheel cleaner, but if this is even better, I must try it!

I use SONAX most of the time, mainly because it is the cheapest of the bunch that I have. Even though it is significantly more expensive, the lack of smell and effectiveness makes it almost worth it. If and when it drops, I'm all over it.

Excellent review very detailed too this will really help people who are looking for an iron remover wheel cleaner

Thank you! I hope it helps someone - that's why I do it. Thanks for taking the time to read!

Very nice review. I may have to try this. It appears the sulfur compound is thioglycolic acid which is in quite a few of these color changing cleaners. According to Wikipedia, Thioglycolic acid reacts with diethyl acetylmalonate to form acetylmercatoacetic acid and diethyl malonate, the reducing agent in conversion of Fe (III) to Fe (II). My guess is that is what is going on with these cleaners.

Thank you! In my prior research, which I did not include in the review, I know that the active ingredients are slightly different with all the main competitions, though the end result is pretty much the same.

I did a lot of research mainly for health effects, not necessarily effectiveness, though I do believe that this is more effective than Full Effect and ColourTec - of which I believe are the two best of the lot. Price is the only thing that is holding me back from it becoming #1 go-to.

Incredibly well written and documented review Ryan! I thoroughly enjoyed reading through it with my morning coffee!

May have to grab a bottle of it to try on my dirty BMW wheels.... Lol

Thanks Mike! Thanks for reading and posting buddy, I appreciate your comments!

Maybe you need to pick up a bottle - at the factory! I think they are not too far from you, just outside of Stuttgart. I'll check their website and post back to the thread. I like your detailing-related road trips across Germany, lol.

Fantastic review!! If this comes down in price or larger size I may have some wheel brushes for sale .

Thank you! Seriously though, I didn't use them at all when using Rim7... I have Daytona, Daytona Jr., all the Wheel Woolies, Auto Finesse brushes, lug brushes, Mothers brushes, etc. I don't think I can switch full time to this because of all the money I've spent on brushes! Lol

[WRAPT C5Z06]

EXCELLENT REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for taking the time.