Best Wheel Cleaners for Professional Car Wash Owners

Vehicle wheels can be a pain to clean. They’re frequently exposed to all sorts of road debris that cakes and sticks on their surface, making them extra difficult to wash. Car washes that don’t pay special attention to wheel dirt, especially the baked-on brake dust, deliver partially cleaned or completely unclean wheels, leading to customer frustration and dissatisfaction.

Differentiate your facility from competitors by choosing the best wheel cleaners and the proper car wash chemicals that will make your wheel cleaning services stellar. We’ve prepared a list of the six best auto wheel cleaners available on the market today to make your selection more straightforward. 

6 Best Auto Wheel Cleaners

These are the top six auto wheel cleaners you can leverage to deliver pristine-like wheels to your customers. 

1. Rainbow Tire Cleaner

The Rainbow Tire Cleaner is a high pH cleaner designed explicitly for in-bay and self-serve car wash models. Its high alkalinity means it effectively breaks down organic contaminants through saponification, turning even the toughest of road oils and grease into easily rinsable compounds.

As a phosphate-free cleaner, it delivers squeaky-clean wheel finishes and doesn’t harm the environment. This earns you extra quality points with eco-conscious clients and simultaneously reduces your carbon footprint.

2. Quick Shot™ Wheel Cleaner

If you run a hand-detailing operation, you might want to consider adding the Quick Shot™ Wheel Cleaner to your product arsenal. Its pH-balanced formulation is safe for all wheel finishes, including delicate clear coats and polished surfaces. Furthermore, the Quick Shot™ Wheel Cleaner is compatible with all car wash models, from the conveyor and in-bay to self-serve and specialty.

3. Double Mint Foamy Tire & Engine Cleaner™

Designed for in-bay and self-serve car wash systems, the Double Mint Foamy Tire & Engine Cleaner™ is a highly concentrated wheel cleaner. This means it contains a higher percentage of active cleaning ingredients and tackles tough road grime with less product, making it cost-effective.

This cleaner is also high foaming. It generates thick foam that adheres to the nooks and crannies of a car wheel longer. As a result, its degreasing agents deeply penetrate organic and inorganic grime for a spotless finish, even with minimal agitation from wheel brushes. The refreshing scent isn't just a gimmick — it's a detail that customers notice and appreciate.

4. Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner

The Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner is another excellent product to check out if you're in the market for alkaline wheel cleaners. It's formulated for CTA systems and pressurized sprayers and, as such, adapts to a variety of in-bay setups. This flexibility makes it one of the best auto wheel cleaners for in-bay car wash operations looking to streamline and better manage product usage.

The Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner has a concentrated formula, meaning a little goes a long way, promoting cost-efficiency. It comes in various sizes, from 2.5 gallons to a massive 275 gallons. The diverse sizes allow you to start with a smaller size and observe results before you go all in.

5. Maximum wheel cleaner

The Maximum Wheel Cleaner is a must-add to your collection if you constantly handle vehicles with severely dirty wheels. It has a low pH and is highly concentrated, making it particularly effective at breaking down inorganic contaminants like brake dust, salt, and industrial fallout. The effective cleaning action against inorganic road grime makes it a powerful cleaner for vehicles with ceramic brake pads. This is because although ceramic brake pads produce less brake dust, the little dust generated strongly adheres to the wheel surface.

The Maximum Wheel Cleaner first loosens and then encapsulates contaminants. This prevents spotting issues and streamlines rinsing. It’s safe for all wheel types but is specifically designed for conveyor car wash applications.

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6. Performance Wheel Cleaner

Some vehicle owners, especially high-end and exotic car owners, are super serious about their vehicles' aesthetics. The Performance Wheel Cleaner delivers the attention-to-detail clean they desire. It’s one of the best wheel cleaners for painted wheels.

This high-pH cleaner is precisely engineered to deliver a powerful clean, focusing on whitening and brightening whitewalls and raised white lettering. Moreover, it’s incredibly versatile and can be used in conveyor, in-bay, self-serve, and specialty car wash systems. This wheel cleaner is NPE-free, meaning it's eco-friendly.

How to Choose a Wheel Cleaner

To stock the right options for your car wash needs, consider:

• The pH Level (Cleaning Strength): There are two categories of wheel cleaners — high pH and low pH. This chemistry dictates both cleaning efficiency and wheel integrity. Alkaline cleaners, like the Rainbow Tire Cleaner, excel at dissolving organic contaminants. Their alkaline chemistry turns these materials into easily-rinsable, soap-like compounds. Acidic cleaners work well with inorganic contaminants like brake dust. Check pH levels during your selection process to ensure proper cleaning strength.  
• Car Wash Model: Car wash models dictate wheel cleaner requirements. For example, automated tunnel car wash systems require fast-acting formulations due to a vehicle's minimal dwell time in the tunnel. Touchless systems require chemically aggressive products to compensate for the reduced mechanical action.
• Wheel Type: Different wheel types react differently to cleaning agents based on their composition. For instance, aluminum wheels contain microscopic pores that absorb harsh chemicals, and using a high-pH wheel cleaner would trigger discoloration. Get a primary, versatile wash soap, and complement it with specialized cleaners to cater to all wheel types.
• Product Packaging: Some wheel cleaners, particularly gels, are packaged in squeeze bottles, while foamy ones come in wheel-cleaning spray bottles. Since the packaging directly influences the ease of product application, prioritize it during selection.

Use the Best Wheel Cleaning Products in Your Business

Modern wheel designs feature complex spokes, deep barrels, and various design finishes that trap brake dust, road grime, and corrosive elements. Standard wheel cleaners cannot penetrate these nooks and crannies, leaving customers dissatisfied.

Quality wheel cleaners effectively penetrate these surfaces, yet they do not require much agitation. So, while investing in professional-grade wheel cleaners might feel costly upfront, doing so translates to long-term benefits such as increased customer retention and word-of-mouth referrals.

AP Formulators offers a diverse range of carefully formulated wheel cleaners like those discussed earlier. We also offer custom formulas in case you need a specific blend. Contact us to discuss the best wheel cleaning products for your car wash operations or request a free sample.