Jerry
Jerry PowerDork
11/18/24 9:07 a.m.

I know nothing is 100%, but I need something I can hose down the wheels with and blast at a car wash to get as much as possible.  These OEM pads on the GR are notorious for dust.

I tried something from Chemical Guys I saw at Meijer and it did nothing, not even a tiny bit.  I've had a few products over the years but blanking on names and curious what's out there now.

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter)
Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
11/18/24 9:17 a.m.

I've tried several, all required brushing to get clean. 

eedavis
eedavis GRM+ Memberand New Reader
11/18/24 9:30 a.m.

What Doc said. IME this comes closest to touchless, maybe it is if you use a pressure washer. 

https://www.flashautodetailproducts.com/product/brown-royal-non-acid-wheel-tire-cleaner/

clutchsmoke
clutchsmoke UberDork
11/18/24 9:31 a.m.

In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :

Yeah... Gotta get a nice wheel brush.

Trent
Trent UltimaDork
11/18/24 9:37 a.m.

I was unfortunate enough to discover how amazing "Code Red" wheel cleaner is, right before it disappeared from the shelves.

I bought a bottle and it made cleaning my BBS wheels a breeze.....and then I ran out. It has been on backorder everywhere for like 6 months. 

The chemical guys version sucks hard in comparison, but i paid for it so i am using it up before I try another.

Jerry
Jerry PowerDork
11/18/24 9:40 a.m.

In reply to Trent :

Code Red, I remember using that one a lot.  Sonax is another one.

93gsxturbo
93gsxturbo UberDork
11/18/24 9:32 p.m.

Sonax Full Effect wheel cleaner, buy the 5L jugs from Amazon and refill.

For tires, even blackwalls, I use Bleche-Wite.  Also works great on cleaning Weathertech mats.

ae86andkp61 (Forum Supporter)
ae86andkp61 (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
11/18/24 10:04 p.m.

I've found that Sonax works well. On wheels with a rough surface, lots of nooks and crannies, and/or haven't been cleaned in forever, you might also want a brush. Once you get them really clean, the next time is a lot easier and can be a spray/wash-off affair.

Jerry
Jerry PowerDork
11/19/24 9:57 a.m.

In reply to 93gsxturbo :

I bought a bottle of Bleche-Wite a few months ago for the 1st time in decades, when the Celica got white letter tires.  Memories...

glyn ellis
glyn ellis Reader
11/19/24 1:00 p.m.
93gsxturbo said:

Sonax Full Effect wheel cleaner, buy the 5L jugs from Amazon and refill.

For tires, even blackwalls, I use Bleche-Wite.  Also works great on cleaning Weathertech mats.

Sonax Full Effect is the only cleaner I've found that will get rid of Audi Q5 brake dust

johndej
johndej UltraDork
11/19/24 1:10 p.m.

Anything that works good on white Kosei's beat to hell with Hawk HP+ dust?

RacerBoy75
RacerBoy75 Reader
11/19/24 2:10 p.m.

I've never tried Sonax, but I'm pretty happy with Griot's wheel cleaner. Plus it smells sooo good!  laugh My car is German, so there's lots of black brake dust, which means using a brush is necessary to get the wheels completely clean. I have a brush that is similar to a bottle brush (long and narrow), which works well to fit in between the brake rotor and the wheel barrel so I can clean the inside of the wheel. My wheels are silver, but the barrel is nearly white, so unless the wheel is filthy enough that the barrel is completely black, they look terrible if dirty.

Jerry
Jerry PowerDork
11/20/24 8:16 a.m.

I had to order a few things on Amazon I couldn't find locally (Arrid XX Dry Ultrafresh deodorant?  Seriously?) so I ordered a bottle of Sonax Beast which is supposedly a bit stronger than Full Effect.

I emailed BRAID to make sure it was safe on the orange coating, whatever they use, and got the go-ahead.  I have brushes and stuff but sometimes I just want to blast the top coat of dust to make them "ok".

rslifkin
rslifkin PowerDork
11/20/24 8:43 a.m.

I've had good success with the Griot's heavy duty wheel cleaner.  I've always brushed it to get things clean, but realistically, I spend longer rinsing to actually get it all out of the lug recesses, etc. than I do brushing.  The brushing is just a quick swipe across each surface after the cleaner sits for a few minutes. 

benzbaronDaryn
benzbaronDaryn SuperDork
11/20/24 1:52 p.m.

Bmw makes a real good wheel cleaner, spray on, brush in a bit, hose off.   

Chris Tropea
Chris Tropea Associate Editor
11/20/24 1:59 p.m.

I have not had any experience with their wheel cleaner but I have been very happy with the Griots products I have purchased and it is normally my go to in the auto parts store. 

newold_m (Forum Supporter)
newold_m (Forum Supporter) Reader
11/21/24 11:52 a.m.

Sonax has worked well for me but be aware as it smells pretty bad. 

NermalSnert (Forum Supporter)
NermalSnert (Forum Supporter) Dork
11/21/24 12:14 p.m.

I get my wheels clean with softscrub and a tooth brush. After that I use Bleche-Wite tire cleaner for up-keep.

Chris Tropea
Chris Tropea Associate Editor
12/11/24 9:44 a.m.

Update, I picked up some of the Griots Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner on sale and used it for the first time. While it does require some agitation with a brush to completely remove everything it requires little effort and the wheels look really good after the cleaning. 

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