How To Clean Wheels And Tires

Environmental factors, coupled with the brake dust from brake pads and the general road grime from regular driving, form hard deposits that can quickly cause wheels and tires to get dirty. Long before other parts of the vehicle, the wheels collect dirt, grease, grime, brake dust, and other debris, making driving less fun. For car enthusiasts and everyday drivers, paying attention to wheels is important for proper upkeep. Learning how to clean wheels and tires is imperative for the overall maintenance of the car, as well as for safety reasons. 

Even if you wash your car often, the wheels get dirty more quickly. Most car owners often neglect this aspect during their routine cleaning. However, leaving dirt or grease on wheels and tires for a long time can cause peeling on finishes, making rims porous and tires leak. Simply blasting a stream of high-pressure water on your car isn’t enough. Learning how to clean wheels and tires can help you protect your car from future corrosion and damage.

What To Clean Car Wheels With

To ensure you achieve the best possible result while cleaning your vehicle, you must be selective with your products. Here are the essentials you need to clean and restore the optimum appearance to your wheels and tires: 

Tire Brush: The stiff synthetic hair is the perfect dirt and grime remover for rubber. It’s chemical resistant and comfortable to handle.

Iron Wheel Cleaner: The wheel cleaner combines specific detergents in a gel consistency, making cleaning tasks quicker and more effective.

Tire Cleaner: It eliminates accumulated contamination and initiates deep cleaning to remove the old dressing from tires.

Detail Brush: The high-quality microfiber wheel brush cleans the rim effectively without affecting the finish.

Tire Applicator: The tire shiner applicator has a firm grip and curved foam shape for effective and precise work on every area around the tire.

Microfiber Towel: The SoftWipe, an extremely thick microfiber cloth, is an excellent addition to your car detailing kit. 

BLO Car Dryer: The car dryer is the perfect way to eliminate water spots and streaking by expelling moisture from hard-to-reach places and protecting against rust.

How To Clean Wheels and Tires

Before cleaning, you need to get your vehicle prepared. Park in a shady location away from direct sunlight and get the proper cleaning products. With the following steps, you should be able to clean your tires and wheels. Be sure to avoid these other car cleaning mistakes.

Step 1 – Spray the rims with water

Using a hose, rinse the wheels thoroughly to remove the caked filth. Go for a spray nozzle with your hose to loosen the wheel's dirt, debris, or grime. Even though a high-pressure car wash hose can force more gunk out, the regular hose is also enough. But it would be best to hold it down a bit longer to remove as much filth as possible. Hosing down the wheel also wets the surface and makes applying the wheel cleaner easier.

Step 2 – Apply the Wheel Cleaner

Spray the wheel cleaner evenly onto the entire wheel to remove road grime off the wheels. The cleaner needs to get onto and around the lug nuts. While carrying this out, ensure the car is away from direct sunlight. You should also apply the tire cleaner to the tires. Although, you need to avoid over spraying or getting the cleaner onto the vehicle’s paint.

Step 3 – Leave The Cleaner To Sit and Rinse The Solution

The Q2M Iron WheelCleaner and Q²M TireCleaner require that you leave it to sit for one to two minutes for optimum results before agitating with a wheel brush. Allowing it to dwell helps to break down the hard-to-remove grime and dirt from the wheels. The longer the cleaner sits in, the better it removes the road grime. But do not allow it to dry on the wheel. You may need to scrub the tough areas before rinsing the cleaning solution away with your hose. Inspect the wheels to be sure you are not leaving out any residue.

Step 4 – Scrub With the Wheel Brush

Brake dust on the wheel can be difficult to come off. Even after leaving the cleaner to soak in for a few minutes, you may need to scrub the grime residue off the stuck or hard-to-reach area with the soft microfiber detail brush. Begin from the outer edge, then proceed inwards to reach the crevices. If you notice the cloth collecting dirt, grime, or grease, rinse it and resoak it in the solution before you continue scrubbing. Ensure you don’t use tire brushes with stiff bristles to avoid scratching the finish. 

Step 5 – Rinse The Wheels To Remove All The Soap

The grimes on the wheels left behind from scrubbing combined with the soap requires rinsing. Use your hose to clear out the soapy lather outside thoroughly and inside the tires. Focus on the small areas, like the gaps in the rim’s designs and the spaces around the lug nuts. Residues can damage the materials of your tires. Therefore, inspect and ensure the wheel is entirely clean, but if there is still dirt, begin the process again. 

Step 6 – Dry The Wheels And Rims

Blow drying is the best and safest way to remove moisture from your wheels and tires. Using any towel is dangerous, time-consuming, and can affect the fine finishing of your rim. The BLO car dryer can access the hard-to-reach places that towels cannot and get you a rewarding outcome. There are numerous reasons and problems with not drying your car after wash; be sure to avoid these costly mistakes.

Step 7 – Coat The Rim

Coating a protective layer on your wheels and rims helps to prevent future filth from clinging to your tire. Applying this can make your next cleaning session less time-consuming and less-tedious. 

More tips: learn how to clean wheel wells here. 

What To Do After Washing Your Wheels And Tires

Even with your tires and wheels in excellent condition, you may have to wash your entire car. This helps avoid having wheel cleaner residues on your car’s paintwork. The wheel cleaner combines harsh detergents capable of removing wax and clearing the coating. It might not be necessary to wash your entire vehicle after washing the rims, but it’s better to ensure you remove every residue of the wheel cleaner from the car’s paint. 

Why Do You Need To Dry The Wheels And Tires?