Best wheel cleaner for 2021 – Roadshow [CNET]

Your car’s wheels are like a pair of shoes: They can complete the look. Naturally you want to take care of them, but wheels are quickly covered with brake dust, dirt, grime and other muck your car meets when driving. Have no fear, because Roadshow is here with what we recommend as the best car wheel cleaners on the market (based on our hands-on experience). Read on for our picks and some handy wheel-cleaning tips.

How to get wheels clean and keep them clean

• Use enough cleaner: You may need more of less of a specific cleaner depending on the product. Typically, the more premium cleaning products will do a better job with less. But if you find results aren’t really what you’re looking for, try spraying a little more.
• Scrub the wheel: Honestly, it’s really tough to find a cleaning product that’s a true “spray on, rinse off” deal. That’s especially true with seriously dirty wheels caked in dirt, road grime and brake dust. So, do some scrubbing and work that cleaning product in!
• Separate buckets: Don’t clean your wheels and wash your car with the same water. That’s a great way to mix contaminates and won’t do any favors for your wheels or the car’s paint.
• Try a power washer: High pressure water will blast brake dust and dirt off wheels with ease. It’s a game changer with the right wheel cleaner and pressure washer.

Rock wheely clean wheels

Any of our top picks will leave you with sparkling clean wheels. Follow our tips to give your car a proper and clean look.