Meguiar’s popular Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner is available in a ready-to-use formula in spray bottle form. This wheel & tire cleaner can be used on factory OEM clear-coated, painted, chrome wheels, and tires. One 32oz. bottle runs you about $20, but you can get a lot more value if you get the 1 gallon version (128oz.) that costs only an additional 15 bucks or so.
The Chemical Guys Wonder Wave Durafoam Applicator Pads work perfectly fine, but you do need to follow up with thtat microfiber towel to minimize the chance of tire sling. The size of the pads are too large for me, so I’m always reluctant to reach for these when I’m applying tire dressing. But, they work just fine and they’re pretty cheap since you are getting two decently large applicators for about $7.
Let me just start out by saying, this is my EZ Detail Brush (large size) that I purchased 12 years ago. That’s right, 12 years ago. I use this brush more than a dozen times a year and the brush still looks like this after over a decade. I could probably end the review here with that, but I’d still like to shore a little more about this amazing wheel barrel brush.
Meguiar’s supplied me with their signature purple Endurance Tire Gel for this review. This tire gel is a solvent-based tire dressing that offers medium gloss, however it can be applied in multiple coats if you desire a high-gloss shine. After using this product on several vehicles, I can attest to the many rave reviews touting its performance and value. The tire gel offers UV protection for about 2-3 weeks, which is pretty typical. It also doesn’t appear to sling off the tires when applied properly. The price is right at about $12-$13 at the time of this review.
When you’re cleaning the wheels and tires on your vehicle, you may have to pull out several different types of brushes. These brushes may include ones to clean the wheel face, the inner wheel barrel, and the tire sidewalls. One of my main go-to brushes is the Mothers wheel brush and tire cleaner, which can be used to clean both the face of the wheel and the tire sidewall.
I typically use my EZ Detail wheel brush when cleaning wheels, but while I was away from home and needed a wheel brush for some detailing work, I picked up another wheel brush at the local Autozone called the ProElite Wheel and Rim Cleaning Brush. This brush worked well for my wheel cleaning needs for the next few months, although the bristles are a bit tired-looking.
Wheels cleaners are usually pretty effective at removing the dirt and grime that is baked onto the wheels of a car. Typically, wheels are the dirtiest part of a car because it is located so close to the ground and and is constantly being bombarded with brake dust coming from the brakes. Add the fact that the wheels are always exposed to the elements and are always exposed to heat from the brakes, and you have a recipe for hard-to-clean wheels. Griot’s Garage sells this wheel cleaner called Heavy-Duty Wheel Cleaner that is acid-free and safe, yet is very effective at cleaning very dirty wheels.
Wheel cleaners can be one of the more aggressive chemicals that we use on our cars. They are made to be strong enough to clean off the dirt, grime, and brake dust that is typically baked onto the wheel surface. However, sometimes you want something that is safe to use on your wheels, yet still be able to clean your wheels adequately. Sonax Wheel Cleaner Full Effect is an acid-free wheel cleaner that is safe to use on almost all factory-installed wheels and is a great choice for those wanting a safe, yet still effective wheel cleaner.
