Easily one of the most requested topics, how do I clean wheels?
There are hundreds of different products available to clean wheels, but what if I told you you only need a handful of tools and chemicals?
Check out the below to find out how to simplify your wheel cleaning process and get better results!
Step 1. START WITH A PRE RINSE!
If your wheels aren't too heavily soiled you can start by pre rinsing your wheels with a pressure washer, this will remove 70% of the dirt and is aids in not scratching the wheels when it comes to the contact wash!
If your wheels are heavily soiled you may want to use a pre-wash first to help break down some of the grime, a diluted mix of Siege wheel & Tyre cleaner will is perfect for this!
Step 2. Apply a stronger wheel cleaner (if necessary)
Now we've removed a large amount of the brake dust and dirt apply a diluted mix of Siege wheel & tyre cleaner (I Like to start at 1:5 and adjust the dilution according to the effectiveness), you only need to use a stronger mix of wheel cleaner if your wheel are heavily contaminated, otherwise skip this step and head to step 3.
Step 3 - Use a foamer!
My regular maintenance wheel cleaner is our Rotor wheel shampoo, it makes for a very effective and economical alternative to using a colour changing fallout remover or a traditional spray cleaner. I use 50ml to 500ml of water and get a nice thick foam! Its far cheaper too as this mix will last about 3 washes!
Step 4 - Contact wash!
Now we can get into the exciting bit!
I like to start with the barrel of the wheel, working from the back of the wheel to the front, Using a longer brush like our wheel barrel brush, start at 6 o'clock on the wheel and work your way around the wheel!
Step 5 - Behind the spokes!
A spot often missed! Behind the spokes! Normally this is missed when cleaning wheels but its a breeding ground for corrosion! so using our patented Wheel weasel allow easy access to behind the spokes!
Step 6 - Wheel faces
The final step for cleaning the rim is cleaning up the wheel face, I like to use our detailing brushes for this, if your wheel faces aren't too bad you can use our soft touch brushes this are prefect for delicate finishes, but if you have heavy brake dust or lighter coloured wheel you can use our boars hair brushes for a deeper scrub. Also don't forget to clean around your wheel bolts and valve stem!
Step 7 - Clean your tyres!
If you want your tyre dressing to last you have to clean your tyres! Often laden with brake dust and browning using our siege wheel cleaner and our dedicated tyre scrubber you can rip through it, leaving a clean surface for tyre dressing!
Step 8 - Drying!
Now we've cleaned the wheel its time to blast off the wheel and inspect your work! I like to have a good look around the wheel to ensure its completely cleaning and I haven't missed any spots. always easier to fix this now rather then at the end of the wash! I like to use our wheel and tyre towel to dry off the face of the wheel and the tyre in preparation for protection and tyre dressing.
Step 9 - Protection
To make life easier its always worth topping up the protection of the wheel face, I use Ricochet gloss locker for this! By chemically bonding to the painted surface it makes the next round of cleaning so much easier and quicker!
Step 10 - Tyre Dressing!
The final step (and one of the most satisfying!) Tyre dressing, long gone are the days of glossy dressings, with new formulas like our Ink tyre dressing you can achieve that factory + look we all want, that satin, black finish! Using it with our tyre dressing brush makes for super quick application too!
Now stand back and admire your handy work!
If your interested in any of the products used here please take a look at the below link and product info!
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