Thoughts on wheel cleaner

I've ran out of car shampoo so need to get some more. Normally I just use car shampoo to wash the wheels so I buy one product. I know there are separate wheel cleaners out there. Are they worth buying? Has anyone actually compared washing wheels with normal shampoo against wheel cleaner?
I do have that wheel protector spray from AG which makes a difference after they are already clean ofcourse. I have always wondered though where the brake dust is going if it's not going on the wheels as much.

Thanks for any options.

I think the generic wheels cleaners are acid.
id be tempted to buy that stuff that turns bright red as it reacts with industrial fallout. but id buy it trade and not in some fancy packaging.

I have a Halfords trade card which might give me some discount. I've seen AG do magma, I'd imagine there are other brands out there that are similar. I have standard S13 pre-facelift wheels which are covered in brake dust so I don't think they'd be harmed buy acidic stuff but I may as well go for a less harmful one in case I get fancy wheels in the future. I know whatever I get is not going to get all the brake dust off but I expect a big improvement.

I just tend to use whatever is on halfraids shelf, not the cheapest stuff but nothing outrageous either - most much comes off with the wheel cleaner and a pressure washer.
Then go over it with some sealant or wax or something.

I'm not paying for a pressure washer lol. The water pressure to my house is terrible so could be an issue anyway.

I bought Tesco alloy wheel cleaner earlier today. For £2 in a spray bottle I thought it’s worth a try


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Pressure washer is the answer to all your car cleaning issues, from snow foaming it to removing gunk on wheels and exhausts.
There are really cheep ones that will do the job, alternatively spend a fortune at a car wash one or put the effort in rubbing and scrubbing away - i know which i prefered.

I got the wonder wheels stuff that stinks of egg and goes a funny colour when you put it on...it seems to work and was £5 in Asda lasts a while

Auto wheel by bilthamber is great but expensive

I use demon wheels, as its cheap and cheerful and just as good as the more expensive stuff I've tried.

As said above though, waxing is the key...

I've started using the Meguiars ceramic wax, not cheap but I'm very impressed, car stays cleaner for longer and its very quick to apply....

I use a combination of AG Magma and AG wheel cleaner.

Don't let it dry on though. Do the wheels in the shade and if they are drying too quickly, reapply to keep them wet.

Agitate after 1 minute then leave for another two before cleaning off with a Sainsubrys/Asda/other supermarket non-abrasive scourer.

Then coat with a wheel polish. I use Collinite 845

I bought the AG custom wheel cleaner and I've just used it. It's not potent enough in my opinion. I tried it on my lexus wheels which haven't seen brake dust because the car isn't road worthy and it struggled to remove that film of filth you get when a car is laid up outside. The benefit of this however is when I got it on my sensitive skin it didn't bother me so all good there. I recommend it for dermatitis sufferers lol. It turned a brown colour when in contact with the tyre which it doesn't mention should happen so I don't know what that is about. It would have been better with a jet wash though because it really does cling to the wheel and sort of reactivates when you spray it with water. Next time I'll buy the magma, I didn't bother buying some this time as the S13 is red so I wouldn't see it working lol

autosmart red 7 is what I would buy or a knock off version. its is a big initial outlay buy it should last you ages.

The Magma will go purple on the wheels. Don't use it on the bodywork lol

To recover the wheels, the magma will be a thousand times better than the AG alloy wheel cleaner but the custom wheel cleaner is probably for chrome rather than painted wheels like an S13 has.

If wheels have been allowed to build up crap to the point of lifting the lacquer, then nothing is really going to recover it.

Protected my wheels with Carbon Collective Platinum Wheels so don't need a wheel cleaner, just snow foam them and pressure wash off :)

Whole car has Carbon Collective Hybrid on it as well so its easier to clean. :thumbs:

Gave the AG normal wheel cleaner a go yesterday. That's some really good stuff. You have to spray on loads of it to stop it drying on though.

Definitely something to do on a dull rather than a shiny day and when the car is cold. :)

Ceramic coating is quite good to put on wheels and then a wheel sealant. but only ceramic coat if the wheels are new or in pristine condition