Most car wheel cleaners out there are good just for keeping your car clean, but when it comes to cleaning very dirty rims while staying safe for the paint, there aren’t many options, unfortunately.
I’ve tried tons of wheel cleaners, and in this post, I’ll share my recommendations for the best car wheel cleaners for very dirty wheels and rims.
The five wheel cleaners that I’ll mention are really heavy-duty wheel cleaners that you can use on the toughest grime and dirt. Especially the first one.
1. Sonax The Beast Wheel Cleaner: My Top Pick
If I had to choose just one wheel cleaner for life, it would be The Beast Wheel Cleaner by Sonax. This cleaner is incredibly powerful, and I’ve never encountered any problems with it. It has always managed to remove dirt from my wheels and tires.
One of the key features of Sonax The Beast Wheel Cleaner is its safety. Despite its powerful cleaning capabilities, it’s acid-free, making it a safe choice for all kinds of wheels. This should give you the confidence that your wheels are in good hands.
When I spray it on the wheels and see the color changing to purple, I know it’s working to remove all those iron particles from my wheels and brake discs. With just a bit of additional scrubbing with a detailing brush and some soap, I always get squeaky clean wheels.
Although it’s not the cheapest option out there, if you need something that can handle stubborn dirt like I do, it’s the number one choice in the world right now.
2. Gyeon Quartz Iron Wheel Cleaner
If you’ve visited my blog before, you probably know that I’m a big fan of Gyeon products, even though they are on the more expensive side of auto detailing.
When Sonax is out of stock, I always buy a Gyeon Quartz Iron Wheel Cleaner. It’s another extremely powerful, safe wheel cleaner that helps me tackle dirty wheels and tires.
This one might be even slightly more powerful. Sometimes, you don’t even need to brush the wheels, even when they’re filthy.
However, the price is double that of Sonax, so it can’t be my number one choice. I always consider everything.
If you combine it with Gyeon Tire Dressing, which I reviewed earlier, it’s a win-win situation. Your car wheels and tires will look awesome.
3. Koch-Chemie Magic Wheel Cleaner
Koch-Chemie is one of the most popular brands for professional car detailers in Europe. Although it’s not as well-known in the USA (being a German brand), it deserves much more attention.
Koch-Chemie Magic Wheel Cleaner is one of my top picks for wheel cleaners. It might not have the most attractive packaging, but it works wonders on dirty wheels and rims.
It’s also an acid-free product, so you don’t have to worry about it damaging your wheels. It works on any type of wheels, removing dirt and dust particles without causing any harm.
There is one thing some of you might not prefer (which I actually like): it has a very strong smell. But we’re cleaning wheels here, not the car interior, right?
Price-wise, it’s similar to Gyeon products. If you ever catch it at a discount or sale, buy a few bottles immediately. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
4. P&S Brake Buster Total Wheel Cleaner
P&S Brake Buster is another wheel cleaner that I can honestly recommend. It’s the cheapest option on this list, so if you’re on a budget, this might be the one for you.
I’ve been using it for a few months on multiple cars, and every time I’ve gotten fantastic results. Since it’s also an acid-free wheel cleaner and iron remover, it’s safe for all types of wheels: aluminum, polished, powder-coated, chrome, steel, painted, and more.
What I especially like about this product is that they offer a wide range of bottle sizes, which is fantastic if you’re a professional auto detailer. This cleaner can also be diluted for use on less dirty wheels, and you can use it in a foam maker for better distribution.
5. 3D BDX Iron Remover
I know that not everyone prefers 3D products, but to be honest, after using various products from this company, I’ve always been happy with the results. The same goes for the BDX Iron Remover and Wheel Cleaner.
I’ve used it on both wheels and tires, as well as to remove iron fallout from the paint, and every time, I’ve gotten immaculate results. Extremely dirty wheels will require some brushing and soap, but that’s to be expected.
You only need to be careful not to let BDX dwell on the paint for too long or dry out. You should rinse it within one minute of applying, unlike Sonax, which you can leave for up to 10 minutes if it’s not too hot outside.
If You’re More Into Video
I’ve also made a quick and short video version of this post, which is available on Youtube and you can watch it below if you like.
Don’t Forget To Protect Wheels and Tires After Cleaning
I’m sure you’ll be more than happy using any of the products I mentioned above. But again, if I had to recommend just one product, it would be Sonax The Beast.
One last thing to remember: after cleaning your wheels of all that dirt, grime, dust, and iron particles, make sure to protect the wheels and apply dressing to the tires.
If you’re serious about protecting your wheels, I recommend checking out my top list of ceramic coatings for wheels. Otherwise, any quick detailer or spray ceramic coating will work fine.
For the tires, I already mentioned Gyeon Tire Dressing, which is my favorite. Another great option is Meguiar’s Endurance Gel, one of my favorites as well.
Lastly, if you’re unfamiliar with the proper way of cleaning wheels and tires, I suggest checking out my guide on how to clean wheels and tires like a professional.
