Wheel Cleaner

A good wheel cleaner is the difference between clean and still half dirty rims. But which rim cleaner is best to use? There are in fact 2 major differences in rim cleaners. Namely acidic rim cleaners that are generally budget-friendly and pH-neutral rim cleaners that discolor to dark reddish purple and react to iron particles. Both are excellent at removing dirt on your rims, but have different properties. Each rim cleaner does work better when you use an appropriate brush to loosen the dirt. We also recommend never using a rim cleaner just after driving, in direct sunlight or on warm surfaces. This can sometimes cause the rim cleaner to burn in.

You can use the acid rim cleaner on standard OEM light metal rims, rims with a coat of varnish and powder-coated rims. Note that if you have embroidery damage, there is no layer of varnish left, so it is exposed metal. Acid rim cleaners on exposed metal, polished rims or rims and diamond cut rims damage the finish. It causes burned-in spots, the varnish begins to peel off, the color of the metal begins to change and white cloud spots may appear. An acidic rim cleaner is inexpensive compared to a pH neutral rim cleaner but it requires attention.

An acidic rim cleaner also generally works better than a pH-neutral rim cleaner, but with modern developments in pH-neutral rim cleaners, this is no longer always the case. To neutralize the acid of acidic rim cleaners, we recommend using an alkaline snow foam shampoo after cleaning the rims. This way, the alkaline shampoo neutralizes the remaining acid from the rim cleaner and prevents rusting.

The pH neutral rim cleaner, unlike the acidic rim cleaner, you can safely use on all rims. They do not damage the finish even though there may be brush damage. There are ordinary mild pH neutral rim cleaners and pH neutral rim cleaners that react to iron particles such as brake dust and industrial precipitation and discolor to dark red purple when it comes in contact with them. These rim cleaners are becoming more and more common since they are safe to use and clean rims very well. These used to have the disadvantage of having a terrible smell, and the very strong rim cleaners still have this. But the commercial products offered generally have an acceptable smell so it is largely replacing the acid rim cleaner and the ordinary mild rim cleaner. In fact, in comparison, the rim cleaner that reacts to iron works significantly better than the ordinary mild pH neutral rim cleaner.

Also note that just because a product changes color to dark reddish purple does not mean it is immediately a pH neutral product. There are also several iron removers that are not pH neutral. In most cases this is then a specific iron remover and not a rim cleaner. The rim cleaner is usually a slightly more liquid product and foams when worked with a brush. Acidic iron removers are made more to stick to the paint and do not often foam.

With the new evolution in rim cleaners, there are also many brands that have started with a rim cleaner and tire cleaner in 1 product. This makes it very easy to simply clean all of your wheel with 1 product. You don't have to buy another product and use the 2 products at the same time when cleaning your rims. These work just as well and sometimes even better than specialized rubber or tire cleaners and degreasers. Although they can sometimes be more expensive. The trade-off for speed and ease of use versus cost is a decision everyone must make for themselves.

So do you want a strong rim cleaner that is still safe to use on all wheels? Then choose a pH-neutral rim cleaner that reacts to iron particles.