How To Achieve Brake Dust Free Wheels and Rims

When it comes to detailing your car and cleaning your rims, we all know how much of a pain it is to maintain and execute every time. Finding the best product that effectively clean your wheels can really be challenging as well. Some stubborn dirt and grime can build up over time on the wheels and can’t be easily removed by soap and water alone. For starters, the wheels are the one area that makes direct contact with the road and the road isn’t really clean at all.

But first, before we dive into our guide on cleaning your rims like new, lets breakdown the anatomy of your car. The outer layer of the tyre holds your tyre via bracket known as your rims which is typically the metal section that you see. Now, due to the softness of the rubber of the tyre, there are some particles which can easily stick onto it, very annoying indeed. You will get that in many cases where car tyres are exposed to certain contaminants such as tree sap, sot, dirt, mud, oils, carbon deposits, petrol and iron. And to make matters even worse, after a contaminant has stuck on the surface it will be much easier for others contaminants to stick onto your tyres, creating a combination of contamination.

As you drive your car you may reach a point where you want to apply the brakes, in such a case your tyres can easily catch brake dust. And this is usually the contamination and discolouration you tend to see stuck on rims and tyres.

So, let’s now dive into what you should do to keep your rims and wheels looking mint and top-notch all year round.

How to properly clean wheels and rims 101

• Before you start cleaning your car rims and wheels, you must ensure that your car is off and if the rims are cool. For the fussy ones, you can remove your wheels from the car if you like for a  more thorough and precise clean, but we will leave that up to you.
• Select the best cleaning agent which is safe and suitable for your car tyres. So, you may come across certain products at your local auto store. Typically, a brake cleaner, strong degreaser and in the more extreme conditions, degreaser that has some acid composition, usually is a great option.
• Spray your wheels and rims with the cleaning agent and allow it to sit there for a minute, always read instructions on the product label for proper use and dilutions. Rinse with water using a pressure washer and allow it to soak so that it can loosen any grime. Using a woolie brush or any brush really that has great reach, along with car wash shampoo, agitate the surface to loosen any brake dust and contamination.
• Use your brush and microfibre towel to clean the outside part of your rim as well. Continue scrubbing using a brush with nylon bristle so that you can remove all grease from the metal surface. After that, you can start cleaning the interior surface of your rim. In this case, you can use your old toothbrush for you to reach hidden spots, like the nuts and bolts. If you have a tougher brush, you can use it. Iron fallout remover can also be purchased from your local auto shop, which can be sprayed on the wheels, similarly like the degreaser to remove further contamination
• Start rinsing your wheels from the top to bottom.
• Use a clean soft microfiber drying towel to dry your rims and wheels.
• For further year-round protection, we recommend the use of a ceramic coating, which can be professionally applied to reduce contamination and easier maintenance. Essentially acts like a glass barrier, making it difficult for brake dust to bind to your rims and if he does, it is easy to rinse off with water and a wipe down. We highly recommend using a car detailing mobile professional to have this done as it can easily go wrong and if an error does occur, it is VERY difficult to remove and correct.

Well there you have it, how to detail your rims like a professional. We understand how much of a pain it can be, so now that you know how, let’s get to work!