Wheel Polishes Tested

It’s time to ditch the winter dirt from your wheels with one of these polishes. We see which shines brightest

Auto Express Car Reviews

March 2010

Cleaning grubby wheels is one of the toughest valeting jobs, so why not make it easy on yourself by using a polish?

A few minutes spent applying one of these specialist coatings slows the build-up of brake dust. And then, when it is time to clean up, the grime comes off more easily – often requiring little more than a blast with a pressure washer.

There are all manner of treatments around, from polishes to pastes and coatings. Which will protect and preserve your wheels? We tried 12 through the harshest winter in years to find out.

The Test

First we wanted to check how effective each polish was at keeping brake dust and road grime at bay. We applied each to sections of the front wheels on our test car, leaving some areas untreated to provide a control. Muck build- up was regularly checked over four weeks’ driving. We then blasted each section with a hose for five seconds and assessed how easily the grime was removed.

Hard waxes are used at a slower rate than liquid treatments. We took this into account when factoring in cost, although this played a relatively small role in the verdict. None of the prices here includes delivery costs.

Verdict

Tough winter weather meant all our products had a hard time. Mer Wheel Wax is our winner, though. It works well, slowing dust build-up and proving quick to wash down. Easy-to-clean Angelwax is our hard paste pick, and Collinite’s No.845 completes the podium.

Top 3

Mer Wheel Wax
Angelwax
Collinite No.845 Insulator Wax

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2 Comments

Wrong title

These aren't wheel cleaners, they're wheel waxes and sealants.
The wheel needs to be clean before they're applied.

By Littl on 9 March, 2010, 9:41pm

The title says wheel polishes tested, not sure where wheel cleaners come into the above reply, the following report suggests that the products above tested, assist with subsequent wheel cleaning.
Pity the MER wheel wax is not avaialble at Halfords, I would like to try some but loath postage costs.

By detailer on 5 April, 2010, 9:31pm

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