Sam’s Detailing is famous on social media for their amazing Sam’s Detailing Drying Towel reviews. But their range of chemical products are worth a look too! In this Sam’s Detailing review, we take a look the UK brand and their ready-to-use Wheel & Tire Cleaner and give you the Pro Detailer Tips verdict.
Sam’s Detailing Wheel and Tire Cleaner Product Description
The Sam’s Detailing Wheel Cleaner is an acid free, lime scented, ready to use wheel cleaner. This high foaming, high cling wheel and tire cleaner is safe to use on all but chrome alloy wheels. It is highly effective at breaking down brake dust, grime and dirt on both wheels and tires.
About the Sam’s Detailing Brand
Founded in 2013 by the titular Sam, Sam’s Detailing is a UK based manufacturer of premium car detailing products. From their base in Sheffield, they offer a range of high quality, affordable and accessible detailing products and accessories which are easy to use for both novices and Pro Detailers alike.
Cars and driving is clearly a passion for founder Sam, who states that: “Everyday I push forward to bring my vision of inclusive, easy to use car care to life. By creating high quality products at a reasonable price, with simple instructions, I aim to create a community of both novice and expert detailers alike.”
The Sam’s Car Detailing brand has amassed a large, dedicated following on social media, including Instagram and TikTok.
The Sam’s Detailing products range is sold around the world, in over 20 countries, including in the USA and Canada.
How to Use Sam’s Detailing Wheel Cleaner
For an in-depth guide on how to safely clean your alloy wheels, check out our PRO Detailer Tips article on the subject.
When to use Sam’s Detailing Wheel and Tire Cleaner
Firstly, never try to clean hot alloy wheels, as high temperatures, hot metal and chemicals are never a good combination. With an un-gloved hand hold the back of your hand about an inch from the face of the alloy wheel. If you feel a noticeable increase in temperature, leave the wheels and brakes to cool down to the ambient air temperature. If you detect no increase in temperature, it’s safe to clean your wheels.
Ease of use of Sam’s Detailing Wheel & Tyre Cleaner
Sam’s Detailing Wheel & Tyre Cleaner is extremely easy to use. Simply spray the ready to use formula on to your dirty alloy wheel and dirty tire sidewall. Allow the product to dwell for a few minutes. As the product dwells, you should notice it change color from a lime green foamy liquid to a brown foam. This indicates that the special blend of chemicals in the wheel and tire cleaner is dissolving and lifting the dirt and grime.
PRO TIP
Always read the manufacturer instructions before using any chemical product.
After a couple of minutes, agitate the product and begin the contact clean. Make sure to clean both the wheel face and inner barrel. Use appropriate wheel woollies, brushes and microfiber mitts for the contact clean stage.
Using Sam’s Detailing Wheel Cleaner as a Tire Cleaner
Sam’s Wheel and Tire Cleanser is an extremely effective tire cleaner.
For a full, detailed explanation on tire cleaning, why not check out our in-depth guide on the best way to clean your car tires in 8 easy steps with photos.
Simply spray the product on to the tire sidewalls and allow to dwell for a couple of minutes. Very quickly, you should start to see the chemicals break down the dirt, grime and oils embedded in the tire sidewalls. The lime green, lime scented foam will turn brown as it draws out the contaminants.
Use a stiff bristled tire brush to agitate the rubber and scrub the tire clean. Finally, rinse the wheel and tire thoroughly before applying suitable protection. Never let the Sam’s Detailing Wheel & Tire product dry on your wheels.
PRO TIP
After using strong wheel and tire cleaning chemicals, don’t forget to re-apply protection and dressing to your wheels and tires.
Benefits of Using Sams Detailing Wheel Cleaner
The main benefit of using Sams Detailing Wheel Cleaner is its raw cleaning power. This power enables it to thoroughly clean both steel or alloy wheels and tires equally well.
The typical way to thoroughly clean wheels would be to use a citrus degreaser or pre-wash first, then undertake a contact wash using a dedicated wheel cleaner or special wheel soap. Finally, the wheel would be decontaminated with an iron fallout remover and then rinsed clean.
Sam’s Detailing Wheel Cleaner Spray allows you to dispense with the pre-wash and wheel soap if you prefer. Just hit your grubby wheels with this powerful wheel cleaner, dwell, agitate, rinse and apply your favourite fallout remover if needed. Then a final rinse and you’re ready to dry and apply protection.
Value for Money of Sam’s Detailing Wheel Cleaner
A 500ml bottle of Sam’s Detailing costs $15.00. To clean four large alloy wheels (faces and inner barrels) and tire sidewalls takes approximately 60-80ml of product. The product is applied using a foaming trigger spray meaning less wheel cleaner is required for each wheel. This puts the cost per application at around $1.85 which represents decent value per use.
Sam’s Detailing Packaging
The current range of Sam’s Car Wash Detailing products come in fairly typical, 500ml or 5,000ml black plastic bottles/containers. The product labelling is stylish yet minimal and includes clear instructions, printed on chemically resistant polyester type labels.
Conclusion
This wheel cleaner is BRUTAL! It’s brutal on brake dust, brutal on road grime, and shifts dirt from tires like I’ve never seen before. Be warned – it will eat through lightweight last stage protection products like waxes, glazes, detail sprays and even ceramic infused detailers.
I like the fact that Sam’s Wheel Cleaner is dispensed using a foaming trigger and clings well to all types of wheels. It works very quickly to attack the brake dust and grime on different wheel types.
If your wheels are well maintained and regularly cleaned, then you may find that this wheel cleaner is simply too strong. A good quality wheel soap may be enough for regular maintenance cleaning. If your wheels are a little neglected, or well overdue a deep clean, then this is the wheel and tire cleaner that you’ve been looking for.