I recently bought a MINI Cooper S and the wheels were covered in break dust, both the brown dust and the black particles. I cleaned them with both soap and wheel cleaner, but the dust wouldn't come off. I read online about someone using EasyOff Grill Cleaner on wheels and tried it out. The first time I sprayed it on , I wiped it off immediately to test to see if it damaged the wheel finish, it took all the brown dust off, so I sprayed more on and let it sit for 30mins. I then got a tooth brush and scrubbed the wheels. Everything that wasn't a scratch or curb rash came off and the wheels look like new. I have cleaned wheels for years and have yet to find anything that even comes close. If you decide to try it , wear gloves and work in a well ventilated area . I bought the fume-free version and it worked great.

 

I have heard that the clear coat that Mini uses is very hard but I am wondering on what the PH of the Easy-off is, base or acid, and how it would impact the coating. I would think on an aluminum wheel that is not coated it might leave some white spots.

For a one time cleaner on a neglected set of wheels it may be a great find.

 

What kind of wheels and color did you use it on? The fume free version is less harsh than the original so anyone trying this should keep that in mind. When I used the fume free on an actual oven it didn't work as well as the original formula.

 

Not saying that Easy Off doesn't work, because I haven't tried it, but that seems super harsh to me.

Personally, I use Meguiar's Wheel Brightener diluted in a spray bottle and have had fantastic results.

For cars with really baked on brake dust, I find it's all clear after a couple of washes. If you're detailing a friend's car, you might not have that kind of time, or opportunity, but Easy Off seems really harsh and caustic.

 

I've been using oven cleaner on my wheels for a few years and not just on my MINIs. I only use it a couple times a year when I take the wheels off the vehicle to clean the hell out of them. I've used it on aftermarket wheels as well as s-lites and x-lites(both silver). I use the cheaper store brand, sometimes regular, sometimes fume free. No problems so far.

 

I've been using the Sonax as it just sprays off after you let it sit for 5 minutes
https://www.waymotorworks.com/sonax-wheel-cleaner.html

 

+1 on the Sonax, but be prepared for the smell which is like rotten eggs. It works so well I ended up buying the 5 liter jug to refill my bottle since it works out to about half the price.

 

Doing it maybe once to get them clean....so you can clean them more often is probably ok, but that is some harsh chit.

When I detailed at a dealership we had wheel acid and it would get though ANYTHING. But if you used it a bunch, you bet it would mess them up.