mrtux

well im kinda new to cleaning the rims. is it alright to spray them with a hose and handwash them off? would it damage what's behind the rims? or is it alright to take it to those no-hand car washes?

Squidward

good ol' elbow grease always does the job

Just wash it like you would wash the rest of the car..

For the extra dirty wheels, use a scratch-free scratch-free low-profile scrub brush. You'll want one that extends at least 4 inches out and has a handle. That way you'll clean the outside AND inside of the wheel. If you have thin hands, you can also use a scratch free scrub sponge or towel.

Lastly, make sure you wax the wheels too. Wheels are the first thing to get jacked up because it is usually the one place on your car that gets exposed to the most dirt and grime. By waxing, you create a protective sacrificial layer that will keep crap from sticking to and staining your wheels permanently.

LesPaul

I used some of that spray wheel cleaner on my wheels, and was very disappointed. It ended up leaving a gunky slime on the wheels. I never experienced this before. It's as if the spray cleaner melted a clear coating on the wheels. I'll just use soap and a brush from now on.

alarabie

I,ve been using Meguillar deatailing spray on my car wheels for the last 4 years, it works extremely well. I use it between washes and it leaves the wheels sparkling.

Eradicator

I've got some armor all wheel cleaner, but I haven't used it yet because of another thread with a horror story about it. So is there another spray I can use to get the specks out that I can't seem to get by hand-scrubbing?

B-Nez

The best thing I've found for washing the wheels - especially when they are REALLY dirty - is my right hand (no jokes!). I use a cotton washcloth to gently wash away the brake dust and use my fingers to get the nooks and crannies. Cool thing about this is you can wash your wheels without getting the rest of the car wet. I fill one bucket with LOTS of water, and another with your favorite carwash solution. If you rinse the washcloth in the fresh water before putting it into the soapy water each time, the soapy water will stay cleaner. Replace the fresh water as needed so you're rinsing the wheels and not putting brake funk back on there. I dry with a separate, synthetic chamois-type cloth (not the same one I use on the car body). Nice thing about this, too, is you don't douse the brake rotors in water, causing that rusty film. It's a little bit tedious, but I wipe the wheels with Zaino Z-6 afterwards, and they stay cleaner longer.

klegg

Had this problem when I used a rim cleaner on my 84 svo rims. melted the clear coat right off!! I took another look at the bottle, it was for regular, not clearcoated rims!! I was not all that sharp in 84(collage daze), and I tell you between tickets, and constant repairs that car was one big money pit

Since then, I have always used a terry cloth rag, and just plain soapy water.

Genom

Also, since the rims are clearcoted, I found a layer of Zaino when I d the car works great. I usually have enough left over from 1 ounce to do all 4 rims as well and it makes cleaning them in between super easy. Usually the hose with high pressure will wash most of the dust right off, and then a light washing with a washing mit takes 2 minutes.

Eradicator

I was able to get the rims pretty clean with just a washmit, but there's still a few specks here and there. Maybe I'm just being ****, but I'd rather get those out early and try to prevent buildup. Since I can't seem to get those specks out by hand, that's why I was asking if there's a safe spray that will loosen the remaining dirt without ruining the color of the rims.