I just had a chance to use the Sonax Wheel Cleaner, and all I can say is wow. I have been a loyal P21s user for years, and this stuff is better. Period. It cleans better AND leaves a "brighter" shine. (It's harder to tell on my powdercoated black Porsche wheels, but on my factory BMW silver wheels it's apparent.) I used a regular garden hose, so I would guess that a pressure washer may look even better. One warning, though, is that this stuff smells TERRIBLE. I washed two cars and was borderline nauseous by the eigth wheel, but it pulled ten years of brake dust off of my daily driver. (I used a brush to agitate the grime on each wheel, so my face was pretty close to the product, but I didn't scrub much.) The wheels also retained this smell for a little while after I pulled the car in to the garage, so you may want to leave the car outside for a bit. Sorry for no pics, but I may have some next week. I have a filthy spare tire that I plan on cleaning, and I'll take before and after pics. I have no affiliation with anyone selling either of these products, and I do plan on still using P21s gel (which you can buy in bulk, works great, and smells great) for most washes, but will rotate the Sonax in to kick the shine up a bit now and then. Highly recommended.

 

LOL. Does it smell chemical-like or like poop?

 

It starts off with a chemical smell, which gets more sulfur/rust-like as the brake dust is broken down. This stuff causes a chemical reaction that causes oxidation of the metallic brake particles, turning the solution red, and the hose blasts it all right off. I'm going to walk out to my BMW that I washed about 27 hours ago, driven 40 miles, and left outside since. I'll post up in the morning whether or not it still smells.

 

So, basically it smells like both Ick. Please let us know if it still stinks. If it still smells after that much time, I may have to take a pass on it.

 

The BMW was good to go. It was windy as hell here, but I'd say that 24 hours outside should be fine. Don't let the smell scare you off. Worst case, you use it once to get the wheels sparkling, and use something else after that point. The directions say to leave it on for 3-5 minutes. Mine was probably on for at least 10-15 minutes. That may have made it worse.

 

It seems like it's a good product, but I'd be concerned about the health implications if you're getting a sulfur smell. Sometimes, those chemical fumes can definitely cause health risks and the fact you got nauseous may be your body's way of telling you not to use the product. We've heard good things about Sonax, but one of the reasons we haven't carried it is the same reason you have shared about the smell. It doesn't matter how well the product works if it could potentially be harmful to your health. Keep us posted and maybe wear a mask or something when cleaning the wheels.

 

Will do. I got in real close for the first cleaning, but am sure that the future cleanings will be much more spray on and hose off. I'm sure that I breathe in worse pollutants every day that I live in New York City. I just need to see the layer of dust that settles on the car within 12 hours of cleaning to be quite clear of the garbage that I am breathing in. The Sonax is pretty low on my list of health concerns.