How To: Clean Your Wheels and Tires

[Grizzly]

I always start with cleaning the wheels, tires, and wheelwells.

If you did them after washing the actual car, the water will sit on the paint and maybe even completly air dry. As stated already.

[ASPHALT ROCKET]

Dana, I said start with the wheels because if you wash you car then move to the wheels. By the time you dry the car it will already have started to dry because of the sun and heat causing water spots. So to avoid this you start with the wheels.

I would hope you would dry the vehicle off before starting on the wheels if you do them second. I would state if you decide to do the wheels second make sure the vehicle is dried before moving on to clean them.

Not in stone....but more of common sense

I guess I have no common sense since I have been doing the wheels last after all these years and the vehicles always seem to just fine when I am finished detailing them.

[Mike Phillips]

Why do you always have to clean your wheels first, where is this written in stone?

Personal preference Dana, everyone's free to find their own way that makes them happy...

I guess I have no common sense since I have been doing the wheels last after all these years and the vehicles always seem to just fine when I am finished detailing them.

I always wash wheels and tires first and then start at the top of the car and work downward. In fact, I explained why and demonstrated this approach in my car wash video made back in 2006

Just because this approach works for me doesn't mean everyone has to use it...

[Grizzly]

I would hope you would dry the vehicle off before starting on the wheels if you do them second. I would state if you decide to do the wheels second make sure the vehicle is dried before moving on to clean them.



I guess I have no common sense since I have been doing the wheels last after all these years and the vehicles always seem to just fine when I am finished detailing them.

Yes, but when you go to wash the wheels and tires after washing and drying the whole car you will probably end up getting the paint wet again when spraying down the wheels and tires, so you will have to dry off parts of the car again.

There is also a chance that when spraying off the wheels and tires that any sort of dirt or debris may land on the freshly washed and dried paint, then you have to go back and wash certain areas of the paint again.

[ASPHALT ROCKET]

Personal preference Dana, everyone's free to find their own way that makes them happy...



I always wash wheels and tires first and then start at the top of the car and work downward. In fact, I explained why and demonstrated this approach in my car wash video made back in 2006

Just because this approach works for me doesn't mean everyone has to use it...

Agreed Mike, that is why I made my first post. You do not have to start with the wheels.

Yes, but when you go to wash the wheels and tires after washing and drying the whole car you will probably end up getting the paint wet again when spraying down the wheels and tires, so you will have to dry off parts of the car again.

There is also a chance that when spraying off the wheels and tires that any sort of dirt or debris may land on the freshly washed and dried paint, then you have to go back and wash certain areas of the paint again.

Very little water gets on the paint by wheels and just takes a second to remove. No need to rewash those areas, just rinse of with the water hose. Sounds like you are going to town with the hose. I am very neat when cleaning a car.

[Mirror Detailing]

Hell I never do the wheels first. Always seemed stupid, because if you wash the wheels and all the dirt from the paint runs downward it runs onto the already clean rims.

[Bunky]

I usually do wheels last after I have dried the paint since I want to use the same wash / rinse bucket and do not want to mess up rinse bucket with any wheel mess.

[rohnramirez]

Just to share, i start with soaking the wheels then give it a brisk cleaning and a rinse without drying. I then move to the body from top to bottom, then rinse the entire car with the wheels. Dry the car then work on the wheels again, but this time in detail.

I always wanna apply protection when i don't need to use water anymore.

[sullysdetailing]

Here are some pictures to go with the How To:
The Wheels where cleaned with DP
Before

During



Notice even after the wheels were cleaned and dried there was still dirt on the wheels. They needed to be clayed so I grabbed some DP clay and Pinnacle Clay lub and clayed all the wheels
Before Clay


Claying

After Clay


After DP Wheels Glaze was applied

Final Product

[A4 1.8tqm]

Nice write up.

I'm a "wheels first" guy. I do wheels first mostly because I just don't feel like crouching down and messing with the wheels after washing the car. Is that lazy? or efficient use of energy? Also I don't want dirty wheel soap to splash on the paint after I've washed it.