Review: Best Alloy Wheel Cleaner

Cleaning your alloy wheels is a great way to restore their shine and quality. Like with everything though, to do a good job, you need the right tools. 

Let’s be honest, not many people are well educated regarding the best and worst alloy wheel cleaners, it’s not something we have to think about very often. Read on to discover the best option for you. 

What do I need in an alloy wheel cleaner?

In an alloy wheel cleaner, you need a reliable solution which achieves the highest level of cleanliness by breaking down dirt, grease, brake dust, and road debris. However, you need a carefully created cleaning solution which doesn’t damage the alloy or reduce its lifetime at all. 

Thankfully, most wheel cleaners are designed to find that sweet spot between wheel cleanliness and alloy damage, but we would always recommend reading up on any product you opt for to ensure it’s not going to damage your wheels in any way. 

Some cleaners are too harsh for uncoated wheels for example, so if your wheels are not coated, then that cleaner won’t be for you. Others are crafted using eco-friendly ingredients which, whilst not necessary for cleaning, is important if you’re looking to do your bit for the environment. 

If you are unsure exactly what kind of alloy wheels you have, we would recommend looking for a pH neutral wheel cleaner, as this removes any risk that you will use a substance corrosive to your alloys. 

More acidic wheel cleaners will actually strip the wheel of wax, giving them a completely thorough clean (but of course don’t use this if you don’t want to strip the wax!). 

How expensive are alloy wheel cleaners? 

Alloy wheel cleaners are generally not too expensive. Depending on what your preference is, and your budget, we’d say you will be looking anywhere from £5-£20 for a bottle of wheel cleaner. 

This price range is based on smaller bottles of wheel cleaner, usually around 500ml. Prices can extend to £50+ on higher volumes of the cleaners, but it is unlikely you’ll need to invest in these volumes if you are just cleaning your own alloys. 

There are also some cleaners which extend beyond £20 for the 500ml mark. If you have the money to spare and want to absolutely guarantee the greatest possible results, then it’s worth giving these a try. However, cheaper cleaners are likely to do just as good a job, at a fraction of the price. 

Where can I buy an alloy wheel cleaner? 

You can buy alloy wheel cleaners from almost anywhere. If you’re looking online, Amazon has a lot of good deals and a wide range of choices. 

If you want to buy a cleaner in store, your best options are places like Halfords, Screwfix, B&Q, but you will even find some good options in supermarkets like Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

Best Alloy Wheel Cleaners?

To give you a few different options at different prices, here is a list of some of our recommended alloy wheel cleaners: 

Turtle Wax Colour Shift Wheel Cleaner is an excellent lower-budget option that will deliver great results for your alloys.

This product is eco-friendly and uses a pH balanced formula, making it suitable for all types of wheel. You can even use this product on wheels with damage such as scratches or scuffs, as the pH neutral base won’t cause any corrosion. 

Another brilliant option is Bilt Hamber BH-AW1 Auto Wheel Cleaner. Although this product is on the slightly pricier side sitting at £17.49 from Amazon, this pH neutral cleaner provides a no-touch solution to alloy wheel cleaning.With this cleaner, you just spray the solution onto your grubby alloys, let it sit for a minute or two, then rinse the dirt away.

This product also has a pleasant banana smell, as opposed to many competitors which smell very strongly of chemicals. It is important to note that this product should not be used on plastic wheel components, but for alloys, it’s perfect!

If value is what you’re looking for, then look no further! Halfords Wheel Cleaner costs only £5.00 and does a good job of cleaning wheels. This easy-use, and effective cleaner is ideal if you’re looking for a quick job of renewing the shine on your wheels.

If you want to guarantee the best results, it might be a good idea to opt for a slightly more expensive cleaner, but Halfords wheel cleaner will likely give you the results you need. 

Hopefully you now know what to look for in an alloy wheel cleaner, but for more information, don’t hesitate to contact us!