I posted a question as to whether or not these color changing Wheel cleaners are worth it or hype. I did an informal test and my conclusion is that they work, but not much better than soap and water if you wash your wheel regularly. When you factor in the price, it doesn't seem worth it. Same amount of time to agitate with soap and water and rinse as with the Wheel cleaner.

My wheel cleaner changes color all over the place when I use it on its own (not washing it wish soap and water first) so I know its effective. It changes more color than Car Pro Iron X. . Wheels come out sparkling clean. I spray, then agitate with wheel wooolies then rinse.

I let a 2018 Porsche Catenne build up brake dust for 3 weeks. There was a TON of brake dust. I pressure washed the wheels then used car soap and agitated with wheel woolies. Then I blew them dry with a blower and sprayed the color changing, iron and metal dissolving wheel cleaner on the clean wheels. Its green and sticky. Very little change in color except for at the 11 o clock position where it could just be a factor of me missing that spot. I did just a quick job with the soap and water so I may have missed a spot.

Check out the almost non existent color changing. The yellow wheel chocks are at the 6 o clock position (sorry for the bad photo orientation)

1 minute mark:



4 minute mark



8 minute mark




Close up of where it did change color at the 11 o clock position of the wheel (orientation of picture is off, as the yellow wheel chocks are at the 6 o clock position , but its the 11 O clock position that shows color change and barely any color change)

 

I wash my GT3 wheels weekly. Soap, wheel woolies and a wheel mitt are all that is needed. However, my S4 wheels get washed every month to every 3 months. Thats anywhere between 1k miles and 5k miles of driving. Due to that, the iron removing wheel cleaner really helps with the longer amount of time and more driving that my Audi sees. For a car that is washed often, I think you are wasting your money using wheel cleaner. For a car that rarely gets washed, it is almost a necessity to get the bakes on dirt off. It isnt so much the top layer of dirt and brake dust, but that yellow film that starts baking into the wheels.

 

Results make sense, as do Bxstr's comments. A lot of factors that impact what we all see when we wash our cars. The more frequently you wash the less dirt you have to remove and the less necessary it is to use an iron remover on your wheels. Likewise, the easier you are on the brakes the less dust you generate and the less iron there is to remove. Or if you happen to apply a coating to your wheels it makes it harder for things to stick and you need less or no iron removing product. That was my specific experience. I coated the wheels, and even after a track day and loads of brake dust I was able to get most of it off with just the initial spray with a pressure washer. Iron removing product never changed colors. But, like Bxstr, on my less cared-for daily driver I don't care so much about wheel coatings or washing it weekly and it needs the help of an iron remover.