How to clean your wheels properly.
Wheels collect the worst dirt on the car. Here is how to get brake dust off without scratching the finish, in seven steps.
Start with cool wheels, in the shade
Hot wheels make cleaner and water dry too fast and leave spots. Let them cool after a drive, and do one wheel at a time.
Rinse off the loose dirt
A strong rinse takes off grit and loose brake dust before anything touches the wheel, so you are not scrubbing sand around.
Apply a wheel cleaner
Use a cleaner that is safe for your wheel finish, and follow the directions on its label. Give it a minute to loosen the brake dust.
Clean the barrel first
Dip your microfiber wheel brush in soapy water and work it through the spokes into the inner barrel. That is where most brake dust hides. Pick the Large brush for big rims.
Then the face and lug nuts
Go over the front of the wheel, the spokes and around the lug nuts. Rinse the brush often to keep the grit off it.
Scrub the tires
Switch to a stiffer tire brush for the rubber sidewall. It lifts the browning that a soft brush can't. Keep the tire brush off the wheel face.
Rinse well and dry
Rinse top to bottom until no suds are left, then dry with a clean microfiber towel to prevent water spots.
Pro tip: Clean your wheels before the paint. That way the dirtiest job is done first and the grime never splashes onto freshly washed paint.