Top 5 Best Wheel Cleaning Brushes

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The wheels on a car can be extremely frustrating to clean, since they come in a variety of finishes and many have intricate designs filled with tiny crevices and hard to reach areas. Multi-spoke or mesh design wheels are notoriously difficult, especially if you’re just using a standard hand mitt for cleaning. Do yourself a favor and get a quality wheel cleaning brush, this way every inch of your wheels are spotless after a wash, without requiring a significant amount of effort.

As you can imagine, there aren’t a whole lot of factors to consider when shopping for a wheel brush. You’ll just want to make sure the brush features soft bristles that are safe on every finish, so you don’t damage your wheels while cleaning them. Look for something that’s comfortable and easy to hold, especially if the handle gets wet. Most wheel brushes on the market will appear to check all the right boxes based on their product descriptions, but you might be surprised by what you actually receive.

If you go with one of our recommendations, the only surprise you’ll get is when you see the results and how easy it was to clean your wheels. These are quality products that are built to last, and when used properly, won’t damage your wheels.

For more information on the best wheel cleaning brushes, refer to our table of contents.

1. Editor’s Pick: Mothers Wheel Brush

Our top recommendation comes from one of the most recognizable brands in the car care industry. This wheel cleaning brush features a comfortable, non-slip grip to go with its soft and gentle bristles. It’s designed to reach tight spots and you don’t have to worry about any accidental damage since there’s a protective rubberized bumper surrounding the head of the brush.

We prefer using this brush over other options because of the simple, yet effective, raised dimples found on the handle. These dimples make the brush easier to grip when the handle gets wet. There’s also an option for an extra long handle if you want to use the brush on other areas of your cars, such as the fender lining.

Product features:

• Popular brand in the car care industry
• Comfort, non-slip grip with raised dimples
• Soft and gentle bristles
• Rubberized bumper
• Available with an extra long handle

2. Chemical Guys Wheel & Tire Brush

This fully synthetic brush is designed to safely tackle dirt and grime on your wheels, with its flogged chemical resistant bristles with feathered ends. It features a durable plastic handle that is resistant to scratches and abrasions, but more importantly, it won’t damage your wheels if it accidentally comes in contact with them.

This wheel brush is also available with a longer handle, if you want to use it for other areas of your car, like the inner fenders or undercarriage. It’s safe to use on painted, chrome, powdercoated, and polished wheels.

Product features:

• Fully synthetic brush
• Flogged chemical resistant bristles with feathered ends
• Durable plastic handle
• Scratch and abrasion resistant
• Safe on painted, chrome, powdecoated, and polished wheels
• Available with a longer handle

3. VIKING Wheel Brush

This wheel brush is a bit different than our other recommendations, using a heavy duty microfiber sponge instead of soft bristles. It’s designed with an increased length and oversized cone-shaped head, making it easy to clean tight spaces and other hard to reach areas. Its metal-free construction means you don’t have to worry about accidentally scratching your wheels while using this brush.

The design of the brush also reduces the chance of bumping into your wheel while cleaning it, and the sure grip TPR handle makes it comfortable to hold. The regular sized brush comes with a red sponge, while the slim version is finished in blue.

Product features:

• Uses a heavy duty, microfiber sponge
• Increased length
• Oversized cone-shaped head
• Metal-free construction
• Sure grip TPR handle
• Available in regular and slim sizes, red and blue colors

4. Speedmaster Wheel Brush

This recommendation may look like a fairly basic wheel brush, but don’t judge a book by its cover. This option has a reinforced stem that bends, making it easier to clean behind spokes and other hard to reach areas. So long as the bonded tip on this brush stays intact, the internal wire stem won’t be exposed, so you don’t have to worry about it potentially scratching your wheel.

The soft, 2″ non-abrasive red bristles are slightly feathered on the ends, so they gently clean without scratching coated or plated wheels. Protecting your wheel from accidental contact is a vinyl coating on the tip of the brush. Another feature on this brush that makes it great is the knuckle guard, which is designed to protect your hands while you’re cleaning. This brush is chemical resistant and the memory bristles regain their shape after use.

Product features:

• Reinforced stem that bends
• Bonded tip with vinyl coating
• Soft, non-abrasive, and feathered 2″ memory bristles
• Knuckle guard on handle
• Chemical resistant

5. Adam’s Wheel Woolies Car Detailing Brush Bundle

This bundle of 2 brushes comes from one of our personal favorite car detailing brands. If you don’t need both brushes, they are sold separately. Featuring a 45° angle, these brushes are designed to make cleaning behind your wheels easier. The small brush measures 13″ while the large brush is 19″. An easy grip handle offers a comfortable grip while using these brushes.

Both brushes have 100% polypropylene black and red wool carpet fibers that are durable and resistant to chemicals. Soft and dense, these fibers clean better and last longer than some nylon bristles found on other wheel brushes.

Product features:

• Available in 2 sizes (13″ and 19″)
• 45° angle
• Easy grip handle
• 100% polypropylene black and red wool carpet fibers
• Durable and chemical resistant
• Soft and dense