The Best Wheel Cleaners For Your Car (Review & Buying Guide) 2020

One thing that is very helpful with these products is the knowledge that you can safely use them on a variety of surfaces, trims and wheel finishes. That is precisely the standout feature from this cleaner by Sonox. It has been carefully formulated to be both acid free and PH Balanced, which means you can just go nuts with it! That’s nice to know when you are dealing with really caked on dirt and grime.

Not only that, the formula helpfully changes color as it works, turning a lovely shade of luminous pink as it breaks down dirt. This handy feature is essentially a progress bar, so you know when your wheels are spotless when you can’t see anymore pink. That’s useful when you’re trying to deep clean all the nooks and cranies on a car wheel.

The first thing you probably notice is that nowhere in the name of this product does it actually state it’s a wheel cleaner. So have we gone mad?

Well yes, but not specifically in this instance. That’s because this incredible product from CarGuys is designed to replace all your individual cleaning products – including your dedicated wheel cleaner product. 

It’s safe to use on all surfaces except glass and instrument panel screens. Aside from that you can spray it around with happy abandon, and get an incredible clean from this non-toxic, surprisingly mild product. Cleaning nearly every surface with just one product – how great does that sound? It even comes with a free towel. What more do you want, people?

Do you remember the scene in Ghostbusters 2, when they spray pink slime over the Statue of Liberty to make it walk? That could be an application guide for this product.

Ok, first of all it’s a far nice product than paranormal slime – but when it is sprayed onto your wheels it does foam up nicely and is especially designed to cling to surfaces even when they are vertical – i.e. a wheel. This makes application a real breeze – just spray it on and let it soak in and do it’s job, breaking down dirt and grime for an easy wipe off.

Its mild formula is safe on factory paint, trims and rubber so you don’t have to be too picky about where you spray it either. This is one of the cheaper products on the list, but is it a great overall product that’s easy to use and will leave your wheels sparkling clean.

This product from Mother’s is the cheapest on the list – but don’t let that fool you. There’s a lot going on in this bottle, more than meets the eye and more than you would expect for the price tag.

This product is specially formulated to be safe to use on a range of surfaces – including paint and chrome – making it easy to apply. It foams up nicely to really penetrate caked on dirt and, despite being mild enough that you don’t have to worry about your paint, it is tough enough on dirt that it rinses right away – no scrubbing required! For a frankly bargain price you are getting a top-level wheel cleaner here.

This great product from Trinova provides a real deep clean that makes it perfect if you’re working with older wheels that maybe haven’t received all the care and attention they could have over the years.

It’s ok, we’ve all been there – cleaning the wheels is hassle sometimes, and sometimes we can’t be bothered, right? Just a quick flick with the hose after we finish with the bodywork, and don’t look too closely at the wheels!

If that sounds familiar this could be the product for you. It’s specially formulated to help bring back shine and restore luster to dull and dirty wheels. It’s even specially formulated to tackle those irritating stains left behind by snow and road salt deposits – making it the perfect product for keeping wheels looking sharp in colder weather.

If you’ve never heard of Aero Cosmetics, they are a favorite around these parts. They are a manufacturer who consistently go above and beyond to bring car cleaning products to the market that are both high quality and unique – and this offering is no different.

This product comes formulated to provide a deep and effective clean to your wheels, and in particular is an excellent degreaser. More than that, the water-based formula is very mild and safe to use on a variety on surfaces. Heck, because Aero Cosmetics heritage lies in producing products for aircraft, this wheel cleaner is even safe to use on the wheels of your Boeing airliner – should it be looking a little grubby.

The water-based formula also means that it can be wiped away with or without additional water. That is going to go a long way to making what can be an irritating task that bit faster and easier.

Most of the products on this list have been designed for tackling dirt that has accumulated on the outside of your wheels. If you have a more sports style of car however, with slick sport wheels & alloys then you may have a different issue when you are cleaning your wheels – brake dust.

This material is a natural, normal byproduct of simply using your brakes when driving. On a regular car wheel you may notice it too much – but a more cut back sports style wheel is more likely to show it up.

If that’s sounds like you this could be the product you’re looking for. It’s specially formulated to tackle and dissolve metallic debris and brake dust. Not only that, but it’s PH Neutral, making it safe to use on a variety of surface types.

Griot’s Garage has a reputation for producing premium car cleaning products, and this wheel cleaner is no exception.

It is a remarkably mild, PH balanced formula that is not only safe to use on a variety of materials such as aluminum and paint, it is also non toxic and environmentally friendly. That means when you rinse the product away, you don’t have to worry about where the run off is going.

Coupled with that is the fact you are getting a high quality finish with deep cleaning capabilities that will leave your wheels looking incredible, and this really is an excellent product. Price wise it’s toward the to end of the scale, but not really any higher than you would typically expect to pay for a premium brand of this type.