Cleaning my wheels 😍

[PranK]

I absolutely love having clean wheels and also totally love cleaning them. Its not as important to me to have a clean car exterior as it is to have clean wheels.

So I bought a kit. I generally use different products for my wheels than anything else, so I thought I'd buy a proper kit and bucket to keep it all in. I got this one from Waxit.

I also got the CQuartz wheel and plastic ceramic along with a bunch more application micro fibre pads as CQuartz never provide enough. 

The kit was good, but as usual the big, long spongey thing didn't fit between my spokes, so I needed to use a detailing brush and a larger brush that I already owned (been doing this forever, the spokes on these wheels are frustrating.) I did a full clean with the wheel cleaner, it has an iron killing product in it, so I found that I could just use the cleaner and nothing else on the wheels. The tyre cleaner and handled brush were awesome. Made cleaning the tyres so easy.

Once everything was clean, I decontaminated with isopropyl and applied the ceramic. Two coats. I bought 2 bottles as I have a lot of wheels to do, half of one bottle did two coats on these. The X5 has 20's so I reckon probably 3/4 on that.

Then, for possibly the best part, the wheel cleaning kit comes with a tyre black applicator. But, this is possibly the greatest sponge of all time - its a great size, quite stiff and HAS A COVER! When you finish applying the black, you just put the cover back on! This is revolutionary, I normally have to try and find safe places to put my tyre black applicators as they are covered in silicone and tyre crap. Or, you use something which just falls apart. This applicator is the bee's knee's. Get one. It's worth it. The tyre black is also like a cream, its very thick but goes on really thin, its very easy to use with the applicator.

Ayway, after a big clean, decontam, ceramic coat and tyre black the wheels went back on and they look awesome.

 

Thought I'd share. 

[PranK]

Oh, and despite all the links, there's nothing sponsored here. Paid in full by me. 

[PranK]

Oh, and nobody give me shit about the M Sport valve covers. I hate them but I now have 4 sets of wheels and have run out of the other valve caps (metal) so I've left these on as they came with them. I'll get another set of metal ones.

Death to M Sport anything.

[Kinkstaah]

I hate cleaning wheels. I like clean wheels. Wheels that take over 30 seconds to clean one send me into an unfiltered rage. I can't imagine having to jack up the car and remove wheels to clean them.

How do you do it? The wheels do look great. But what about next time you drive and it feels like they're dirty by the time you leave the driveway?

Also: If you love cleaning wheels, why aren't the barrels cleaned? I would expect that someone that into it would also keep the barrels clean.

I plan on buying rims that are natively brake dust coloured to save time.

[PranK]

Oh, the wheels were already off. I wouldn't normally take them off to clean them although it does make it easier with the ceramic, so I might take them off when reapplying.

I don't drive much but now with the ceramic coat, when I do drive and they get dirty I can get most off with the pressure washer. I'll be switching to dirtier pads soon which was the motivation for the ceramic as I usually just clean them and sometimes use Autoglym wheel protector.

Nah, f**k the barrels! Haha, I'll give them a quick scrub when they're off the car and a pressure wash, but even I draw the line with the barrels.

Yes, dark coloured wheels allow you to get away with a lot!  

[The Bogan]

I clean my wheels every time I wash the car, I also clean the barrels, the only product I use on the wheels is truck wash and a pressure washer, followed by (inset your chosen name brand) wash and wax, time per wheel is probably 2 minutes total, cleaning the barrels is easy with one of these microfibre thingies on a stick from Sabco, they're also great for getting in between the front guards and body, and tight spots in the engine bay

 

Edited January 6 by The Bogan
I cannot spell

[junkie]

I buy my wheel cleaner in 4 litre bottles now. Euro brakes are brutal

[soviet_merlin]

Have you tried one of those wash mitts @PranK? I find it works so much better than brushes on a stick for cleaning wheels. If fingers fit between the spokes, then can easily clean them with a mitt.

I like Bowden's Own and use their Love Glove, as gay as it sounds.

https://www.bowdensown.com.au/products/microfiber-range/love-glove

That applicator looks super handy! Earmarked for next time I'm splurging on cleaning supplies.

[Milkmun]

Please do a follow up post after a few spirited drives, curious to see how the coating and tyre "shine" holds up.

[Duncan]

What is with the horrible blue and white bit in the centre of the wheels, didn't that come off with some scrubbing?

[The Bogan]

12 hours ago, soviet_merlin said:

Have you tried one of those wash mitts @PranK? I find it works so much better than brushes on a stick for cleaning wheels. If fingers fit between the spokes, then can easily clean them with a mitt.

I like Bowden's Own and use their Love Glove, as gay as it sounds.

https://www.bowdensown.com.au/products/microfiber-range/love-glove

That applicator looks super handy! Earmarked for next time I'm splurging on cleaning supplies.

The "rag on a stick" is a easy way to fit in between the wheel spokes into all of the barrel

Albeit I do have 10 spokes on the MX5 which limits the access to actually jam my hand in to clean the barrel, but it was also makes much easier to clean the 5 spokes on the Dunnydoore with it as well, as you don't have to worry the  caliper getting in the way if you have at least about 15mm space between the caliper and barrel

This of course depends if you actually have the clearance between the barrel and caliper, and the amount of OCD you have to get the barrels as clean and shiny as the face of the wheel

The thing is bendy as well so you can actually shape it to conform to the inner lip of the barrel

 

[GTSBoy]

I have a wheel cleaner pokie thing which is a glorified microfibre rag on a stick, and there is not sufficient clearance between the caliper and the barrel to clean that section. I just roll the car forward 500mm and have another shot at each wheel.

[soviet_merlin]

14 minutes ago, The Bogan said:

The "rag on a stick" is a easy way to fit in between the wheel spokes into all of the barrel

Albeit I do have 10 spokes on the MX5 which limits the access to actually jam my hand in to clean the barrel, but it was also makes much easier to clean the 5 spokes on the Dunnydoore with it as well, as you don't have to worry the  caliper getting in the way if you have at least about 15mm space between the caliper and barrel

Ah yes, fair enough! I was purely thinking about cleaning the spokes and front of the wheel with the mitt. For the barrel the rag on a stick makes more sense.

I've tried cleaning the barrels on mine and gave up in frustration. Between brakes being in the way or spokes being in the way and limited space to constantly move the car front and back it was just too annoying.

The barrel being as shiny as the rest of the wheel sounds amazing though. At this point I'm not even sure if they have the same surface finish on mine. But I feel inspired now to find out.

[GTSBoy]

Barrels don't need to be shiny clean. But they are certainly nicer when they are not polluted with years of brake dust, and worse the rotting corpses of the last 17 balance weight sticky pads scattered all around.

[PranK]

1 hour ago, Duncan said:

What is with the horrible blue and white bit in the centre of the wheels, didn't that come off with some scrubbing?

I left the ceramic coating off this bit, hopefully it just comes off after a few drives.

 

13 hours ago, soviet_merlin said:

Have you tried one of those wash mitts @PranK? I find it works so much better than brushes on a stick for cleaning wheels. If fingers fit between the spokes, then can easily clean them with a mitt.

I like Bowden's Own and use their Love Glove, as gay as it sounds.

https://www.bowdensown.com.au/products/microfiber-range/love-glove

That applicator looks super handy! Earmarked for next time I'm splurging on cleaning supplies.

The gap between the spokes is too tight for anything on a stick, its only marginally bigger than my finger. I have to use a brush to get in there and its a big reason why I thought I'd try the coating.

 

12 hours ago, Milkmun said:

Please do a follow up post after a few spirited drives, curious to see how the coating and tyre "shine" holds up.

Absolutely will do. I have EBC Blue Stuff pads to put on the front which will make them a bit dirtier. I'm hoping a pressure wash will just get most off. The shine is different to most, its very thin but seems very well 'attached' so hopefully it lasts. 

 

[PranK]

A little follow up here on the ceramic coating. 

We've had storms galore here and I've done a few ks, enough to gross them up 

Consensus is that they didn't get as dirty as usual, the coating definitely repelled a little of the dirt and I think they kinda snowball. They get a little dirty and then they get dirty faster which makes sense. Cleaning them regularly would allow them to protect better. 

Cleaning was a breeze. I tried first to just hose them off which, unsurprisingly, did nothing. But, making the wheels wet and then just wiping them over with a used but clean microfibre cloth was all that was required. I didn't need any cleaner at all, just water and a cloth.

The wheels look amazing again.

[Milkmun]

On 02/02/2025 at 9:01 PM, PranK said:

A little follow up here on the ceramic coating. 

We've had storms galore here and I've done a few ks, enough to gross them up 

Consensus is that they didn't get as dirty as usual, the coating definitely repelled a little of the dirt and I think they kinda snowball. They get a little dirty and then they get dirty faster which makes sense. Cleaning them regularly would allow them to protect better. 

Cleaning was a breeze. I tried first to just hose them off which, unsurprisingly, did nothing. But, making the wheels wet and then just wiping them over with a used but clean microfibre cloth was all that was required. I didn't need any cleaner at all, just water and a cloth.

The wheels look amazing again.

Do you think a high pressure washer would work without the need to wipe?

[GTSBoy]

10 hours ago, Milkmun said:

Do you think a high pressure washer would work without the need to wipe?

Pfft. As if I'd ever point a high pressure washer at my car.

[The Bogan]

I always use my Karcher, but it's only a little one that I picked up from Supercheap 

The only issue I ever had with a pressure washer was when I was a kid cleaning coaches, they had a hi-po industrial sized petrol jobbie that would strip paint if you got to close

I saying this, we have a fairly high power washer at work with a diesel powered heater that sprays water at about 60°c, it works great for removing old wax and road grime on the underbody after some foam cannon action, albeit from a "stand off" distance of a few feet

[Shoota_77]

I hear the old "I'd never use a pressure washer on my motorbike" BS in the dirtbike community too.  The only people that have had a problem from using a pressure washer on anything are the people that aren't using them properly.  If you hold the wand any more than 45 cms away from pretty much anything (radiators, wiring connectors, paint, etc) you aren't going to cause any damage.  We've had detailers wreck moulds and seals on cars at work before and the only reason why is they held the pressure washer too close and on the one spot for too long.  If you have 5% more brain power than a detailer then you know not to not do that and you'll never have a problem.