To clean alloy wheels, seeking a professional service or using a dedicated alloy wheel cleaner is usually the first step. But, some people prefer to use household cleaning products to do the job. This can be effective, but we’ve got some advice for you to ensure that you do the best job possible, every time.
This blog post will answer some questions like ‘why do alloys need to be cleaned? What should I use to clean my alloys? And how can I clean my alloys using household products?
Why do alloy wheels need to be cleaned?
Alloy wheels need to be cleaned both for obvious aesthetic reasons, but they actually also need to be cleaned regularly for safety reasons too.
Your vehicle won’t look as good with grubby wheels, and unclean wheels actually also decrease the resale value of any car. Keep your vehicle looking fresh by including a regular wheel clean as a part of your overall car wash.
It’s also important to keep your alloys clean to decrease the risk of damage. Alloys which are caked in brake dust, road debris, and general dirt are more susceptible to cracks, because these corrosive substances can lead to tiny chips or cracks, which will develop into something worse over time. Dirty alloys can also cause slow leaks in tyre pressure, because of the friction caused by these chips and cracks. Not only will this reduce the handling of your vehicle, they can actually lead to tyre blowout in extreme cases. If you think your wheels have sustained even minor damage, seek a repair centre.
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How often should I clean my alloy wheels
To maintain pristine wheels, we’d recommend cleaning your wheels every couple of weeks. However, if you’re not as concerned about keeping them perfect at all times, once every month or two is enough to keep them still looking good, as well as maintaining safety and the structural integrity of your wheels.
However, different driving conditions will have an impact on how often you’ll need to clean them. For example, driving on dirt tracks or poorly maintained roads regularly will mean your alloys get dirty more quickly. Also, driving off-road will naturally mean you need to clean much more regularly too!
Can I use WD-40 to clean alloy wheels?
WD-40 can be used to do a decent job of cleaning alloy wheels, especially for more minor cleaning jobs. However, we would not recommend WD-40 for heavy grime or many layers of brake dust. Also, if you do choose to use WD-40, you should take care to apply it sparingly to your wheels, and make sure you remove any residue with soapy water afterwards.
Best alloy wheel cleaner
An excellent option for a dedicated alloy wheel cleaner is turtle wax colour shift wheel cleaner. However, if you’re looking to use a substance which you might have around the house, here are some popular options which will still do a good job:
WD-40
White Vinegar
Lemon Juice
Soapy Water
With each of these options, make sure to do some research specific to your alloy wheels and how they might react to these substances, as different paintjobs and coatings might not be suitable for certain substances.
How to clean alloy wheels using household goods
This is your guide to cleaning alloy wheels using White Vinegar (bear in mind that some alloys have a clear coat, which can be damaged by vinegar):
Create your white vinegar solution - To avoid the solution being too strong and risking alloy damage, dilute the vinegar with water, roughly ten parts water to 1 part vinegar.
Remove excess dirt or grime - Before you use your solution, use a brush or cloth to dislodge any bigger chunks of dirt which can be easily removed.
Apply solution - Spray your diluted solution onto your alloys. Be sure to test the solution on a small section of the wheels first, to see that it has the desired effect. After this, you can ensure that your solution covers the entire surface of each wheel.
Allow to sit - Give some time for the solution to get to work on the grime and dirt. A couple of minutes should be enough to do the job!
Scrub - Use a soft bristled brush to scrub any dirt thoroughly, targeting areas which are especially grubby. Make sure you get into all areas of the wheel too, even those you can’t see as well. Remember, cleaning wheels is for the health of your wheels, as well as the aesthetic!
Rinse - Using water, make sure you rinse all of your solution from the wheels, at this point you might notice some small areas you’ve missed, so make sure to go over these areas to complete the job.
You should now have perfectly clean alloy wheels! If during the cleaning process, you notice any scuffs, scrapes, or scratches, be sure to book an alloy wheel repair today, to prevent these turning into something worse.
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