Aluminum alloy wheels are incredibly popular for their trendy designs and chromed finishes. These light, strong and stylish rims are used on the majority of cars and motorcycles, but maintenance isn’t always easy.

  • Brake Dust. Accumulates on aluminum alloy wheels within no time, causing them to have a dirty appearance.
  • Road Grime. Really stands out on chromed aluminum rims, making it difficult to keep your car or bike looking it’s absolute best.

Fortunately, you can keep your wheels looking like new with the best aluminum wheel cleaner products. We’re going to make it easier than ever for you to find the best aluminum rim cleaning products by sharing the best products currently available on the market.

Top 6 Aluminum Wheel Cleaners Chart

PictureNameAcid-BasedPriceOur Rating (1-5)
Picture
Name
Acid-Based
Price
Our Rating (1-5)
1. Lane's Car ProductsYes$$$$4.5
2. Sonax Wheel CleanerNo$$$4.4
3. TriNova Wheel CleanerNo$$4.4
4. Kevian Clean Car Wheel CleanerNo$$$4.3
5. Wheel Cleaner by CarGuysNo$$$4.3
6. Meguiar's Hot RimsNo$4.2

Tips for Keeping Your Wheels Clean

Maintaining the appearance of your tires and rims is of utmost importance if you want your car to shine. Simply applying the best aluminum wheel cleaner every few months isn’t enough to really get the most out of your wheels. We’re going to share a few wheel cleaning tips so you can have wheels that look brand new every single day.

  • Use the best wheel cleaner for your specific type of wheels. Make sure you don’t use an acid-based cleaner on painted rims or you risk peeling the paint and damaging the exterior coating.
  • Never place your cloths and cleaning brushes directly on the ground. This could result in dirt or tiny rocks getting lodged in the cloth or brush, ultimately scratching the aluminum as you clean the wheels.
  • For optimal results, wash your car and clean your wheels a minimum of once per month. Going extended periods of time without cleaning your wheels will cause heavy build-up of oil, residue and grime, making it difficult to clean.
  • Use appropriate brushes for cleaning the rims of your car. Invest in wheel brushes that specialize in doing just that for a damage-free cleaning experience.

Top 3 Best Aluminum Wheel Cleaner Reviews

1. Lane's

If you have unpainted wheels that require a strong acid-based cleaning product, you’re going to love the Lane’s New Aluminum Wheel Cleaner. This is one of the strongest aluminum wheel cleaners available with commercial-grade ingredients.

Beware when using this wheel cleaner, as it’s not meant for all aluminum wheels and should be used with caution due to the strong acidity. This wheel cleaner is not sold in stores and is considered the number one acid-based aluminum wheel cleaner among professionals.

This strong wheel cleaner gets rid of heavy grime buildup, brake residue and even rust without having to scrub. For optimal results, slightly dip your cleaning brush in this product and apply at small doses. The Lane’s New Aluminum Wheel Cleaner is definitely one of the best products in the industry!

2. Sonax

The Sonax (230200-755) Wheel Cleaner is an affordable product that provides amazing results. This rim cleaning product is excellent for use on high-end aluminum rims, painted alloy and steel rims as well.

As an acid-free wheel cleaner, you won’t have to worry about causing any damage when using this product. One of the really amazing things about this wheel cleaner is that the product turns red as grime and dirt is penetrated, allowing you to know when to scrub it off.

For best results, apply this spray onto the rims and wait roughly 10 minutes. In most cases, you will be able to remove all of the dirt and grime with a power hose. However, you may need to use a wheel brush to scrub off excess grime. This Sonax Wheel Cleaner is among the best aluminum wheel cleaner products on the market.

3. TriNova

The Wheel Cleaning Gel by Trinova is another excellent product for keeping your aluminum wheels looking their best. This spray is tough on stains and easily removes dirt, grime, brake residue and more.

One of the best benefits of this wheel cleaning gel is that it offers on-going protection for several weeks after being applied. This gentle, yet highly effective acid-free wheel cleaner is suitable for all wheel types including wheels with painted surfaces.

If you’re looking for an outstanding wheel cleaning spray that offers amazing versatility and effectiveness, you’re going to love the Trinova Wheel Cleaning Gel. Simply apply this gel, wait roughly 2 minutes, remove the grime with a brush and rinse to display your beautiful rims in all of their glory!

WRITTEN BY

Garrett

I grew up working on my own cars and motorcycles and 15 years later I love still getting my hands dirty.