Keeping your ride looking clean and fresh can be a tedious and involving task, especially when it comes to the wheels. While any car exterior is prone to getting dirty from being exposed to the elements, the wheels are typically the first victims as they often attract brake dust and other road grime.  That’s because as you regularly drive and use your brakes, constant friction and heat cycles shave down brake pad material, which converts into dust. This dust easily sticks to wheel surfaces, making for ugly appearances.

Thankfully, washing it all off isn’t particularly difficult with the right products. With a regular regiment, wheel cleaning can mostly be a spray-on and rinse-off affair. Wait too long, and the brake dust can eventually begin to cake up in layers, requiring physical agitation and scrubbing. 

We reviewed some of the best spray-on wheel cleaners one can buy to keep those exterior rolling bits looking spick and span.

Besides the fact that Meguiar’s is a household name in the world of car care products, we love how easy it is to use their Ultimate All Wheel Cleaner. It’s a simple matter of spraying the product, watching the foaming solution turn purple and then rinsing off with a garden hose. There’s no need for any hard physical labor, though some agitation or scrubbing might help speed up the process or aid in getting some of the tougher stains in the tighter corners. On top of our own appreciation for this product on our personal rides, thousands of customers voiced their satisfaction with this wheel cleaner as well.

Turtle Wax is another household name in car care products. But being on the more affordable side, the brand is also known for value. That’s especially the case with their T-18 All Wheel and Tire Cleaner. We love its potent formula, which we found makes it the most effective for even the toughest stains, more so than many of its competitors. Nothing beats helping the process with a little scrubbing. But very little is needed with Turtle Wax T-18. Though beware, customers noted that it can damage custom wheel finishes in the reviews if not used carefully.

Known for their complete and comprehensive car cleaning and detail kits, the Chemical Guys also produces one of the best wheel and tire cleaners money can buy. It comes as a concentrated formula, so you’ll have to dilute it to make the best of the solution—six parts water to one part Diablo Gel as per the instructions. But its oxygen-infused and pH-balanced formula makes it one of the most effective and safest cleaners to use on all wheel finishes.

Have a slick set of rims with custom finishes or paint jobs? Known for being especially kind to those with plasti-dipped wheels, Car Guys special formula works best for those who need a good cleaner that won’t damage those sensitive surfaces. Though because of its less aggressive solution, it isn’t as effective against tough stains as some of its competitors. But that’s easily remedied with a little scrubbing.

High-end German cars are notorious for quickly dirtying their wheels from brake dust. Being a German-based car care product manufacturer, Sonax isn’t any stranger to this habit and thus created one of the best wheel cleaners on the market. Like Meguiar’s, it has a color-changing formula, providing users with a visual aid to prove that the solution is doing its job. Once all is said and done, simply rinse it off and enjoy a clean finish. 

Bestselling Wheel Cleaners on Amazon Sponsored Sale Bestseller No. 1 4,427 Reviews Adam’s Wheel & Tire Cleaner 16oz - Professional All in One Tire & Wheel Cleaner Use W/Wheel Brush & Tire Brush | Car Wash Wheel Cleaning Spray for Car Detailing | Safe On Most Rim Finishes ✅ ELIMINATES DIRT, BROWNING, AND BRAKE DUST - Which part of your car takes the biggest beating? Your wheels & Tires! Between the heat, elements, and constant brake contaminants your wheels are almost immediately dirty. Adam’s Wheel & Tire Cleaner is a specifically formulated chemical designed to target heavy brake dust and restore your tires back to factory color.✅ SAFE ON MANY FINISHES - Safe on clear-coated, powder-coated, chrome, alloy, and painted wheels. Most wheel cleaners can be harmful to your wheel finish and dissolve more than what you wanted to clean off! 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Adam's Wheel & Tire Cleaner contains a blend of alkaline-concentrated solvents and surfactants to create a high sudsing formula and removes silicones, greases, wax build-up, polymers, and any previously applied dressings to leave your tires and wheels looking new. $14.99 −$2.25 $12.74 Buy on Amazon Partner Offer Bestseller No. 2 Adam's Rolling Wheel Detailing Stand - Wheel & Tire Car Detailing Roller for Wheel Cleaning, Ceramic Coating, Applying Tire Shine & Car Wheel Wash | Garage Accessory for Detailers Perfect for Ceramic Coating/Protecting WheelsHelpful with Deep Cleaning/Polishing of WheelsAssembled Dimensions: 23"L x 15"W x 36"H $182.99 Buy on Amazon Partner Offer Bestseller No. 3 4,425 Reviews Adam's Wheel Cleaner 16oz - Tough Wheel Cleaning Spray for Car Wash Detailing | Rim Cleaner & Brake Dust Remover | Safe On Chrome Clear Coated & Plasti Dipped Wheels | Use w/Wheel Brush ✅ WHY CHOOSE ADAM’S WHEEL CLEANER? - Which part of your car takes the biggest beating? Your wheels! Due to constant heat, elements, & constant brake contaminants, your wheels are almost always dirty. Adam’s wheel cleaning chemical formula was specifically formulated to target & eliminate heavy brake dust and leave your wheels spotless!✅ ADVANCED CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY - Our Wheel Cleaner was made to compliment your arsenal of car cleaning supplies. Every basic auto detailing kit needs an effective wheel cleaner, car wash soap, tire shine, & some sort of paint protection. This state of the art wheel cleaner is a simple spray & agitate formula. This chemical is certain to be the best wheel cleaner and brake dust remover that you have ever used.✅ CAR CLEANING MADE EASY - Most wheel cleaners can be harmful to your wheel finish and dissolve more than what you wanted to clean off! Adam’s Polishes Wheel Cleaner gets to work fast and dissolves stubborn metallic contamination. Simply spray our Wheel Cleaner & watch as the brake dust bleeds bright purple & falls off! This acid-free and pH neutral formula penetrates dirt and grime at the source and makes your wheel cleaning time significantly shorter! $16.99 Buy on Amazon Partner Offer Bestseller No. 4 Stoner Car Care Pro B548PL Concentrated Wheel and Tire Cleaner - 5-Gallon Concentrated, heavy-duty, non-acidic formula for wheels, rims, tires, and enginesPowerful formula quickly cuts through tough road grimeFor automatic or self-service equipment $99.95 Buy on Amazon Partner Offer Bestseller No. 5 Wheel Cleaner | Brake Dust Remover | Rim Cleaner for Car Wash Detailing Wheel cleanerbrake dust removerrim cleaner $14.99 Buy on Amazon Partner Offer Bestseller No. 6 Eagle One Tire Shine and Wheel Cleaner Combo, 4-Piece Car Care Kit, includes Wheel & Tire Foam, Tire Shine Spray, and 2 Reusable Tire Sponges Eagle One 4-Piece all-in-one tire and wheel car care kit includes: 16 oz. bottle of Wheel & Tire Foam, 16 oz. spray bottle of Tire Shine, and 2 reusable tire shine spongesRestore your tires back to black while helping to remove brake dust, grease, and grime from both tires and rims with Wheel & Tire FoamGive your tires an instant, radiant-black shine with Tire Shine Spray; the water-resistant satin finish lasts for weeks without slinging or dripping $19.97 Buy on Amazon Partner Offer Bestseller No. 7 Hot Wheels Car Care HWBUKET Bucket Car Detailing Kit (1) HOT WHEELS CAR CARE BUCKET KIT PROM $72.56 Buy on Amazon Partner Offer Bestseller No. 8 Premium Wheel /Rim Cleaning Brush Long Soft Bristle,Car Wheel Brush,Rim Tire Detail Brush,Multipurpose use For Cleaning Wheels,Rims,Exhaust Tips,Motorcycles,Bicycles, Grills,Engine (CCS-001) 【17“ LONG HANDLE CAR WHEEL BRUSH】Large Size Car Wheel brush,engine brush,wheel care,enough length for easily exploring and reaching into the lug nuts, narrow or tight space.【MULTI-PURPOSE USE】Fits for Car duster, Trucks, Motorcycles, Bicycles, RVs, Boats, Wheels, Rims, Spokes, Grills, Engine Bays, Exhaust Tips, Bumpers, Vents and much more【SUPER SOFT】The brushes are firm enough to remove dirt and grime but soft enough to not leave scratches or swirls on your wheels or paint $10.39 Buy on Amazon Partner Offer Bestseller No. 9 SOYS 2 Pcs Car Wheel Rim Brush Kit, 1PCs Wheel Rim Brush, Car Cleaning Brush Fiber Rod Sets, Steel Ring Fiber Cleaning Brush, Long Handle Cleaning Brush, Great to Clean Dirty Tire 【ERGONOMICAL DESIGNE】Brush handle designed ergonomically, provide comfortable grip. Preferred by car collectors and professional detailers. Make cleaning your wheels and rims a breeze. They are easy to maneuver even in tight places【EASY TO USE】There is no need for the high pressure washer anymore, just a bucket of water, together with our brush kit and soap, you can return your wheels and rims to their original luster.【CLEAN THE SPOTS HARD TO REACH】The long easy reach rim tire brush, with bending and 16.9 inches length, flexible to clean the hard to reach areas. $22.99 Buy on Amazon Partner Offer Bestseller No. 10 Ethos Wheel Cleaner - Car Wheel Cleaner Spray - Brake Dust, Iron Remover - Color Change Technology - Professional Strength Formula (Gallon) BRAKE DUST DISSOLVING TECHNOLOGY: Spray Etho’s Polishes Wheel Cleaner and watch as the brake dust bleeds bright purple and falls off! This acid-free and pH neutral formula penetrates dirt and grime at the source and makes your wheel cleaning time significantly shorter!COLOR CHANGING GEL FORMULATION: Ethos wheel cleaner spray and watch as the color changes from green to red as the brake dust bleeds right off the wheel surface! This acid-free and pH neutral formula penetrates brake dust easily and effectively, minimizing the time spent cleaning and scrubbing your wheels.SAFE ON MANY FINISHES! Safe on clear-coated, powder-coated, chrome, alloy, and painted wheels. Most wheel cleaners can be harmful to your wheel finish and dissolve more than what you wanted to clean off! Ethos Wheel Cleaner gets to work fast and dissolves stubborn metallic contamination. $59.96 Buy on Amazon Partner Offer

Whether it be cleaning your car’s exterior or the wheels alone, there’s no shortage of exterior car care products out there. While we tested five of the most popular wheel cleaners available, all of them can get the job done reasonably well. Most wheel cleaners sold in stores offer spray-on and rinse-off solutions. But nothing beats giving your wheels some good old classic tender loving care in the form of scrubbing and polishing—especially to avoid hard-to-clean deposits and caked-on grime

For partnership inquiries please reach out to us at partnerships@forbeswheels.com