Review of SONAX Wheel Cleaner

[ES_TRADER]

So i used SONAX for the first time yesterday...cost about 25 bucks with shipping included for one very small bottle and i have to say that this was a COMPLETE WASTE of time and money for me. This is supposed to save time and create ease but in fact, it took me more time and was just a hassle.

background: car hasnt been washed for 4 weeks. wheels were dirty but not as soiled as ive seen them before. heres what they looked like before


First impression was the bottle was small but i thought maybe it would take just a little bit to clean...so ok.no biggie.

My main reasonings for getting this was i wanted to shave time off cleaning my wheels and get the inner rim where dust was caked on...because my hands cant get in there to scrub.

Well, i have to say that this product definitely works, BUT it doesnt really make life easier....I still had to use my brush and mit to scrub and get inbetween the spokes...it didnt completely take off all the dirt...maybe about 70%....On top of doing my regular routine of brushing and wash mit, I had to take time to spray the stuff on and rinse off....I used more than half the bottle for just 4 wheels, so in that respect, this stuff is expensive...but the kicker is that finally after all was done and washed, it left this purple stain on my concrete and had to spend another 3o mins washing down my driveway....I dont mind the price, but when you pay money, you need convenience or added value...SONAX just gave me More work and wasted more time....in addition to using it, I still had to scrub my wheels by hand (i wanted to avoid as much of this as possible by getting this product since the reviews i read people said they just sprayed on and rinsed off)...so in the future, ill just skip the sonax and stick to my brush and mit....at least i can remove 3 extra steps.

i think it will be extremely effective if your wheels are lightly soiled, but if your wheels are barely dirty, then washing it with soap and mit would just be as effective in terms of cost and time.

[Stormtroooper]

i love SONAX wheel cleaner and i've never had a problem with it. I just spray it on, let it sit for 5 minutes and rise off, of course if you have neglected your wheels for a while and haven't washed them, you will have to use a brush.

JIZZ from a god wouldn't even take off caked brake dust....

[donovan]

Lmao....

[speedfreak81]

IMHO, there is simply no such thing as a true "spray on, rinse off" wheel cleaner, some agitation is going to be needed. Sorry you had a bad experience, I'll continue using it an loving it.

Brian

[gthal]

I think your expectations were a little high but I understand why given comments you read. Having said that, there is no safe wheel cleaner that won't require come agitation on dirty wheels. Also, if you use a wheel sealant, using a wheel cleaner (other than regular auto soap and water) will reduce the durability of sealant dramatically.

For me, I only use a wheel cleaner when I am doing a spring cleaning that is then followed by sealant. The rest of the time, just soap and water because whether I am using soap or a dedicated wheel cleaner, some agitation with a brush is almost always needed.

[andrew270681]

Originally Posted by gthal

I think your expectations were a little high but I understand why given comments you read. Having said that, there is no safe wheel cleaner that won't require come agitation on dirty wheels. Also, if you use a wheel sealant, using a wheel cleaner (other than regular auto soap and water) will reduce the durability of sealant dramatically.

For me, I only use a wheel cleaner when I am doing a spring cleaning that is then followed by sealant. The rest of the time, just soap and water because whether I am using soap or a dedicated wheel cleaner, some agitation with a brush is almost always needed.

Very well said!

I have citrus based mag wheel cleaner which i dilute and use it from time to time but it use a wheel brush to get into the hard to reach places.

[Templar]

You were expecting too much...

I've used it a few times recently and as a new user I love it.

Nothing in the world is going to be spray on/rinse off on wheels, especially the ZCP wheels. Those little curves and crevices just collect dirt and dust. If you leave it there for two weeks it'll cake on and you need a brush to agitate it.

This stuff is good enough to get the majority of the stuff off of the wheels with just a simple rinse, but if you have any amount of caked on dust, then you need a brush. Sorry you were looking for an easy way out, but keeping a clean car appears to be a tough job! I just washed my wheels yesterday and they already have some dirt on them after driving it 15 miles to work...

[ES_TRADER]

u guys are right...i was expecting more...But i have a bad back and so the less i have to bend down and crouch, the better...with the spray, i had to crouch lower to spray it...hose it, and then go back and crouch down to scrub...whereas before i had to crouch down once to get each wheel...so, having had to bend down and scrub after using the sonax, i might as well just scrub it without it in the first place...but thanks for the comments...just my take...but i do see how people who use this stuff can really like it...it has a cool factor

[kmarei]

i've had a similar experience with it
you still need the brush the hell out of the wheels
and i was willing to put in the effort to brush that much, i don't really need anything but soap
i did like this brush though
because of it's length, each stroke rubs off a lot of brake dust
http://www.detailersdomain.com/uberspokebrush.aspx

[dirtyfreebooter]

Originally Posted by richpuer

u guys are right...i was expecting more...But i have a bad back and so the less i have to bend down and crouch, the better...

Not being stupid, because I wish I had one, but what about a garage lift to lift the wheels to your height without bending over :-) I hate bending over just to spray the wheels!

[ksoze]

Does it really stain concrete driveways?

[J BONE]

Originally Posted by richpuer

u guys are right...i was expecting more...But i have a bad back and so the less i have to bend down and crouch, the better...with the spray, i had to crouch lower to spray it...hose it, and then go back and crouch down to scrub...whereas before i had to crouch down once to get each wheel...so, having had to bend down and scrub after using the sonax, i might as well just scrub it without it in the first place...but thanks for the comments...just my take...but i do see how people who use this stuff can really like it...it has a cool factor

Going to be hard not to scrub the wheels unless you wash every few days, depending on mileage of course. I tend to use soap and water as much as possible but do have to scrub a little. Maybe try and wash the wheels a little more. Seems obvious but I understand the back issue!

[J BONE]

Originally Posted by ksoze

Does it really stain concrete driveways?

Not sure about this stuff but the P21S wheel cleaner and some of the CG wheels products do. Another reason I tend to stay away from the them as much as possible. I personally don't think all these wheel cleaners are needed unless you neglect your wheels that much. Just my .02 of course


Edit: I will say that I do use these products from time to time. I find that I use them in the winter once or twice since IL seems to think that salt is king when it gets cold!

[speedfreak81]

Also, in an effort to save your back I would recommend getting some type of a rolling stool so you can sit while you work on the wheels. Simple tools like this make the job MUCH easier. Remember.....work smart not hard.

Brian

[TTG]

I just got mine and used it on very lightly dusted wheels that have been sealed 200 miles prior.....

Sonax did not do any more magic than P21S or any other cleaner out there.... I still had to use a brushes to get my wheels looking perfect. Using this product did not save me any time.

Here is my quick post:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showpos...7&postcount=22

[ES_TRADER]

Originally Posted by ksoze

Does it really stain concrete driveways?

It left this purple residue. My driveway isn't smooth concrete. It's got texture to it and I had to wash the driveway and flush out as much as possible. Won't know for sure till next week as I'm at my other house during weekdays so I'll find out later. Since I washed at night I couldnt tell. Just stood there hosing it for a while.

[ES_TRADER]

Originally Posted by robackja

Not being stupid, because I wish I had one, but what about a garage lift to lift the wheels to your height without bending over :-) I hate bending over just to spray the wheels!

I am planning this actually also for oil changes. But instead of a hydraulic lift, I may have them dig a ditch or a hole underneath so I can stand up in there. Kinda like when u go to drive thru oil change stations. But it may be a bitch to get approvals thru the city for this type of remodeling.

[ES_TRADER]

Originally Posted by speedfreak81

Also, in an effort to save your back I would recommend getting some type of a rolling stool so you can sit while you work on the wheels. Simple tools like this make the job MUCH easier. Remember.....work smart not hard.

Brian

You are absolutely a million times right about this. I did use a chair halfway thru when my back gave out but it didn't have wheels. Going to buy one at pepboys beforethe next wash.

[BZTR]

Just try this Ace TurboStick and your wheel cleaning experience will be changed forever

[Sean@PYSpeed.com]

Originally Posted by BZTR

Just try this Ace TurboStick and your wheel cleaning experience will be changed forever

this thing looks pretty cool!

[tlp]

Why don't you nip it in the bud. Get some clean low dust pads like Hawk HPS.

[Templar]

Yea, it definitely sucks if you have a bad back. My dad can't do that kind of stuff anymore because of his back and shoulder.

Anyway, I really don't think there's a perfect solution out there meaning just spray on and rinse off and bam it's clean. The OEM pads seem to generate a lot of dust. Being that my car is still new (only 4k miles), I don't want to spend money on new pads just yet... Perhaps when they are getting worn and close to that time to replace them I will, but now it's just not feasible. The ZCP wheels are just a bitch in general too.

Hope you can find more luck with this.