A Quick Guide To Scratch-Free Wheel Cleaning

Pre-Treat - Wheel cleaner/iron remover

If really dirty

• If your wheels are really dirty - typically from some good times off-road - it seems like a no-brainer to pressure wash them immediately. The problem with this approach is how aggressive it can be when you think about 1200psi+ of pressure pushing around dirt, mud, & brake dust on your wheel surfaces. Additionally, modern-day chemicals can make the process so much easier on you and your wheels when you allow the chemicals to do the work first. Pre-treat your wheels with an effective wheel cleaner before introducing any water to the surface, which will dilute the chemicals
  from then forth. An iron remover should be used first (to avoid diluting it) if heavy brake dust is present on the wheel. Otherwise, one good option is a dedicated wheel/tire cleaner that’ll loosen the dirt on the surface and provide great lubricity. A regular foam wash works great, too, especially when the wheels have been maintained regularly.

• It’s hard to go wrong starting with a good wheel cleaner/iron remover. The goal is to be as touchless as possible with your wheel cleaning, and an excellent wheel cleaner will do most of the work for you. This is especially good for a wheel full of brake dust or dirt, as you want to minimize all these abrasives before the contact wash begins to preserve your wheel’s finish. Use as much chemical as necessary.

• Perform your initial rinse.

Contact wash

• Re-apply your cleaning solution.

• Perform a contact wash with plush microfibers soaked in a rinseless or other lubricative soap solution. Ensure the towel is only slightly drippy and folded in fourths—you have eight sides to work with per towel. After a towel is fully used, move on to a new one. You can also use soft brushes, such as boar hair brushes, instead of microfibers or wash mitts. The point is that you’ve used enough chemicals to minimize excessive pressure in your contact washing.

• The barrel can be done with a brush that fits between the spokes; rinse off as the brush gets saturated with dirt.

• It’s good to start clockwise and then work your way around the wheel. This ensures a consistent process that’ll lessen the chance of missing an area.

• Fully rinse before drying!

Drying

• The next step depends on the type of finishing/protectant product you plan to use - a traditional silica (ceramic) spray or a water-activated silica spray. Dry the wheel now, or apply your product first.

• In general, a blower can be helpful in hard-to-reach areas. Dry the rest with your favorite soft-drying towel. A ceramic-coated wheel or one with a previous silica spray coat will dry nicely with just air.

Using a silica spray

• While not necessary, finishing off with a silica spray is great because it’ll:

  • Speed up the drying process

  • Increase drying lubrication (most important when using regular soap that has been rinsed off)

  • Provide some protection to the wheels and speed up their cleaning the next time.

  • Increase shine

  • Maintain an existing ceramic coating

• A popular silica option for wheels is using water-activated products: Once your final rinse is done, spray the product on the wheel, let it dwell for a handful of seconds, and then apply water to activate the formula. This will give you instant hydropobics that will help keep your wheels cleaner for longer.

Good luck!

In short, it’s worth repeating that wheel cleaning should be as touchless as possible. Use chemicals to do the work for you, and ensure you’re working with enough lubrication (especially in the drying process) to keep those wheels as scratch-free as possible.