About two months ago, I was sent a product to do a review on called Forma Wheel Cleaner, which is new to the market. I was excited to try this new product and see what the Forma line was all about!
Forma Wheel Cleaner comes in a concentrated bottle, so it can be diluted 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4. I have personally tried it at all dilutions and find 1:3 to be a sweet spot for general cleanings. I can’t say I found increased cleaning ability at full strength over 1:3, however, I did see the more diluted I went the more noticeable the decrease in cleaning power became. This gives you various dilution options so you can tailor your cleaning power to the specific wheels you are working on.
I noticed that Forma claimed it was pH neutral, so I did spray it on my hands to see how it reacted with skin. If you have ever had strong cleaners on your hands, you can often notice a “slimy” feeling. This feeling is due to the chemicals in the product reacting with your skin, which is not a beneficial thing. I did not have this slimy feeling, so the claim of it being pH neutral is possible. I then took it a step further and I tested with pH paper. After testing, it came out pretty darn close to 7 pH.
The cleaning ability of this wheel cleaner is good and for general cleanings, it is certainly a fine product to use. When using, I have found that it likes to be agitated with a soft brush for best results. It foams up nicely when in use and will wash off easily as well. I did notice that after rinsing, it left behind something that allowed for beading to occur. While not a marketing point from what I have read, this beading was noticeable and unexpected. For comparison, if I ever clean wheels with just an APC solution, it will kill the beading, which is not a long-term durability benefit. This makes the beading I noticed with the Forma Wheel Cleaner certainly a positive and appreciated.
As we have also noticed recently, most companies have tried some form of iron reactive wheel cleaners that turn colors in the presence of iron braking materials on the rim. I was at first hoping this might be a new version of that chemistry, but it is not, which was a bit of a let down at first. This means you will not see the color changing effect some other wheel cleaners have, but it will still get the cleaning job done. For cleaning power, I tried Forma Wheel Cleaner on super, super dirty rims and the results are not the same as some of the iron reactive wheel cleaners I just mentioned. Even at full strength and left to dwell for minutes, other wheel cleaners just seem to have more cleaning power. Overall, this makes the niche for this product as routinely maintained rims, not heavily solid, break dust riddled, reddish or blacken rims. If you have any rims that are super dirty, use a stronger cleaner and maintain with the Forma Wheel Cleaner on future cleanings, especially if you like wheel cleaning products with good dwell times and good foaming action.