# Detailingworld™ Review - AutoGlanz Alkalloy Wheel Cleaner



## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

*Introduction*

First of all thank you goes to Joe at Autoglanz for the generous sized sample sent out and not for the first time either. Like the 'sample' provided for the Trim Reaper review, this was a 250ml bottle as opposed to a small sample. This is great as it allows us to be a little more thorough in our reviewing of products.

Autoglanz were somewhat of a new name to me when I first tested the excellent Trim Reaper Tyre/Trim/Interior dressing. Now with the development and release of several products, the company is building up quite the reputation for providing nothing but quality products, along with a very professional service.

A visit to the website: http://auto-glanz.co.uk/ tells you all you need to know about the brand. I think this is one of the best company websites I have used. Everything is professionally presented and all the relevant information you could need on any of the products, including dilutions are all provided.

*The Product*



So the product in question this time around is Alkalloy, Autoglanz's non-acid high concentration wheel cleaner offering. Having specifically requested this to test after being unimpressed with my current wheel shampoo, I couldn't wait to try this one out. Firstly, the detailed description from the Autoglanz site:

"There is nothing worse than your wheels being caked in hard to remove brake dust, so here at AutoGlanz we decided to do something about it. Alkalloy is a non-acidic and non-caustic, super strength wheel cleaning concentrate. Its aim is to help remove the hard to shift brake dust and grime with ease while still being safe on the delicate painted surface of your wheels. Alkalloy has been specially formulated with a high concentration blend of mild alkaline additives, cleaners and surfactants which work together to ensure road grime and brake dust will be dissolved and lifted away from the surface of the wheels in a safe manor in no time at all.

The non-caustic properties of Alkalloy concentrate non acidic wheel cleaner means that it is safe to use on almost all wheel finishes, and is safe to use on bare aluminium at the suggested dilution rates. Even though Alkalloy is non caustic, it does not lack in cleaning power. Its super strength formula ensures you are receiving the same results as a caustic equivalent wheel cleaner but the safety of being non caustic. The high foaming properties within Alkalloy will help to lift stubborn residue and safely carry's the dirt and grime off the wheel, leaving you to just swill off any residue left behind with a steady flow of water.

Alkalloy is not just for use on heavily soiled wheels. If you just require a little bit of assistance with removing light soiling or if your wheels are sealed with a wheel sealant, then you can dilute it up to 20:1 with water. Alkalloy is the perfect wheel cleaner for all levels of soiling. If you're a professional detailer needing the very best from your products at an affordable price or just someone that likes the keep your vehicle looking clean, we guarantee you will enjoy using AutoGlanz Alkalloy on your prized wheels."

Now I said this all before in the review of Trim Reaper but... It really does deserve another mention. I love the amount of information Joe provides on the Autoglanz website, not only for Alkalloy but all of his products. I can only hope other companies take note and follow suit. It really does ooze professionalism and makes dealing with Autoglanz a very nice experience.

Not only does the website ooze quality but so does the branding. Alkalloy comes with the same bold, eye catching branding like Trim Reaper in a good quality bottle. The detailed information of products isn't limited to the web either with in all the relevant information on the back of the label as well. Finally, a nice mist spray trigger was also included along with my 250ml bottle of Alkalloy. The product itself didn't smell of anything I can describe, it was just a very mild, chemical/detergent type smell with a viscosity similar to that of pouring cream. This made it easy to de-cant into other bottles for dilution with water.

*The Method*

So with the above describing Alkalloy as an multi-use wheel cleaner, I decided I would test it on both protected and un-protected wheels. The product would be diluted as quoted and used on both sets of wheels to gauge the effectiveness at different strengths, along with versatility.

Protected Wheels (1:20 Dilution)

First up were my own alloys, protected with a 1 month old layer of wheel wax.



These hadn't been cleaned in roughly 12 days so had a substantial coat of brake dust and road grime on them. A quick read of the bottle and a 1:20 (LSP safe) dilution was decided for the protected wheels. Firstly, the 250ml was decanted into a plain bottle, allowing me use of the Alkalloy bottle with the spray trigger. 10ml was measured out, added to the bottle along with 200ml of water and given a good shake to mix the solution up.



The alloy was given a quick blast from the pressure washer which removed a little of the brake dust and road grime. This allowed Alkalloy to be used more effectively on the stubborn stuff. It was sprayed on liberally, firstly onto the face of the alloy before being applied to the spokes from above, either side and from below to ensure full coverage. The spray head provided a nice, even spread of product during application. A few spritz were also applied to my wheel brush and then used between the spokes of the alloy, followed by a small detailing brush with a spirtz of Alkalloy on the bristles to clean the face of the wheel.



The product foamed up well when agitated, much nicer than my dedicated LSP safe wheel shampoo and required little very effort to lift the remaining dirt on the wheel in comparison to the shampoo. The wheel was rinsed with the pressure washer and left behind a spotlessly clean wheel.



As evident from the photo, the wheel wax coating was unaffected, with no drop off on beading, confirming at this dilution (1:20) Alkalloy is LSP safe but still a very effective wheel cleaner. With the success of this the rest of the alloys were cleaned in the same fashion.



Unprotected Wheels (1:5 Dilution)

It took a little bit of time but I finally managed to get my sisters TT on the drive for the second part of this review. Her car was last washed around 1 month ago so as the photo shows (look at the finger swipe at the air valve) there was a considerable amount of brake dust and dirt stuck to the alloy.



As directed by the instructions, a dilution of 1:5 this time around would be used. This meant all of 40ml of Alkalloy was mixed with 200ml of water and given a good shake. It was then applied in identical style as before so liberally and from all angles. The spokes were agitated with my wheel brush before the face of the wheel was again cleaned like before, with a small detailing brush.



With the stronger mixture, you can see the product eating away at the brake dust build ups in the above photo, with them beginning to break down and 'bleed' without any agitation yet. The wheel again required very little effort during agitation and once pressure washed, left the wheel spotless. For something diluted at 1:5, the cleaning power was very impressive.



With the results noted, I carried out cleaning the rest of the alloys with the same 1:5 mixture, leaving them all spotlessly clean.

*Price*

I couldn't find a price for the 250ml bottle I received but the typical 500ml bottle can be picked up, direct from Autoglanz http://auto-glanz.co.uk/product/alkalloy-concentrate-non-acidic-wheel-cleaner/ for only £6.95.

For an additional £1, you can also have a custom bottle of Alkalloy made with the colour and fragrance of your choice. A nice touch I think.

*Would I use it again?*

Yes, without a doubt. This will be replacing my wheel shampoo actually. When I look at Alkalloy, it is cheaper to buy initially, hugely cheaper per use, cleans better with a nicer foaming action, more versatile and still LSP safe. The only negative I can think of is the scent compared to the shampoo but Autoglanz have that covered. A custom bottle for only £1 more removes the only negative I could come up with for this product.

*Conclusion*



A versatile, highly effective wheel cleaner for both heavy/light soiled wheels that can be used on sealed or waxed wheels without impacting the coating. It is ridiculously cheap used at any of the instructed dilution rates and can also be customised for an insignificant amount of money (£1).

I really can't pick a fault with this product and personally think it is the best non acidic wheel cleaner I have come across yet, very well done Autoglanz on another fantastic product.


_DW has followed the Manufacturer's Instructions and accepts no responsibility to any circumstances arising from any member using these products or following this test._


----------

