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Alright, who has the line on the best brush for cleaning wheels?

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17K views 32 replies 25 participants last post by  Zeichen311  
#1 ·
Need some forum help - what's the best wheel cleaning brush you've come across and why?

Seems as though every wheel cleaning brush is sub optimal in a major way.

Two examples:

1) Griots Garage wheel brush
Pros: Good handle for grip, straight design of the bristle shaft, good reach and coverage from the bristles.
Cons: Literally has sharp, twisted metal at the tip of the brush - I had to put a rubber stopper on it to keep using it; bristles are pretty stiff and aggressive.

2) Chemical Guys wheel brush
Pros: Nice, fluffy brush portion, no risk of damage from the bristles, pretty good coverage
Cons: Handle is slim and hard plastic so it is hard to grip, especially with soap on it; the shaft is bent which literally makes it almost impossible to get the brush to the back of the wheel barrel without smacking into the front of the rim with the hard plastic shaft.

I mean really, who designs these things???

Very simple in my opinion. Provide a soft, wide grip for the handle with a straight shaft housing microfiber or similar bristles, long enough to reach the back of the wheel barrel and with no hard parts anywhere to hit the finish. Is that really too much to ask??
 
#5 ·
Need some forum help - what's the best wheel cleaning brush you've come across and why?

Seems as though every wheel cleaning brush is sub optimal in a major way.

Two examples:

1) Griots Garage wheel brush
Pros: Good handle for grip, straight design of the bristle shaft, good reach and coverage from the bristles.
Cons: Literally has sharp, twisted metal at the tip of the brush - I had to put a rubber stopper on it to keep using it; bristles are pretty stiff and aggressive.

2) Chemical Guys wheel brush
Pros: Nice, fluffy brush portion, no risk of damage from the bristles, pretty good coverage
Cons: Handle is slim and hard plastic so it is hard to grip, especially with soap on it; the shaft is bent which literally makes it almost impossible to get the brush to the back of the wheel barrel without smacking into the front of the rim with the hard plastic shaft.

I mean really, who designs these things???

Very simple in my opinion. Provide a soft, wide grip for the handle with a straight shaft housing microfiber or similar bristles, long enough to reach the back of the wheel barrel and with no hard parts anywhere to hit the finish. Is that really too much to ask??
Based on similar experiences above, IMHO an old kitchen sponge still works the best with just plain old soap and water. Just need a bit more time and patience to get the wheels clean. I've grown tired of chasing some magic brush and wheel cleaner.
 
#6 ·
For years ago, I purchased two brushes from another brand that appear identical to the EZ Detail Brushes. They work fairly well on our Carrera Sport wheels (except after track days, which is where they are used), but not so much on our street use Turbo wheels. The Turbo wheel spoke configuration is fairly intricate with small openings, preventing me from thoroughly cleaning behind the spokes, although it might be a different story with smaller hands. So more often than not, I generally remove both sets of wheels for cleaning and that makes the task so much easier.
 
#12 ·
EZ detail brush is decent, until the little end cap gets lots, and then, like the others mentioned above, its twisted metal end is perfectly designed to scratch wheels. Dedicated sponge and one of these microfibre gloves works for me. Of course the Carrera Sport wheels make cleaning the barrels a cinch...YMMV....
 
#9 · (Edited)
This set of three on Amazon is my favorite construction, but I wish they didn’t get shorter as they get skinnier. Amazon.com
BTW there’s less room between the calipers and the barrels on my A6 which is trickier than the boxster. Haven’t tried the Microfiber madness Incredibrush FLAT because of the price.

Edit see below I found a brush that fits much better
 
#10 ·
You'll probably need three. A little detail brush/paint brush style, and a wheel barrel brush, preferably bendy. I just get whatever is inexpensive on Amazon for these until they wear out. As far as the third, I like my Adam's wheel face brush. Soft and durable and makes for a quick clean if you are just doing a maintenance wash. I have their tire brush also but it's bristles are very stiff so I am careful with it. I like that they are coated in rubber.
 
#17 ·
I find that a large but soft and flexible microfiber sponge cleans the wheel faces better than any brush (while still not taking more than about 2 minutes per wheel). A wheel wooly or similar is what you want for the barrels. The wheel woolies are expensive, but they are more long lasting than copy cat brushes on Amazon. I also used to apply wax to the wheel, until I discovered C5 Wheel Armor (ceramic coating). Waxing takes forever and it wears off in a month or two. Applying C5 to a clean wheel takes about 6 minutes and it lasts for 6 months or more (although it does cost considerably more than wax).
 
#18 ·
Hopefully this link will help. This the package I use on Bumblebee which, along with the pressure washer mentioned in another thread, makes life easy.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Hey guys and girls, before I pull the trigger on the WoollyWormit I have one question that I've not seen answered in this thread. Will the WW fit between the wheel barrel and the break caliper of a BGTS? Thanks!
 
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#22 ·
Was going to order the Incredibrush, but 20$ to ship was a turn off. 70$ for a wheel brush seems a bit excessive. There were a number of similar options on Amazon once I knew what I was looking for.
And, I have to admit that the Chemical Guys brushes were my goof - apparently they have both straight and bent handle versions and I accidentally ordered the bent version. I don’t think the straight brushes would be bad aside from the fact that the handle is the same on both versions and too narrow and hard plastic making the grip challenging.
 
#23 ·
I use the Barrel Blade (Amazon). The other brush I tried didn't fit between the front caliper and wheel. The wider part of the microfiber cover reaches the spot behind the spoke. May not be as useful with larger wheel sizes or styles, but it works very well for the 18" Boxster wheel.
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#25 ·
Here’s what I found that works best for the barrels - fits nicely between the caliper and 18” wheel. I bend one of the ones I posted above in a right angle to get behind each spoke as well, but this bottle brush style is the ticket for the barrels.
 
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#26 ·
I've stayed away from the bristle type wands, not because of fear of damage, but they kick so much black liquid all over my shirt. And my face. I've tried being careful. Now I have a designated car wash t shirt now from these!

My soft wash mit-like wand (like many shown) recently unravelled and I replaced it with a bendy dense foam-like one. I'm not a huge fan. Appreciative for some of the other suggestions.
 
#28 ·
I’ve been using a multi step process on my wheels lately…Esoteric Wheel Brush to clean the barrels, followed by using the Esoteric Car Wash Sponge (I cut it in half) to clean the outside rim, spokes, and center. And then I have a small detail brush to help get in and around the bolts and pressure stem. Definitely makes the worst part of washing a car easier and faster!

Also, a ceramic coat (I’ve had good success with Gyeon Rim) really helps keeping dirt and brake dust from sticking, and a pressure washer helps to get most of it off before even using any brush/sponge/towel.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Ooops - dbl post sorry, my computer did not refresh this page.

I use a Woolly Wormit which is great for the barrels and has a handle option that is used for cleaning the wheel bolts / holes and the valve stem. Brush covers are replaceable. I also use generic bendable brushes to get behind the spokes and where they meet the barrel and wheel hub; small detailing brush for the small angles of the wheels and a larger wheel brush for the tires and outer part of the wheel.

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WoollyWormit - The Original
 
#30 ·
#31 ·
Meguiars supreme angled wheel brush. Nothing better to reach the crevices and back side of the rims. Supper fluffy and non abrasive as well. Worth the price.



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