Going a few weeks without cleaning your wheels and tyres can make them look very poor, especially the front which collects alot of brake dust and road grime, not cleaning your wheels on a regular basis can cause the brake dust to bake onto the alloy or even the plastic hub caps, this can easily damage the surface and it will need to be carefully cleaned with an acid based wheel cleaner which should only be used by a professional car detailer.

You should use a good quality car wash shampoo, a wheel cleaner product (non acid) or degreaser, sponge and a brush if necessary to get between the gaps and behind the spokes, and also rubber or latex gloves to protect your hands from the wheel cleaner / degreaser.

When washing your car always start with your wheels and ensuring they are cool, your wheels should not be washed with the same water and sponge you use on your car, firstly because the dirt and grime in the water and sponge from washing your wheels will harm your paintwork and leave scratches and swirl marks, always have a sponge dedicated to cleaning the wheels, a car wash sponge cut in half is the best option so its small enough to get between the gaps.

Firstly spray the wheels with a wheel cleaner or degreaser to break down the dirt and grime, allow this to sit for atleast 30 seconds, this will make it easier to wash the wheel and also break down any stubborn dirt that washing with a sponge and soapy water will not remove, it also helps remove grime from those tight areas like around the wheel nuts. Then grab your soapy sponge and wash the wheel ensuring you get between all the spokes and corners, if desired you can use the same process to clean the inside of the wheels with a long brush, if the inside of your wheel has not been cleaned for some time then the brake dust and road grime may be baked on which will need to be removed with an acid cleaner, once you have done this then either use your hose or high pressure washer to rinse the wheels down. We then suggest drying them with a chamois or microfibre waffle weave drying towel.