How To: Wheel Cleaning

Much like a fresh and straight laced pair of shoes, a clean set of wheels can make a drastic improvement in your appearance.  Every time you drive your car, the wheels are becoming contaminated with road grime, dirt, brake dust, tar, and asphalt.  If left neglected for too long, the surface can become permanently stained and eroded by brake dust build up that becomes baked onto the finish.  Due to the intricate forms and tight clearances of modern wheels it can be very frustrating to clean wheels without the proper tools and products, and even when done correctly can take longer to clean than the vehicle itself.  Many detailers will consider a supericial cleaning of the wheel face sufficient, but at CH.Detailing there are no corners cut with any of my services.  Lets take a look at the wheel cleaning process on this Audi RS5.

The owner of this Audi is pretty meticulous in caring for his vehicle’s, so the wheels were only lightly soiled.

A light coating of brake dust and road grime covered the faces of these bright silver alloy wheels.

First, the wheels are checked to make sure they are cool to the touch and safe to be cleaned.  Cleaners applied to a surface that is too hot will dry out too rapidly and can permanently etch or stain the finish.  If the wheels are cool, then a premium pH neutral wheel cleaner is liberally sprayed over the surface.

The viscous cleaning gel clings to the surface while the high quality surfactants begin to break down the dirt and road grime.  The gel is clear upon initial contact with the surface…

…but after a few minutes the hue shifts to a reddish-purple as the de-ironizing qualities of the product deep clean the finish by dissolving embedded dust and sintered iron filaments from the brakes.

While the cleaner continues to work on the surface, the intricacies of the wheel are agitated with a variety of versatile task specific brushes beginning with the wheel barrels.  A few long handled twisted wool brushes fit around spokes and brake components, easily loosening dirt from the widest of barrels.  Get your own set of these essential wheel brushes from the CH.Detailing store by clicking here.

A thin and flexible brush with soft nylon bristles is used to clean around the often neglected brake calipers and behind the rarely cleaned wheel spokes.

A super soft boar’s hair brush allows gentle agitation of the wheel face.  It’s small size allows it to get between tight spokes, around valve stems, and deep into the lug nut holes.

Lastly the tires are thoroughly scrubbed with a stiff bristled brush and a rubber-safe  degreaser.  Cleansing the tire of all bonded filth and previously applied dressings creates a truly fresh and barren surface.  This is crucial for a properly dressed tire that has an even deep black shine, and isn’t splotchy and brown.

Once all the dirt, grime, and contaminants are loosened from the surface, the wheel is pressure rinsed to ensure every surface is completely free of any debris or residue.

The drying process is started with a forced air blower to push the water off the surface, and out of the tight spots around the lug nuts, valve stems, and wheel lip.

Finally, a plush microfiber towel is used to blot off any water that may remain on the wheeel.

This level of thorough wheel cleaning is included in every service I offer. Unrelenting quality is nothing less than standard.