How to clean your wheels!
Wheel Cleaning
Posted on November 14, 2022 by Colby Stevens
Your wheels take the most abuse out of any part on your vehicle, making them the most difficult to maintain and keep clean. No matter the weather conditions, your wheels will always seem be hammered with brake dust or grime from the roads. In this blog, we will explain when to use what wheel cleaner, along with what wheel cleaner not to use on specific wheel finishes.
What is the difference between Wise Guy Wheel & Tire Cleaner and Cool Guy Wheel Cleaner?
Wise Guy Wheel & Tire Cleaner
Wise Guy Wheel & Tire Cleaner is a powerful cleaner that can clean both the wheels and tires. This product is best utilized when your wheels contain heavy dirt and grime rather than brake dust and metallic contaminants. Since this cleaner is not an iron removing wheel cleaner, it is best utilized when the brake dust moderate. This product is also a budget friendly cleaner due to is being cut 1:1 with water.
Cool Guy Wheel Cleaner
Cool Guy Wheel Cleaner is an iron removing wheel cleaner, this cleaner targets wheels that have heavy bult up of brake dust and metallic contaminants. When Cool Guy interacts with the brake dust present on the wheel, it turns bright purple and gives the wheel a bleeding affect. This wheel cleaner is best utilized when your wheels have stubborn brake dust.
What cleaner is safe for my wheels?
Clear Coated Wheels
Cool Guy Wheel Cleaner and Wise Guy Wheel & Tire Cleaner are both safe on your clear coated wheels. If your wheels are maintained regularly and have light to moderate brake dust, Wise Guy will be a better budget fitting cleaner. However, if your wheel has a heavy brake dust and metallic contaminant build up, Cool Guy will safely remove that build up.
Powder Coated Wheels
Both Wise Guy Wheel & Tire Cleaner and Cool Guy Wheel Cleaner will safely clean your powder coated wheels. Wise Guy will work best when the grime present on the wheel is mud, dirt, or road grime, while Cool Guy will work best when the wheel is heavily contaminated with brake dust.
Ceramic Coated Wheels
When cleaning ceramic coated wheels you want to take into consideration that the coating is very hydrophobic, and nothing really wants to stick to the coating. Therefore, the wheel does not need a heavy cleaner because of the hydrophobic properties. With that being said, using our Shift Pure Vehicle Shampoo (which is our designated ceramic coating soap) to clean them is highly recommended. This product will clean the wheels safely without breaking down or harming your ceramic coating on your wheels.
Polished Alluminum Wheels
Polished aluminum does not contain a clear coat and is a porous material, therefore it is bare metal that you are cleaning, ultimately meaning they are very easy to stain. Just like anodized wheels, you will want to lean away from wheel cleaners and use soap and water to clean the finish. Shine Soap can be utilized to clean these wheel types, to bring the gloss up you can then follow with our Cloud 9 Metal Polish to brighten up the finish.
Anodized Wheels
Anodized wheels are very fragile and very expensive; therefore, you want to be very careful when cleaning them. We recommend staying away from using heavy cleaners on these wheel finishes and use soap and water to clean the finish. Our Shine Soap in a foam gun or in a bucket, is what you want to use when cleaning these wheels to completely avoid the risk of staining the finish.
What steps do I take to clean my wheels?
Prior to beginning your steps, always make sure that you are working on a cool wheel, you do not want to clean a hot wheel that could potentially allow the cleaner to dry on the wheel and leave a residue.
Always clean your wheels one by one, your wheels are the dirtiest part of the vehicle therefore you want to give yourself time to clean each wheel without your cleaner or water drying on the surface.
Step 1: Pre rinse the wheel to remove any loose debris off the surface.
Step 2: Spray your designated cleaner directly onto the wheel surface.
Step 3: Grab a bucket that is specifically for your wheels, this bucket should be filled with water and will contain all of your brushes that will be used to agitate your wheel surface.
Here is what our wheel bucket contains
Soft Bristle Wheel & Tire Brush
Use this brush to scrub the bulk of the wheel surface
Wheel Woolie Detail Brush 1.25 in.
Use this brush to scrub the tight areas on the wheel
Wheel Woolie 3 Piece Kit
Use these long brushes to scrub the barrel and in between the spokes of the wheel.
Step 4: With your wheel bucket, use the brushes the bucket contains to agitate the wheel.
Step 5: Once the wheel has been agitated with your brushes, rinse off the wheel.
Step 6: Using a microfiber towel or an air blower, dry off the wheel
Step 7: Observe your results and move onto the next wheel.
Wheel& Tire Cleaning YouTube Video
Further Questions!
If you have any further questions regarding how to clean your wheels or any questions regarding our Shine Supply wheel cleaners, please email us at products@shinesupply.com!
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