Do any of these spray-on products make it easy to keep your rims looking their best? Alloy wheels have become a chic and elegant fashion statement on today’s cars. They’re light, strong, and stylish. But their open-spoke design, which exposes the brakes behind them, can allow brake dust and road grime to accumulate quickly. That’s more than ugly, particularly if you drive in wintry conditions; road salt can cause corrosion, pitting, and permanent damage to those expensive wheels. A number of spray-on, hose-off wheel cleaners are sold with claims that they make it easy to maintain your rims. Some claims even say that no scrubbing is required, so you won’t have to get your hands dirty. But our tests of five such cleaners found that none was very effective without applying some elbow grease and that all required the use of a soft brush to get the best results. The products usually come in a pump bottle or aerosol can, but they don’t come cheap. We paid $4 to $7 for 23- or 24-ounce bottles of Armor All Extreme Wheel & Tire Cleaner, Eagle One A2Z All Wheel & Tire Cleaner, Meguiars Hot Rims All Wheel & Tire Cleaner, and Mothers Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaner and $7 for a 16-ounce can of Black Magic Foaming All Wheel Cleaner.

These wheel cleaners will typically provide three to four washings for all four wheels. We also found that when we used a brush, none of the tested wheel cleaners did a better job than a less-expensive all-purpose cleaner. Toilet Drain Leak RepairThe one we tried, Zep Industrial Purple Cleaner & Degreaser Concentrate, is available at home centers for about $10 a gallon. Mini Cooper Half Car Cover(Dilute this cleaner before use.)6 Volt Automotive Led Light Bulbs Putting them to the test We used a number of employee vehicles with dirty wheels to assess the effectiveness of the cleaners. We first applied each one according to directions but without brushing to see which worked well when simply sprayed on and hosed off. Before and after each cleaning we collected dirt samples on clean cloths and measured the soil level using a colorimeter.

Next, we tried each cleaner with a brush. When used without brushing, none resulted in clean wheels, but we found the Eagle One, Meguiars, and Mothers cleaners to be the most effective. (Performance from these three products was similar.) The Armor All product was less effective, and the Black Magic was the least effective. Keep in mind that some labels recommend eye and hand protection when using the product and advise against breathing its fumes. Since you need to scrub and come in close contact with the cleaners, you really should heed the warnings. All of the products are labeled as all-purpose wheel cleaners, which are safe for use on any type of rim. That’s important, since some cleaners are formulated for a specific type of wheel and can damage the finish on others. Consult your car’s owner’s manual for specifics. What we tested (in performance order) Eagle One A2Z All Wheel & Tire Cleaner Meguiars Hot Rims All Wheel & Tire Cleaner Mothers Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaner

Armor All Extreme Wheel & Tire Cleaner Black Magic Foaming All Wheel Cleaner View and compare all Car wax ratings. View and compare all Tires ratings.Choose from cars, safety, health, and more! Build & Buy Car Buying Service Save thousands off MSRP with upfront dealer pricing information and a transparent car buying experience. Get Ratings on the go and compare while you shop Add 5 items to this month's delivery to unlock extra savings on other eligible items. Add 5 items that arrive in the same month to unlock savings on thousands of other eligible items. No commitments, no obligations, and shipping is FREE. Special Shipping Information: This product may not be available for 1 or 2 day shipping due to federal regulations that require it to ship via ground ship methods only. This product can only be shipped within the 48 contiguous states.DetailsMothers 05212 California Gold Chrome Polish - 12 oz. Add-on ItemFREE Shipping on orders over $49.

DetailsMothers 05146 PowerCone Metal Polishing Tool FREE Shipping on orders over $49. 2 x 5 x 11 inches #5,219 in Automotive (See top 100) #16 in Automotive > Car Care > Tire & Wheel Care > Wheel Care #284 in Automotive > Wheels & Tires #316 in Automotive > Car Care > Exterior Care > Cleaners 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Item can be shipped within U.S. See all 65 customer reviews See all 65 customer reviews (newest first) Best chrome clearner I've every used on my chrome wells! You won't be disappointed with this product! Man made cleaning my wheels a lot more easier! Not much to say. Does not work on chrome rums that have break dust.The break dust remind after spraying and letting it set. I sprayed with high pressure hose also. wasn't spray on, spray off. But only took a little brushing to get good results. Best I've found so far. Leaves a lasting beautiful shine on my Chrome Wheels. not a great product, bcz dust remains on the wheel

Mothers products are the best Left my wheels clean! See and discover other items: professional car wax, mothers wheel aluminum cleaner, professional auto detailing suppliesChrome wheels are among the most popular aftermarket additions people make to their vehicles. It�s easy to see why. Clean, polished chrome wheels have a mirror finish that attracts attention. To keep chrome wheels looking good, a little regular maintenance is in order. First of all, it helps to know what you�re cleaning and polishing. Chrome is a very soft metal. It�s used to coat other metals because of its beautiful finish. But you�ll never see anything made entirely of chromium because it just wouldn�t hold up well. However, because chrome is relatively soft, it responds very well to polishing. Your elbow grease will be rewarded with incredibly shiny, reflective chrome wheels (or exhaust tips, trim, and any other chrome surface). Brake dust is made of an adhesive and carbon fibers that come off the brake pad and tiny metal shavings from the rotor.

The intense heat and friction generated by the wheels makes this mixture highly corrosive. Because you probably drive every day, more brake dust is constantly being made. Frequent cleaning is the only way to keep your wheels safe. Again, chrome is soft. Brake dust can penetrate and pit chrome wheels in no time. You have to keep them clean and protected in order to maintain their shine. We recommend cleaning the wheels before washing your vehicle. Cleaning wheels first will prevent brake dust and dirty water from splashing onto a clean car. All the tiny contaminants that stick to your vehicle�s body also stick to the wheels. Add brake dust on top of that. Detailing clay is a fantastic tool for removing embedded contamination from wheels. BLACKFIRE Poly Clay Bar - Aggressive Grade works especially well for claying wheels. The good thing about this product is that you have a clearly labeled jar so it�s less likely you�ll confuse the wheel clay with the regular detail clay you use on the paint.

You should not mix them up once you've used the clay bar on wheels! Always avoid cross-contamination between wheels and paint. Always use wheel detailing clay after cleaning the wheel but before polishing or waxing. Choosing a metal polish for chrome is interesting. Chrome wheels technically are coated but they�re coated with metal. It�s not quite the same as being coated with clear coat or paint. Chrome is tougher than that. Many metal polishes that can be used on aluminum or steel can also be used on chrome. It�s just a matter of reading the label to determine if a product is safe on chrome. *Note: Plastic chrome wheels or plastic chrome trim is not real chrome! The same rules do not apply. Plastic with a chrome finish should be treated like plastic, not metal. Optimum Metal Polish, 3M Chrome and Metal Polish, and Wenol Blue are all excellent choices for polishing chrome. Chrome can tarnish and rust, unlike clear coated alloy, so these polishes are equipped to remove oxidation.

For the best results, apply metal polishes to the wheels with a polishing tool, such as Mothers PowerBall Mini MD or the Flitz Polishing Ball. Both will give you the consistent speed and power needed to effectively polish wheels. Once your chrome wheels are clean and dry, apply a quality wheel protectant like or to seal the wheel surface. These products work just like car wax. Apply them with an applicator pad and then buff the wheel. They keep your wheels looking shiny, and they prevent brake dust adhesion. These products dry clear, like a wax, so they will not diminish the shine of chrome wheels. Your wheels look cleaner longer. You have to reapply these products weekly, but it�s better than scrubbing your wheels every two days. The good news is, if you use a wheel wax as recommended, water is the only thing you need to clean your wheels between waxings. Choose your tire dressing carefully. Old-fashioned tire dressings contain silicone, which produces a glossy shine but they turn brown over time.