Best Value
$0.37/oz
Positioned as a budget mass-market wheel cleaner for consumers shopping at auto parts stores and Walmart. Competes with Armor All and other value-tier cleaners. The aggressive chemistry provides strong cleaning but the safety profile makes it unsuitable for enthusiast or professional detailing where wheel safety and user safety are priorities.
Key Chemistry
pH Level
Active Mechanism
alkaline saponification
Surfactants
0 (anionic, amphoteric)
Expert Analysis
Hot Rims takes an old-school aggressive alkaline approach to wheel cleaning. The pH of 13.56 (from sodium metasilicate) is the highest in the database - even more caustic than Griot's 3-in-1 at pH 12. This extreme alkalinity works by saponifying (breaking down) oils, greases, and organic brake dust residue through chemical attack rather than the iron-chelation approach of thioglycolate products. The EDTA chelator helps bind mineral deposits while the AOS/amine oxide surfactant system provides foam and soil suspension. This is a 'nuclear option' for heavily soiled wheels but carries significant safety risks.
Key Differentiators
- •HIGHEST pH in database (13.56) - most aggressive alkaline formula
- •Multi-surface: wheels AND tires
- •Traditional alkaline cleaning vs modern thioglycolate chemistry
- •Budget pricing for mass-market consumer
- •No color-changing indicator
Potential Concerns
- ⚠STOT RE Category 1 - causes respiratory damage with repeated exposure (unique in database)
- ⚠Skin Corrosion 1A - severe chemical burns possible
- ⚠Eye Damage Category 1 - can cause permanent eye damage
- ⚠pH 13.56 may damage sensitive wheel finishes despite 'all wheel' claims
- ⚠NOT safe for aftermarket, anodized, polished, or chrome-plated wheels
- ⚠Metal corrosive - will attack bare aluminum
- ⚠Requires corrosive-resistant storage container
- ⚠Transport regulated as UN3266 Class 8 corrosive
Ingredients
Source: sds section 3 and ca rtk
Safety Profile
MOST HAZARDOUS wheel cleaner in database. Multiple corrosive components. Repeated inhalation exposure causes respiratory damage. Requires full PPE including face shield.