How to Clean Your Car Wheels: Follow These 9 Steps

Your wheels are probably the dirtiest part of your car, but if you're like most people, you'll spend significantly less time washing your wheels than the rest of your vehicle. Owners who neglect their bikes may not realize what toll this requires for their car. We hope that after reading this post, you are inspired to give your bikes a little more care. It is important for both practical and aesthetic reasons to learn how to best clean wheels. If you want your car to drive reliably, you need to remove the dirt and gravel that sticks to your wheels when they spin. Over time, dirt and grime accumulate, affecting the functionality of your wheels and accelerating the speed at which they deteriorate. In addition, every time you brake, hot brake dust is generated, which sticks to the surface of your wheels. Dirty wheels also affect the look of your car. When they rotate, all that dirt and grime is sprayed onto the body of your vehicle. All the work you've done to grow and polish your car goes down the drain. More importantly, if brake dust is ignored, it solidifies and can cause permanent damage to your wheels.

How to clean car wheels

Neglected tires can develop an unattractive brownish hue and cracks in the sidewall, so we'll show you the best way to clean wheels, polish car wheels and grow car wheels. Before you get started, here are the car wheel cleaning products and materials you need: a wheel cleaner, wheel polish, a tone for wheel care, lots of non-abrasive cloths, a brush with soft bristles and a few buckets of water. The best way to clean wheels is to follow these nine steps in order:

Step 1: Have two buckets of water ready, one for the body and one for the wheels.

You want to avoid using the same bucket of water for your wheels that you use for the body of the car.

Step 2: Spray your wheels only one rim at a time.

Be sure to use a hose with a strong jet! After spraying the rims, use a cloth to remove dirt, grime and brake dust from each rim.

Step 3: Apply the cleaner

Spray one wheel at a time. Protect the paint of your wheel by using a water-based, non-acidic, non-abrasive car wheel cleaning product. This helps to loosen the dirt and lubricate the wheels, which is important so that you do not scratch the aluminum rims. If possible, avoid using acidic cleaners, as these run the risk of damaging your wheels, especially if they are coated with clear coat.

Step 4: Use a brush with soft bristles

A normal sponge is not up to the challenge of scraping off all the dirt and grime that has accumulated on your wheels. In addition, if you use a brush with hard bristles, you risk scratching your rims. Use a brush with soft bristles to scrub and loosen any remaining dirt and brake dust. Use some elbow fat, but be careful not to scratch the wheel surface. Use a brush long enough to get into the cracks and clean around the wheel nuts and in the holes, spokes and wheel arches. When buying cleaning products for car wheels, look for a brush with a flexible stem and a wheel nut brush specially designed for this task.

Step 5: Rinse

Spray off each wheel, including the wheel arches, spokes and wheel nut holes.

Step 6: Dry

Use a soft microfiber cloth to dry the wheels and avoid water stains.

Step 7: Apply Clay for Wheel Detailing

If dirt, corrosion or brake dust is left behind, apply cleaning clay to help remove substances that are deeply embedded in the wheel. This is a different product than the Detailing Clay you use to protect your car paint. After cleaning the wheel, but before polishing or growing, apply the wheel care compound. Make sure you lubricate the wheel again before rubbing the clay over it.

Step 8: Polish your car wheels

Polish should be applied before waxing your wheels. If you want to know how to polish car rims, you should first remember that the finish of your rim determines the type of polish to be used.Most wheels nowadays are made of aluminum alloys, and most cars are equipped with clearly coated alloy wheels. But if you or a former owner of the car got polished wheels from the aftermarket, it means that they are covered with a coat and need to be treated with special care. With clearly coated aluminum wheels, you want a lightweight, non-abrasive polish that leaves fewer scratch marks.Clear-coated wheels do not need to be polished frequently, as the additional coating protects the metal from environmental influences. You don't have to do much more than clean regularly and polish occasionally to keep your clear-coated wheels in near-pristine condition. Because they lack this extra layer, aluminum wheels are more susceptible to oxidation. On them, a stronger and more aggressive polish can be used.For chrome rims, use a slightly abrasive polish. Important steps

• Start by applying the polish to one wheel at a time with an applicator pad until the polish begins to dry.
• Be sure to polish between the spokes. If more precision and performance are required, consider purchasing a wheel polishing tool and other car wheel cleaning products.
• Use a clean, soft cloth to wipe off any remaining residue or moisture.

Step 9: Finish with a wax

Now that you know how to clean car wheels and how to polish car wheels, it's time to grow your rims to give them a nice shine and a final layer of protection from brake dust and environmental influences. Rim wax is a protective agent that acts like normal car wax. Again, if you have coated or painted wheels, choose a safe and compatible product for this type of wheel.

Avoid pitfalls

1) Forgot microfiber cloths

Common mistakes when cleaning your wheels include drying the wheels in the sun – hello watermarks – or using paper towels. There is no substitute for a soft microfiber cloth or pad. Anything else risks scratching the surface.

2) Do not read the labels

If you are a do-it-yourselfer and it has been a long time since you have purchased products for cleaning car rims such as rim cleaner, car wax and car polish, please be sure to read the label and make sure it is compatible and safe to use with your type of wheels, whether they are clearly coated or powder coated, rough aluminum or chrome. When it comes to products for cleaning car tires, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Each product is adapted for a specific wheel type. Some cleaners contain strong chemicals, while others are natural and chemical-free; Some are abrasive or slightly abrasive, while others are soft and gentle. An acidic cleaner can do a good job of removing brake dust, but if you have rims with clear coat, avoid using it at all costs.

3) Do not use soap solution to clean your wheels

Undoubtedly, it is very tempting to want to be efficient and use the same soapy water that you used for the outside of your car on your wheels. But it's just not up to the task; Cleaning your dirty, brake dust-infested wheels requires a much stronger detergent than soapy water. Buy a real rim cleaner and let it unfold its effect.

4) Wash your bikes last

The best way to clean wheels is to spray your tires and wheels first, one by one, not all four at once. This will help you avoid corrosion and make sure you don't get all the wheel dirt on your car's body after polishing and waxing it. It's important to clean one wheel at a time to prevent water, soap, and chemicals from drying before you get to the other wheels. Don't rush – take your time!

5) Keep your toothbrush for the bathroom

Many websites recommend using an old toothbrush to scrub the dirt off your wheels. Guys, it just doesn't end well. The bristles of a toothbrush are too short and stiff, which runs the risk of scratching the wheel. Use either a brush with soft bristles or even better, invest in a wheel brush with a long stem so that you can clean the spokes and wheel nuts and reach into the wheel arch.

Products for cleaning car rims

There are a variety of car wheel cleaning products on the market, ranging from natural and synthetic waxes and polishes to wheel brushes, wax applicators, hand polishes and microfiber application pads. So what products for cleaning car wheels should you use? In truth, the cleaning product you choose is less important than learning how to wash your bike effectively and in a way that doesn't damage the finish of your wheels. Make sure all the products you use are safe and compatible with the type of wheels you have. With a regular aluminum rim, you might get away with a more abrasive polish, but if you have a clear-painted rim, you'll need a gentle product that won't scratch it. Clear-coated rims should be cleaned with a non-abrasive water-based rim cleaner. Likewise, metal polish should not be used on metal rims with clear lacquer. What kind of car tire cleaning products should you use for scrubbing? Initially, do not use items such as steel wool or dishwashing brushes that could scratch your wheels. You probably have a brush with soft bristles in the house, but if not, you should invest in a round brush. In addition, a soft microfiber cloth or application pad is a must if you want to be a do-it-yourself detailer. Always read the product's instructions first, as well as your vehicle's owner's manual, and you're good to go.