Most motorists simply blast the wheels with water and use the same car wash shampoo they used on the car body to wash the rims and tires of their wheels. Other motorists might have products like tire black on them for the sake of tire blackness upkeep.
The majority of drivers simply don't give their wheels a second though, with them letting the local carwash deal with cleanup. Alas, not all carwashes are detailed enough with their cleanup to include thorough wheel cleaning of elements like brake dust accumulation or corrosive road salt potentially doing a number on your rims.
It's about time you start paying attention to one of the things that actually allow your car to move. With that said, here are the things you can do to clean up your wheels in an acceptable manner.
Cleaning Your Wheels
- To Use or Not to Use Wheel Cleaner: There are motorists who view products like the KevianClean Wheel Cleaner as a wasteful investment. A hose, an applicator, and a foam pad with carwash shampoo are usually enough for them. However, wheel cleaners are specifically formulated to protect steel, aluminum, or even magnesium wheels from corrosion while at the same time effectively removing their banes like road salt and brake dust.
- Using Only the Most Appropriate Wheel Cleaner: Not all wheel cleaners are created equal. Some are simply better than others. Furthermore, not all wheel cleaners are all-purpose cleaners. A chrome wheel cleaner is extremely acidic on aluminum wheels, so you should use an aluminum-specific wheel cleaner as well unless it specifies that it can be used on all sorts of wheel types. Double-check product labels for more details.
- Protecting Your Wheel Surface: Unlike your main car body, your wheels, hubs, and rims as well as your tires require extra care because they lack the so-called clear coat layer found on your car paint. The impetus of using special wheel cleaner like KevianClean Wheel Cleaner instead of ordinary car shampoo is greater in this case because you don't have clear coat to cover for any mistakes or missteps. Ditto when it comes to waxing.
- Err on the Side of Caution: Err on the side of caution. Instead of choosing between wheel cleaner and all-purpose car shampoo to clean your wheels and dust off your brake dust, why not use both? Why not wipe the loose dust on your wheels rims and hubs, lather and rinse with shampoo, and finish things off with wheel cleaner to ensure that you're using the triple-threat method of cleaning every last bit of contaminant on your wheels?