It will seldom take you more than one wipe to make the solution work. Once it dries, the product leaves a long-lasting corrosion-resistant coating. The formula doesn't have a harsh scent to it. The solution gives the surface water-repellent properties for up to a full year.
The handle is a little impractical.
There's very little that AL-NEW Aluminum Restoration Solution won't be able to do for you restoration-wise. What's more, you will not need any additional prep work to make the formula work its magic. Fast, effective, and practical, you can't really go wrong with this one.
Restorer
Liquid
Aluminum, anodized aluminum, fiberglass, other painted metal surfaces
No harsh scent
16 fl. oz.
32 fl. oz. available too
Amazon's 30-day return policy
The shine is as suitable for tires as it is for rims and wheels in general. It allows you to quickly and safely wash the salt away. Though the solution is powerful, it does not damage your wheels. The shine clings to wheels, giving very little runoff. It is completely safe on high-end braking systems, exhaust tips, and calipers.
It takes a while for it to fully dry out.
CarGuys WCG-18OZ is a successful product for a very good reason. It doesn't cost that much more than its underwhelming counterparts. It is much safer than the rest of them. It doesn't just make your wheels look good but also keeps them in a top-notch condition.
Wheel cleaner
Gel (Spray)
Alloy, aluminum, chrome, clear-coated, painted, polished, Plasti Dip, safe on all wheels
Acid-free, Non-toxic, pH balanced
18 fl. oz.
128 fl. oz. available too
Amazon's 30-day return policy
The formula is able to quickly and easily remove dirt and brake dust, including baked-on brake dust, from most wheel surfaces. Since the formula is pH balanced acid-free, it is perfectly safe for all wheels, including aluminum and alloy surfaces, as well as painted, anodized, clear-coated, and powder-coated wheels.
The solution doesn't last very long.
Sonax 230241 is all about making wheels in general and barrels, calipers, and tires in particular look as good as new. It is a well-balanced product with many redeeming qualities. Plus, it is probably the most environmentally-friendly solution on the list.
Wheel cleaner
Liquid (Spray)
Aluminum and alloys, steel, painted, anodized and clear-coated metals, safe on all wheels
Acid-free, pH balanced, environmentally-friendly
16.9 fl. oz.
16.9 fl. oz. (6 pack), 169.1 fl. oz., 845 fl. oz. available too
Amazon's 30-day return policy
The cleaner is able to strip away grime, stains, and oxidation without actually harming the metal. The formula's just as good at removing lime deposits and many other nasty imperfections. On top of that, it is biodegradable and overall environmentally-friendly.
The cleaned surface won't always look even.
Star Brite Ultimate Aluminum Cleaner & Restorer will work wonders for people looking to restore their boats and similar watercrafts. It isn't really the most versatile product on the market right now but the solution does its job better than just about any other product out there.
Cleaner/restorer for pontoon boats, Jon boats, and canoes
Liquid (Spray)
Unpainted aluminum surfaces
Sprayer included
64 fl. oz.
Amazon's 30-day return policy
This is a spray-on solution. You don't have to rinse it off. You don't have to scrub the solution. It will be able to dissolve grime and brake dust without damaging your chrome/alloy wheels and/or rims. You can dilute the solution with water 7 to 1 and it will be able to remain just as effective.
The cleaner doesn't have a shine to it.
With Chemical Guys CLD_107, the price is what really makes the biggest difference. On paper, this is more or less your average aluminum cleaner. However, it is much cheaper than your typical cleaner. Considering the price, this is a great product that should be able to make do more often than not.
Wheel and rim cleaner
Liquid
Alloy, aluminum, chrome, clear-coated surfaces
Non-hydrofluoric acid formula, no harsh scent
128 fl. oz.
16 fl. oz. available too
Amazon's 30-day return policy
Bringing That Luster Back
AL-NEW Aluminum Restoration Solution isn't really all that new and it doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table. However, it might just be the most overall effective solution on the market today. With its help, you'll be able to remove chalky oxidation as well as bring your valuable investments' shine and luster back. The biggest difference is that it will seldom take you more than one wipe to make the formula work its magic.
It will let you restore different patio furniture pieces, decorative fixtures, signs, garden sheds, railings, door handles, mailboxes, hinges, gates, fences, garage doors, the list goes on.
Once it dries, the solution leaves a long-lasting corrosion-resistant coating that protects the surface from, you guessed it, corrosion. The formula doesn't have a harsh scent to it. On top of everything else, the solution gives the surface water-repellent properties for up to a full year.
All in all, it is very practical. The only issue we have isn't really with the formula but the bottle. Though it is more or less convenient, the handle isn't necessarily too comfortable and practical.
To put it a little differently, there's very little that AL-NEW Aluminum Restoration Solution won't be able to do for you restoration-wise. What's more, you will not need any additional prep work to make the formula work. Fast, effective, and practical, you can't really go wrong with this one.
Keeps Your Wheels Nice and Safe
CarGuys WCG-18OZ is a wildly successful product even by the company's relatively high standards. As far as we can tell, the key to it is the solution's effectiveness and a touch of versatility. Unlike most tire shines, this substance works just as great for rims and wheels in general.
Most people have no idea how corrosive the road with all of its elements is to their car. Take salt, for example. Looks harmless enough, right? Well, despite its harmless appearance, salt eats away at your wheels, damaging protective clear coats and quickly creating rust spots.
With this water-based solution, you'll be able to quickly and safely wash that salt away. Apart from salt, this tire shine is just as effective against grime, dirt, grease, brake dust, and just general road tar.
Though the solution is really robust and powerful, it does not damage your wheels. You can use it on alloy, aluminum, anodized, chrome, painted, polished, clear-coated, and plastic-dipped rims and you won't do a shred of damage to them, aside from making the rims look fresh and striking.
The shine clings to wheels, giving very little runoff for tremendous cleaning power. It is completely safe even on the most expensive, high-end braking systems, exhaust tips, and calipers.
To rephrase our earlier point, CarGuys WCG-18OZ is a successful product for a very good reason. It doesn't cost that much more than its underwhelming counterparts. It is much safer than the rest of them. It doesn't just make your wheels look good but also keeps them in a top-notch condition. Plus, it leaves no mess behind.
Doesn't Leave Dirt a Chance
As far as we're concerned, Sonax 230241 doesn't really have any major flaws. The only thing we have against it is that the standard 16.9 fl. oz. bottle doesn't really last for all that long. But, considering that it doesn't really cost that much either, we can't really hold it too much against the product.
All things considered, it is a particularly effective, acid-free, and pH balanced rim and wheel cleaner. The product's powerful formula is able to quickly and easily remove dirt and brake dust, including baked-on brake dust, from just about any wheel surface.
It is clear at first. Then, the solution turns red, loosening brake dust and dirt from the wheel surface. Since the formula is pH balanced acid-free, it is perfectly safe for all wheels, including aluminum and alloy surfaces, as well as painted, anodized, clear-coated, and powder-coated wheels.
The solution does not deteriorate clear coats. Despite its effectiveness, it doesn't scratch the surface. More often than not, the product will be able to bring white walls and lettering back to their former glory.
Simply put, Sonax 230241 is all about making wheels in general and barrels, calipers, and tires in particular look as good as new. It is a well-balanced product with many redeeming qualities. Plus, it is probably the most environmentally-friendly solution on the list.
Doing Its Job
According to the people behind it, Star Brite Ultimate Aluminum Cleaner & Restorer has been specifically formulated for aluminum and, better than your average aluminum cleaner, is able to strip away grime, stains, and oxidation without actually harming the metal. Well, we can't say that the product is necessarily unique in that regard. But it is definitely up there as far as the overall effectiveness and safety are concerned.
Having said that, the solution isn't necessarily the most versatile option on the market today. It works wonders for unpainted aluminum surfaces but doesn't really work that well with other surfaces.
There aren't too many products that will be able to do a better job cleaning and improving the overall appearance of different aluminum pontoon boats, Jon boats, canoes and, again, other unpainted aluminum surfaces that haven't been able to maintain their initial color and luster.
It isn't just about the dirt, grime, (waterline) stains, and oxidation. The formula's just as good at removing lime deposits and many other nasty imperfections. On top of that, it is biodegradable and overall environmentally-friendly.
In other words, Star Brite Ultimate Aluminum Cleaner & Restorer will work wonders for people looking to restore their boats and similar watercrafts. Again, it isn't really the most versatile product on the market right now but the solution does its job better than just about any other product out there.
The Price Makes the Difference
Chemical Guys CLD_107 is ridiculously cheap and we're not talking about its quality here. On the contrary, considering the price tag that the product comes with, it is extremely effective and overall impressive.
Sure, it isn't necessarily flawless. It cleans well and does an excellent restoring job but the solution doesn't bring that shine and luster back as well as its more expensive competition. Other than that, however, we don't really have any major complaints.
First and foremost, this is a spray-on solution. You don't have to rinse it off. It doesn't have a harsh scent to it. You don't have to scrub the solution.
More often than not, it will be able to dissolve grime and brake dust without damaging your chrome/alloy wheels and/or rims. The non-hydrofluoric acid formula makes sure the surface comes out looking clean and unharmed. The product excels at safely removing brake dust, oxidation, oil, dirt, and grease.
Lastly, you can dilute the solution with water 7 to 1 and it will be able to remain just as effective. This way, the bottle should last you for a long time.
All things considered, with Chemical Guys CLD_107, the price is what really makes the biggest difference. On paper, this is more or less your average aluminum cleaner. However, it is much cheaper than your typical cleaner. Considering the price, this is a great product that should be able to make do more often than not.
What Is an Aluminum Cleaner?
Aluminum is great. It is a durable metal. It is very light. The chemical element has a particularly high strength-to-weight ratio. We can talk about how well it is usually able to resist rust and corrosion. We could mention its electrical and thermal conductivity as well as reflectivity, ductility, and its impermeable and odorless composition.
But it's not like aluminum doesn't have its flaws too. Among other things, like its disposition towards severe spring back, aluminum is susceptible to oxide coating and many other elements that ruin its surface. That is exactly where these aluminum cleaners come in.
Using these products, you'll be able to quickly and easily remove dirt and brake dust. More often than not, these cleaners make it possible to strip away grime, stains, lime deposits, and oxidation without actually harming the metal. The best aluminum cleaners are able to work, among other surfaces, with painted, anodized, clear-coated, and powder-coated wheels. However, they do have their own little differences, so make sure to carefully read the reviews.
Now, while you're at it, might as well grab one of these tire shines to go with the cleaner. Or you can go in a different direction and pick up a new glass cleaner.