If you’re at all serious about keeping your car clean and you enjoy the surprisingly therapeutic process of removing grime, the best alloy wheel cleaners will keep your pride and joy sparkling. We’ve done the dirty work of finding the best by cleaning a plethora of dirty alloys.
Wheels are often the dirtiest part of your car and are constantly subject to both dirt and mud from the world and dust and grime from your brakes. As a result, your wheels can end up looking mucky, especially over colder periods of the year when they’re subject to the onslaught of salt.
The stuff that comes off your brakes is mostly iron unless you have carbon-ceramic brakes, as found on some high-performance cars. Iron gains a static charge when heated and clings to the wheels in a more determined fashion than regular dirt. It’s something that regular car shampoo can’t tackle on its own.
The best alloy wheel cleaners at a glance
You guessed it; specialised wheel cleaners are better at ridding your wheels of this determined muck than an all-purpose cleaner or damp rag . We’ve tested a line-up of wheel cleaners and iron fallout removers on a number of test vehicles currently being run by the Parkers team. Read on to see our favourites ranked.
The best alloy wheel cleaners tested
Test winner
It doesn’t matter whether it was alloys on a BMW 5-Series or covers on a VW ID Buzz, the end result was a clear level above the other competitors. The appearance and feel of the cleaned alloy were incredibly smooth and spotless after the full detail. It’s priced above the others on test, but quickly after trying it out, it was easy to see why.
Pros
- pH-balanced formula means no risk of damage
- Gentle but incredibly effective wheel cleaning
- Minimal agitation required
Cons
- Strong smell
- Trigger could be slightly improved
| Volume | 1000ml |
| pH level | 7 |
| Recommended dwell time | 1-5 minutes |
| Reactive to brake dust? | Yes |
| Consistency | Gel |
Editor's pick
Rrp: £19.99
Rrp: £19.99
With agitation using barrel brushes and wheel brush, all of the brake dust, grime and other muck that was on your wheels was easily removed. After a quick rinse with the pressure washer, it left an almost showroom finish. Like the others, it has a pH-neutral formula. This is new for Autoglym as its previous wheel cleaning products were wither acidic or had alkali within. This means the Advanced All-Wheel Cleaner is safe to use on almost any type of wheel, as the chemicals within aren't as strong.
Pros
- pH neutral for cleaning versatility
- Left a showroom finish
- Very nice trigger to use
Cons
- You'll scrub a little harder than the Bilt Hamber
- The ceramic smoothness can jar
| Volume | 1000ml |
| pH level | 7 |
| Recommended dwell time | 2-4 minutes |
| Reactive to brake dust? | Yes |
| Consistency | Gel |
The best wheel cleaner on a budget
The trigger wasn’t the easiest to use, feeling stubborn and unwilling. But the actual spray pattern was good. It also clung exceptionally well to the wheels, reacting immediately with the brake dust present on the wheels. It managed to cut through most grime and brake dust with ease, just missing out on that final 5% that would tip it into exceptional territory. For wheel cleaning on a tight budget, it is my pick, Turtle Wax will even bung free delivery in for your troubles.
Tested by Ryan Gilmore
Pros
- Exceptional value for money
- Loads of cleaner for your cash, and it works exceptionally well too
- Free UK shipping
Cons
- Trigger needs some work
- Lacks the final 5% of cleaning power
| Volume | 750ml |
| pH level | 7 |
| Recommended dwell time | N/A |
| Reactive to brake dust? | Yes |
| Consistency | Gel |
The best wheel cleaner for wheel coverage
Rrp: £14.63
Rrp: £14.63
It lifted the detritus just as well as premium examples and left a gorgeous shiny finish by the time the wheel was rinsed. As ever, you have to leave it to set in for around five minutes before agitating, and seeing the results in the process was comparable to the top-end manufacturers. The citrus smell masked the worst of the iron remover, making this even more pleasant to use.
Pros
- Very effective wheel cleaner
- The spray nozzle was the easiest to use and gave a wide spray
- Citrus smell masks the iron fallout remover
Cons
- Only 500ml
- Non-gel base didn't cling as well to the wheel
| Volume | 500ml |
| pH level | 7 |
| Recommended dwell time | Up to five minutes |
| Reactive to brake dust? | Yes |
| Consistency | Liquid |
I tried it on two different cars and found that even without agitation, just a spray from the hosepipe, it was able to clear off the road dirt and grime like it was dust. And once you add in a couple of barrel brushes and a soft wheel brush, the result is reassuringly shiny. It wasn’t our best performer, as little freckles were still visible, and it didn't do the best at lifting heavy, embedded dirt. But for a quick rinse of salt, it’s perfectly suited for the job.
Pros
- Lifts dirt off with minimal agitation
- Quick and easy to use
- The safety catch is a great feature
Cons
- Not good for heavily soiled alloys
- Bottle shape isn't the nicest to hold
| Volume | 1000ml |
| pH level | N/A |
| Recommended dwell time | Up to 5 minutes |
| Reactive to brake dust? | Yes |
| Consistency | Gel |
There was something almost ceramic-like about the way the wheels felt after applying a brush to the rims. They felt smooth and spotlessly clean, but fallout remover is stronger than purpose-built wheel cleaners and will struggle on mud. W6 gets a big bonus point for being sealant and wax-safe, making it the perfect choice for a more serious car detailer or anyone with a recently applied layer of protection.
Pros
- Clear bleeding, great on baked-on brake dust
- Designed not to break down applied protection
- Particularly nasty smell
Cons
- Smaller bottle for your money
- Not designed for mud
| Volume | 500ml |
| pH level | 8 |
| Recommended dwell time | 3-5 minutes |
| Reactive to brake dust? | Yes |
| Consistency | Gel |
Once rinsed off with a pressure washer, it left a sparkling-enough finish. But at the price point, the Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel is undoubtedly the more effective option. But the caveat is this was never designed on the same page as a regular wheel cleaner but rather a very strong iron fallout remover. As a fallout remover alone, it performed very well indeed and left the test car’s wheels almost detritus-free.
Pros
- Gentle on all wheel types
- Great brake dust removal properties
- Produces lots of suds
Cons
- Didn't beat the toughest dirt marks
- Smaller volume than others
| Volume | 500ml |
| pH level | N/A |
| Recommended dwell time | Up to five minutes |
| Reactive to brake dust? | Yes |
| Consistency | Gel |
The best waterless wheel cleaner
It was useless on an older car with baked-on brake dust. Easily outclassed, it served little purpose other than filling the air with a rather nice lemon scent. I tried it on a newer car with lighter dirt, and it worked rather well. It wasn't flawless. The wheel nuts would bleed mud but wouldn't shift the serious muck, but for something so gentle, it wasn't half bad. The big plus was the fact that it didn't require any water whatsoever.
The nozzle lock was awkward to use, but it sprayed nicely and misted the entire wheel with a few pulls of the trigger. Its dual use as a tyre dressing is commendable and it certainly refreshed the rubber.
Ryan Gilmore
Pros
- No water required makes it versatile
- Dual purpose means it cleans wheels and shines tyres
- Lemon scent was lovely to work with
Cons
- No use on baked-on dirty wheels
- Awful nozzle lock makes first-time use annoying
| Volume | 710ml |
| pH level | 7 |
| Recommended dwell time | N/A |
| Reactive to brake dust? | No |
| Consistency | Liquid |
I had to spray it multiple times in order to get any effect, but layers of dirt were still remaining in the sports directly sprayed. This is a bit of a letdown, but on the flip side, it does have a nice fruity scent, and the sprays themselves are very efficient and direct compared to the others.
Pros
- Has a nice, fruity smell
- The gel really does stick well to wheels
- It can be used on all wheels without fear of damage
Cons
- Didn't lift up as much dirt as the others
- You do have to spray a lot to get any effect
| Volume | 473ml |
| pH level | 7 |
| Recommended dwell time | Up to five minutes |
| Reactive to brake dust? | No |
| Consistency | Gel |
How we picked the best wheel cleaner
Prices vary in this field, although you don’t need to spend a lot for good results. As we’ve discovered with our test, wheel cleaners produce very similar results, only with minor differences. That being said, Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel did the best job out of the lot.
If you address the cleanliness of your wheels every once in a while, you may need a more intensive cleaner. A dedicated fallout remover may be extreme and smell appalling, but it cannot be beaten for deep-cleaning alloys. And because wheels come in all shapes and materials, it’s always the safest best to opt for a pH-neutral wheel cleaner which won’t damage the delicate surface or anything within. Luckily, most quality wheel cleaners on offer are pH-neutral. If your tyres could do with a freshening up, some tyre cleaner might be a great idea as well in order to keep them black.
For heavily soiled wheels, use a wheel brush and a barrel brush to scrub with in order to loosen and remove any particularly stubborn grime. We used a small Bilt Hamber wheel brush and a set of microfibre barrel brushes to scrub the alloys with. We recommend using a car dryer to blow away the water after your hard work afterwards. To protect your hard work, you can apply a wheel sealant or protector to the wheels after having cleaned them.
What we look for in the best wheel cleaner:
Cleaning abilities – Not all wheel cleaners are made equally. Some will clean grime and serve as a fallout remover, others will focus on just the one. Which one you want depends on preference; combined options often provide better value for money but arguably are less effective than dedicated examples. The ability to clean thoroughly is equally important.
Application – Most wheel cleaners will take the form of a spray. As alloy wheels swell in size, getting a wide coverage from the nozzle is the difference between good value for money and needing a new bottle each time wash your wheels.
Smell – Usually a nice-to-have, we’ll warn you now that any fallout remover will absolutely honk.
Compatibility – Most modern wheels will be made with alloy metal and happily accept all wheel cleaners easily. However, aluminium, magnesium, chrome, and even carbon fibre wheels are all used for wheels, and you should always ensure your chosen wheel cleaner is compatible. Ideally, you’ll want a pH-neutral wheel cleaner as it won’t have the strong acids and caustic properties that ruin wheel finishes.
How we test alloy wheel cleaners
Equipped with a bucket full of wheel brushes and a pressure washer to blast away grime, I embarked on the task of cleaning a variety of dirty cars. I followed the instructions on each product bottle to apply it to a dirty wheel, then used dedicated wheel brushes to scrub it clean before rinsing it off with water. I evaluated each product based on its performance, price, ease of use, and scent, and assigned it a ranking accordingly. You can read more about how we test products here.
Recent updates
August 15th 2024: Ryan Gilmore added the Turtle Wax Colour Shift Wheel Cleaner following testing. Checked availability and updated.
June 21st 2024: Ryan Gilmore added Meguiar’s Ultimate Waterless Wheel & Tire following testing. Checked availability and updated prices.
April 30th 2024: Aaron Hussain added Chemical Guys Sticky Citrus Wheel Cleaner following testing.
Aaron Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He is obsessed with classic cars and anything with a fascinating story to tell.
Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tools Editor for Parkers, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. A veteran car cleaner; if it details, waxes or washes, he’ll be on hand to make sure it’s worth your money.
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