4 Color Changing Wheel Cleaners go Head to Head

[SYMAWD]

First up is 1Z Einszett ColourTec Wheel Cleaner which is $0.53 per ounce when bought in a 5 liter container. Here is the product description: "Transform your wheels from dirty to clean

Acid-free wheel cleaner for all wheel types

Turns from clear to purple as it works

Makes cleaning hard-to-reach areas easy



1Z Einszett ColourTec Wheel Cleaner makes wheel cleaning easier! This powerful wheel cleaner requires little-to-no scrubbing! It is safe for all wheel finishes. Formulated with German-bred technology, 1Z Einszett ColourTec Wheel Cleaner quickly cuts through heavy brake dust buildup with ease. ColourTec turns from clear to purple as it releases brake dust`s hold on your wheels.

1Z Einszett ColourTec Wheel Cleaner was designed in Germany to remove the heavy accumulation of brake dust that German sports sedans are known for. Because many European sedans are outfitted with delicate or aftermarket wheels, ColourTec does not rely on heavy acid`s or caustic detergents. 1Z Einszett ColourTec Wheel Cleaner provides immense cleaning power, yet is safe for anodized, polished aluminum, chrome, painted, and powder coated wheels (including matte finishes)! If it works on German brakes it will work great on any car!

As soon as you spray 1Z Einzett ColourTech Wheel Cleaner onto your wheel it goes to work. It quickly dissolves the iron content of the brake dust, releasing the dust`s hold on your wheel. Gentle cleaners emulsify the remaining dirt and residue. 1Z Einszett ColourTec Wheel Cleaner`s powerful action makes cleaning hard-to-reach areas such as behind the spokes or in the lug recesses easier. Allow 1Z Einszett ColourTec Wheel Cleaner to turn purple then rinse from the surface forcefully, revealing the clean wheel you deserve."

For all tests, a normal hose was used, not a pressure washer and all directions were properly followed. All of the wheel was agitated with a CG goat`s brush and an EZ-Detail mini. One section of the wheel was not agitated to test the cleaner`s rinsing only performance. Prices may vary based on sales or promotions, but all are calculated at their normal prices. Wheels were slightly wet as it rained last night.


The test vehicle is a 2011 VW Routan, with aftermarket pads and rotors so not quite the levels of normal VW brake dust.

Here is the wheel that ColourTec was tested on:




Sprayed on:




All agitated but one section:



Rinsed off:


After full agitation:


Next up is SURF CITY GARAGE PROFESSIONAL ACTIVE WHEEL CLEANER PLUS which is $0.59 per ounce when bought in a gallon size. Here is the product description:
"Active Wheel Cleaner combines the powerful brake dust melting power of a wheel cleaner with the tire scrubbing power of a high quality degreaser, allowing you to clean both surfaces with just one product. Alkaline detergents remove old tire dressings and road grime from rubber while active particles attack and melt away brake dust. The color-changing formula turns red so you know the job is done.

Directions:


Never spray the cleaner on to a hot surface or allow it to dry.
(1) Spray Active Wheel Cleaner Plus on to a cool, dry wheel.
(2) Scrub tires first with a stiff bristle brush.
(3) Allow cleaner to activate on wheels, as indicated by color change.
(4) Agitate wheel face with a soft brush.
(5) Rinse thoroughly to remove residues."

To start:


Sprayed on:


Doesn`t cling too well despite being foamy:


Agitated:


Rinsed:


Fully agitated:


Next up is Adam`s Deep Wheel Cleaner which is $0.47 per ounce when bought in a gallon size. Here is the product description: "Adam`s Deep Wheel Cleaner is the ultimate way to remove stubborn brake dust and metallic contamination from your wheels. The thick formula clings to wheel surfaces and allows the european derived formula to melt away the stubborn brake dust commonly left behind by many of todays high-performance braking systems. The color changing formula lets you know its working, turning to a deep purple as it activates and does the hard work for you.


Best of all Adam`s Deep Wheel Cleaner is safe for all wheel finishes. So whether you have factory clear coated wheels, aluminum, powder coat, or paint the highly effective cleaning solution will remove the stubborn brake dust, but will never harm your wheels. Saturate the wheel with Adam`s Deep Wheel Cleaner and allow the color changing formula to activate. Next agitate the surface with an Adam`s Boulder Blonde Wheel Brush, then rinse away the residues to reveal a deeply cleaned wheel.


With active cleaning agents and advanced surfactants the formula is perfect for cleaning away the worst, most baked on brake dust commonly found in the barrel of your wheels. Simply spray on, allow the cleaner to activate, and then agitate using one of Adam`s Turbo Sticks or Wheel Woolie Wheel Cleaning tools (sold separately).


Adam`s Deep Wheel Cleaner is great for more than just wheels too! Have a light colored paint job like white or silver? Then you`ve no doubt noticed the little orange iron particles that stick to your paint. Adam`s Deep Wheel Cleaner can be sprayed on these little trouble areas and used to dissolve the iron from these surfaces as well.


Adam`s Deep Wheel Cleaner is guaranteed to be the best wheel cleaner you`ve ever experienced!"

To start:


Sprayed on:


Oddly almost no color change despite a few spots:


Agitated:


Rinsed:


Fully agitated:


Lastly IronX which is $0.92 per ounce when bought in a 4 liter size. Here is the product description: "The only way to truly remove these damaging particles is with a dedicated iron remover like Iron X. Iron X opens up the paint`s pores to flush out iron particles and to neutralize the caustic compounds that have developed as a result of the particle. In one step, you can eliminate the cause and its effects.
Iron X is completely safe and and effective on both automotive paint and safely cleans clear coats. Iron X is also highly recommended for all clear coated alloy wheels. Brake dust and road grime become baked onto wheels over time. Brake dust contains high levels of iron and can quickly pit clear coated wheels. When you use a product like Iron X, you’re able to stop the corrosion in its tracks.
Manufacture’s Note: Iron X should not be used on bare metal parts, brake calipers, wheel balancing weights, or SMART paint repairs. Mask off these areas. Avoid letting Iron X dry on any surface.
Iron X is easy to use and you can see it working! Iron X is a clear solution in the bottle but it turns purple when it comes into contact with sintered iron particles. Iron X turns the iron into a water soluble complex for easy removal. After five minutes of dwell time, wipe down the surface and rinse thoroughly. After using Iron X, you can polish and clay your vehicle as you normally would. After your car is prepped properly, it has a perfect surface to be coated with CQuartz Paint Coating.
Proper vehicle care with Iron X means taking care of your investment above and below the paint`s surface. Iron X Iron Remover removes iron particles and their effects to keep the paint clean and healthy. "

To start:


Sprayed on:


IronX had the most color change:



Agitated:


Non agitated section:


Rinsed:


Fully agitated (this wheel got stuck in the mud once, hence all of the scratches):


Now for the weird part. Adam`s Deep Wheel Cleaner had just about no color change, yet Iron X had a lot of color change, yet both performed equally as well on the non-agitated sections. I then sprayed Iron X on the wheel cleaned with Adam`s to see if it would change colors and here is the result after a few minutes.

Absolutely no change:


It appears Adam`s managed to be just as effective with very minimal color change.

In order of performance based on my testing I would say:

1 (Tie). Adam`s Deep Wheel Cleaner and CarPro Iron X
2. 1Z ColourTec
3. SCG Professional Wheel Cleaner Plus


Which would I buy again: Adam`s as it smells the least, is nearly half the price of Iron X and is paint safe despite the name.

[Audios S6]

Thank you for the thorough review. Couple questions:

Did all rinse away freely or did one outperform/underperform?

Is this your own vehicle and have you noticed a difference in resoiling if any from a particular brand? (I say this because I have found a few wheels cleaners (not necessarily iron specific) that resoil very easily despite appearing to rinse free.

Did any appear to leave gloss enhancers that may have made one wheel appear cleaner/more shiny to a layman?

[SYMAWD]

Thank you for the thorough review. Couple questions:

Did all rinse away freely or did one outperform/underperform?

Is this your own vehicle and have you noticed a difference in resoiling if any from a particular brand? (I say this because I have found a few wheels cleaners (not necessarily iron specific) that resoil very easily despite appearing to rinse free.

Did any appear to leave gloss enhancers that may have made one wheel appear cleaner/more shiny to a layman?

All took a good amount of rinsing, but Iron X seems to take the least amount of rinsing as it foams the least. In terms of rinsing away brake dust, Iron X and Adam`s did the best job. It`s my parent`s car, so I still see it everyday and none seem to cause resoiling to occur faster. All appear equally as clean and none advertise that they contain any sort of gloss enhancer.

[PA DETAILER]

Great review. How did the rash happen on the one wheel?

[campngolf]

Another excellent review. Thanks for all the effort to share your results. I think I know which one I`ll be trying next.

[SYMAWD]

Great review. How did the rash happen on the one wheel?

On the Adam`s wheel it was a curb (my fault) and the Iron X wheel was in some very thick mud full of dirt, rocks, branches, etc. (not my fault, but I got to clean all the mud off).

[The Guz]

Nice review. I was not impressed with Adams or SCG wheel cleaner. I was impressed with Meguiar`s DUB wheel cleaner. You may want to give that a try sometime.

[XxBoostinxX]

Nice review . I am not a huge fan of using IronX on wheels. It might just be me, but sometimes it doesn`t seem as effective as true wheel cleaners. One i would like to recommend is Griots Garage Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner. It`s my favorite out of all I have tried. Has a really strong cherry scent and changes color as well.

[SYMAWD]

Nice review . I am not a huge fan of using IronX on wheels. It might just be me, but sometimes it doesn`t seem as effective as true wheel cleaners. One i would like to recommend is Griots Garage Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner. It`s my favorite out of all I have tried. Has a really strong cherry scent and changes color as well.

AFAIK Iron X only attacks iron and no other cleaners to attack other dirt and grime that can be found on wheels.

[Pats300zx]

Fantastic review !!! Thanks for putting that together.

[Ronkh]

Cool review

thanks

[EVOlved]

Nice comparo review!

That said the 2 you liked the most weren`t they both used on the rear wheels? Which on my car see about 1/2 the brake particles as the front. And it looks to me they all did there job well, so it would really just come down to price and preference no?

[SYMAWD]

Nice comparo review!

That said the 2 you liked the most weren`t they both used on the rear wheels? Which on my car see about 1/2 the brake particles as the front. And it looks to me they all did there job well, so it would really just come down to price and preference no?

Adam`s was on the front and Iron X was on the rear, but as you can see from the before pictures, all were pretty much equal in terms of dirtiness. SCG definitely required the most agitation and ColourTec worked well, but I put it lower on the list than Iron X and Adam`s as its no-agitation performance was not very good. Iron X and Adam`s had the best no-agitation performance.