Ultimate All Wheel Cleaner
Best Value
$0.50/oz
Positioned as a premium mainstream option for enthusiast detailers shopping at auto parts stores and big-box retailers. Competes with Chemical Guys, Adam's, and Griot's in the enthusiast tier. The Meguiar's brand carries significant trust equity in the automotive care space.
Key Chemistry
pH Level
Active Mechanism
thioglycolate chelation
Surfactants
0 (nonionic, anionic)
Expert Analysis
Meguiar's takes a mainstream-friendly approach to thioglycolate wheel cleaning. The 5-10% sodium mercaptoacetate concentration provides effective iron removal with color-changing feedback while remaining moderate enough for retail consumer use. The xanthan gum thickener creates a gel that clings to vertical wheel surfaces, maximizing dwell time. The surfactant package (ethoxylated alcohols + SLES + xylene sulfonate hydrotrope) provides good general cleaning beyond just iron removal. The vanilla fragrance is intentionally chosen to mask the characteristic sulfur odor of thioglycolate chemistry - a smart formulation choice for consumer acceptance. The MIT/CMIT preservative system is industry-standard but adds another sensitization vector.
Key Differentiators
- •Major mainstream brand with wide retail distribution
- •Mid-range thioglycolate concentration (5-10%) balances effectiveness and safety
- •Gel formula with xanthan gum for vertical cling
- •Colorless product shows purple bleeding clearly
- •Vanilla fragrance masks sulfur odor for consumer appeal
Potential Concerns
- ⚠Dual sensitization risk from thioglycolate + MIT/CMIT preservatives
- ⚠Harmful if swallowed (Acute Tox 4) - keep away from children
- ⚠3% of mixture has unknown acute toxicity (per SDS)
- ⚠MIT/CMIT preservatives face increasing regulatory scrutiny in EU
Ingredients
Source: sds section 3 and ca rtk
Safety Profile
Multiple sensitization pathways - both the thioglycolate active and MIT/CMIT preservatives can cause allergic reactions. Glove use recommended.