Review: Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus

Hey Fellas,

I just started using Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus over the weekend on my Ferrari. I thought I'd post a little bit of a review for people looking into wheel cleaners.

A little background: Up to now, I have been using Meguiar's Hot Rims All-Wheel Cleaner. It's in a purple bottle, it's like $6 at AutoZone. Have used it for years - will probably continue to use it on other non-F Cars in my fleet. On my Ferrari, I probably drive it about 250 miles between cleanings, including fully cleaning my wheels (inside and out, fronts and backs). I never dismount the wheels - they stay on the car (because removing them just to clean them is CRAZY). I have a selection of 4 different brush types that I use to agitate the brake dust on my 360.

The product I purchased is here:
Amazon.com: Sonax (230241) Wheel Cleaner Plus - 16.9 fl. oz.: Automotive

1. Price: It's expensive for a bottle of wheel cleaner - about $20 for 16.9 fl. oz. But, that's OK - a little bit seems to go a long way. You don't have to spray and spray and spray endlessly to coat the wheels.
-Side Note: I purchased this specific product because it claims to be acid-free.

2. Application: Your wheels should be DRY. The spray comes out clear, it looks just like water. Spray the entire front face of the wheel and inside the barrels of the wheel if possible - evenly. I probably used about 10 pumps of the sprayer per wheel. The solution doesn't run or trickle down the wheel. Once it's in place, it stays there and gets to work. I did NOT spray any on my tires.

3. Wait: The instructions say to let the cleaner work for 2-4 minutes. I timed each wheel out to 4 minutes, then started the cleaning process. The instructions also say the solution will turn red. It does. By the way, this stuff smells really strong. So, spray it and walk away for a while. The odor can be a bit much - smells very "metallic."

4. Cleaning: The instructions say you can hose it off. That didn't work well enough for me, so I started back at the application stage after drying the wheel. So, I sprayed the Sonax, waited, and returned to the wheel with my assortment of brushes. I will say that the amount of brake dust removed by my brushes seemed to be greater than ever before. It seemed to find hidden brake dust in the wheel barrels, and around the various calipers. A very nice level of clean. So, I brushed using all of my tools, and finished with a LOT of rinsing. Rinsed each wheel for at least 2 minutes. The brake rotors looked pretty awful, so I wiped those down as well. I dried the wheels with air (because it's the best). As I was rinsing my brushes while cleaning each wheel, it looked like they were bleeding - red fluid was squeezing out of them.

Even after the wheels were dried, a few drops came off of the rotors and left black puddles on the wheel barrels, so I had to wipe those spots again.

Overall, it's a really good product, and I'll continue to use this on my Ferrari. I would recommend this because it is very effective and seems to bring out an extra "brightness" in the standard painted alloy wheels. I'd say that the main drawbacks are: price, availability (I can't source this stuff locally), and odor. I wish someone had warned me about how strong the odor can be, so beware.

I'll save the expensive stuff for the F-car, and go with the AutoZone type stuff for my other cars!!!

Some pics of the finished process.
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