E TKIT RIDE

Does a spray on wash off wheel cleaner that actually works without harming the wheels or brakes exist?

Kevin A Jones

I owned and operated a chain of auto parts store for 16 years and we did a hell of a car care products business and I don't use them if that tells you anything. They work ok, but you have to be very careful to ONLY use a directed. I prefer to just wash the wheels just as I wash the remainder of the car and on my C7 chrome wheels this stuff worked GREAT for protecting and reducing brake dust cleanup.

Andybump

I have not found one. I like Griot's products, and have tried the wheel cleaner products they offer. I don't believe they harm the wheels, but they don't clean to my satisfaction either. Bottom line for me is I still just get in there with a microfiber cloth or microfiber wheel duster, and some detailing stuff (like Griot's best of Show). Others on the forum have reported that with ceramic coating, the wheels just rinse off with water.

PopsC8

The wheel looks great!
What is your opinion about ceramic coating wheels and calipers?

Markamen

I am a fan of Griot’s wheel cleaner. I also wax my wheels. Bottom line, in my opinion, nothing is going to clean them like good old fashioned hand washing. I use a number of brushes to get in between crevices and in and around the lug nuts. I have yet to fins a product that will remove brake dust others than hand washing.

DrivesWithTwoFeet

I only use car shampoo on my wheels. Wash them with a microfiber glove and hair brush around lug nuts and calipers. I keep them coated with a SIO2 sealant specifically for wheels. If you wash at least once every two weeks this is all you need. Unless you have a Z51 then you will need to switch out the pads for ones that don't create as much brake dust.

Avanti

Nothing I've found that I'm comfortable with. If your wheels have any real importance or value to you, just take the time and wash them with soap and water? All the best.

SoCal C8

My wheels and calipers are ceramic coated and just spraying them off with water does maybe 80% of the job. I’ve tried at least a dozen different products over the years (on other cars with ceramic coated wheels) to allow “just a water rinse” and the wheels are clean and found just one that gets 95+% of the job done…..it’s called Simple Green, yes, the cheap stuff. Spray on, wait 5 minutes, spray off.

proeagles

There's no such thing as spray and wash, touchless car wash, etc., etc. Any decent cleaning is going to involve some elbow grease.

Austin Ron

Simple Green works good and doesn't harm the finish. An electric power washer with the wide fan tip helps as well.

NextOne

My wheels and calipers were professionally ceramic coated. I cannot just rinse them clean. As stated above, probably 80% comes off with a powerwasher. To clean them, I thoroughly rinse, wash with a dedicated (wheels only) microfiber mitt, an Incredibrush, and a soft detailer's brush to get the lug holes, caliper crevices, etc. I'll occasionally use IronX in the process.

blueapplepaste

I've recently been using P&S Brake Buster with really great results. I spray it on the wheel and tire, let dwell for 30s, agitate rims with a wheel woolie and scrub tires with a wheel brush, and then rinse. Minimal effort needed.

Smoltz

Sonax works the best of anything that I've used including various products from mothers, meguiars, griots, etc

1qwktrk

shine supply "cool guy" is the best wheel cleaner I have found in years.

Paws

I’ve used the LA TOTALLY AWESOME DEGREASER from Dollar Tree for MANY years.
A $1 a bottle with the sprayer.
Save your $$$.

I have NEVER had an issue.

Kevin A Jones

It helps if you want to invest the effort and cost to ceramic coat them, however it's still going to take some good old fashion elbow grease to get them what I would consider totally clean like the wheel/caliper I posted above.

NextOne

Haven't used that one, but do like their "Wise Guy" tire cleaner.

RKCRLR

I use this:

It works as good as Sonax but is cheap enough to use liberally. But I still wind up doing a final wipe to get everything when I'm washing my car.

Dave O

Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus

johnodrake

Most of it does, but you still need to use a cloth to get them really clean