The Best Ways To Clean Your Tires and Wheels (2022)

Want  to clean your tires and wheels? 

Perfect your in the right place!

Cleaning your tires and wheels is not rocket science, but there are certain steps you want to take to get the best detailing results, for your tires and wheels. 

In this blog I will walk you through the steps by steps we take in our business to clean our clients vehicles wheels and tires properly. 

22r auto detailing has cleaned hundreds of tires and wheels, and over the years we have mastered the best blueprint to getting the best results. We have learned these skills by servicing packages such as our Premium Wash and Wash and Wax. 

Tools and Product

Cleaning your wheels and tires does not only take the proper method and skill to get the job done, but also the proper tools and chemicals will be needed.

Down below you will see all of our top 6 products and tools we use in our business, along with the benefits of each tool and product. 

The most time consuming part here is going to be you deciding if these tools are worth buying, but trust us a painter cannot paint without his paint brush. Same concept falls on us, you cant execute a good job without the proper tools.

Tool # 1: Spray Bottle : 

The spray bottle is designed to spray cleaner on the wheel. We personally use a pump sprayer, it's more convenient and simple to use. 

Tool #2: EZ Detail Big EZ:

 This tool is designed to clean the wheel barrels of the wheel, this is optional, but if you really want to clean that heavy brake dust, then this is the best tool out there. 

Tool #3: Adams’ Lug Nut Brush :

 This brush is designed to clean the lug nuts and outer face of the wheel. Depending on the rim you have, it might be too rough or it might be the best fit for it. 

Tool #4: Woolies Wheel Brush : 

The Brush is designed to clean the outer face of the tire, removing all dirt and debris.  

Product #5:Break Buster : 

 Is a type of degreaser we use for the outer face of the wheels and barrow. Removing all brake dust. 

Product #6: Super Clean: 

Is also another type of degreaser that is designed to remove all dirt and debris from the face of tires. 

Pressure washer is not needed; you can get the same results with or without. The tools and products I listed above are the ones who will get you the results you're looking for. 

Yes, it might take a bit longer since you do have to be hosing down and cleaning a bit more since the hose does not build pressure. But you can still achieve the same results. 

So that’s pretty much all you need to get started, now you don't need to exactly buy all the items I listed above here. Please feel free to go through other sites, as amazon, eBay, Walmart etc. They also carry budget friendly tools, these are just the tools that we use and carry. 

Now let's go ahead and dive into the steps to clean your wheels and tires.  

Step By Step 

Step#1: Clean The Tires

Rinse down the tires with your hoes or pressure washer, by doing so you're removing  the majority of dust and dirt on the face of the tires. 

Next you want to spray your super clean degreaser on to the tires, let it sit for about 30-45 seconds so it can soak up and degrease some dirt off.

Then grab your tire cleaner brush, push some force onto the brush and go in a clockwise motion, go back and forth to make sure you're knocking off the dirt off the tire. 

Finish off by rinsing the super clean degreaser with running water. 

If you want to be sure you got most of the dirt off, spray it again with the degreaser and pay close attention to the tire, if it turns brown it means there is still some dirt on it. And just repeat the same process again to you that perfect clean tire face. 

Step #2: Cleaning The Inner Wheel Barrels 

Rinse the tire with running water to remove the majority of brake dust on the inner part of the wheel barrow.

Point the nozzle inside the wheel barrow, and start spraying the inner part and working yourself clockwise all around the wheel. Let it sit 30-45 seconds so the brake buster can do it’s magic. 

Now use the EZ detail wheel barrow brush, and start brushing and working in between the spokes of the wheel. ​​ For added measure, spray a bit more of your cleaner onto the brush so it stays lubricated.

Repeat this a couple times, this takes a bit more effort than the tires, due to the brake dust and the position your brush is at. 

Make sure you have your sleeves rolled up, wearing gloves, safety glasses, and roughly your face 2 feet away from the wheel. This can damage your face or eye sight if not taking the proper steps. 

Make sure you're not letting this dry, because once it dries it can be a hassle to take off so make sure you're doing everything you can to keep it nice and wet. 

Step #3:  Clean The Face Of The Wheel

Finally this is the last step we need to hit the home run, which is cleaning the face of the wheel. 

Start rinsing off the brake dust off the face of the wheel, then proceed to spray down the face of the wheel with the brake buster. 

Now don't be afraid to use the brake buster, i know that those wheels can be tough to clean. So spray away! 

Now you take your Adam Lug Nut Brush, and start working and brushing the face of the rims, starting from the top to bottom. That way you get the bigger way out of the way. 

Rinse and repeat this method again for the wheels. We normally always cleaned them twice because they can be so loaded with so much brake dust, which requires more repetition. 

Step #4: Wipe down The Wheel

You  want to dry the wheels as soon as you're done, and especially on a hot day. Leaving the water to dry onto the wheels can leave water spots. 

So take a clean drying towel and wipe them down.

Make sure you also clean the inner barrow of the wheel. We know it can be a bit difficult, but the more you do it the more pro you'll become at it!

So this pretty much sums up on how to clean your tires and  wheel 

What steps and tools will you use next time you clean your wheel and tires?

Please email us and tell us if you got any value, or what you like about the blog :)