How to clean wheels
Nothing ruins the look of a freshly detailed car more than dirty wheels. A lot of people overlook cleaning their wheels, but it is a vital part of making a car look great. Not everyone knows how to properly clean their wheels as it can be tedious and difficult at times depending on how dirty the wheels are. Here are some simple tips on how to clean them properly.
FOLLOW THESE STEPS!
STEP 1: INITIAL RINSE
Before cleaning the wheels, we recommend rinsing down the wheel from top to bottom to remove superficial brake dust and grime. We recommend using any Chemical Guys wheel cleaner like Diablo Wheel Gel, which works on all types of wheel finishes.
STEP 2: CLEAN
We recommend cleaning the wheels from the top down and to work around the wheel to avoid re-contaminating a clean surface. The Easy Reach Wheel and Rim Detailing Brush works great to get into intricate areas behind the wheel and calipers. To clean the face of the wheel we recommend the Green Wheel & Tire Brush, it is super soft and contains flagged bristles that allows it to easily clean brake dust and dirt. Clean the wheel until all dirt and grime has been removed.
STEP 3: DEEP CLEAN
To get into more intricate areas around the wheel, we recommend the Boars Hair Brush to clean lug nuts and tighter areas around wheel spokes. This brush will give you the versatility to reach and clean the deepest crevices of the wheel to ensure every part of the wheel looks its best!
STEP 4: FINAL RINSE
After the wheel is done, simply rinse it down again and proceed to the next wheel. Repeat Steps 1-3 for each wheel.
What about really neglected wheels?
Neglected wheels tend to be more difficult to clean due to brake dust embedding itself into the wheel finish. To clean super dirty wheels, we recommend Decon Pro Iron Remover along with Diablo Wheel Gel for extra cleaning power. Decon Pro removes stubborn brake dust, iron deposits, and other embedded metallic contamination from wheels and lower body panels. Simply repeat Steps 1-3 but this time spray Decon Pro onto the face of the wheel and wait 1-2 minutes for it to penetrate the wheel finish. Then just follow the same steps as above. Decon Pro will provide added cleaning power to help clean neglected wheels that need some extra attention.
Decon Pro may turn purple as you are using it but fear not! This just means your wheels were loaded with iron deposits and the purple is a result of the chemicals taking them off the wheel. If Decon Pro does not turn purple, it will still work and still provides a heavy duty cleaning solution.
