Scratch-free happiness: How to clean your car rims properly
Hardly anything else enhances a car more than shiny rims. You can find out how to do everything right when cleaning in the following article.
Clean car rims are a must
Clean, shiny car rims are an eye-catcher and a joy for the eye. Alloy rims in particular are mainly mounted on cars for visual reasons and should therefore be cared for accordingly. What good are the most beautiful rims if they are constantly full of dirt and brake dust? Therefore, you should not only wash your car regularly, but also pay special attention to the rims.
This is not only important for their appearance, but also for a long service life. You shouldn't just wash alloy rims with the rest of your car. The special material of the rims and their special surface require different cleaning and care than the vehicle paint. In addition, rims are also exposed to particularly high loads – for example from brakes and grit.
These can not only quickly affect the appearance of the rims, but in the worst case can also lead to damage. Scratches can lead to dangerous hairline cracks, which endanger the load-bearing capacity of the rim and thus the safety of your car. For this reason, you should clean your car rims particularly thoroughly and at regular intervals.
That's why a trip to a car wash is not enough
Sure, a quick drive through the car wash is convenient and certainly removes the coarsest dirt. However, it is not enough for really clean rims. In addition, you hardly have the opportunity to inspect the rims for possible damage. Even the high-pressure cleaner usually does not manage to completely remove dirt from the rims.
When cleaning alloy rims, manual work is therefore required. Especially with elaborately and detailed rims, dirt and brake dust also settle in hard-to-reach places. You must therefore clean them with a small brush so that the rims are really completely clean.
Cleaning rims properly – from simple to complex
Basically, the aluminum rims of your car should be treated separately with a brush and a special rim cleaner every time you wash with the high-pressure cleaner. The more often you do this, the easier and faster the cleaning process will be. If you let a lot of time pass between the individual wash cycles, you have to struggle much more when cleaning the rims.
This is because brake dust not only accumulates on the rims over time, but literally burns itself into them. And once this has happened, the brake dust can hardly be removed with commercially available cleaners. Therefore, it is better to clean the rims more often.
The right wheel cleaner makes all the difference
The basic program of rim cleaning should consist of cleaning once a week with the high-pressure cleaner. In addition, you should remove impurities from the rims manually with a brush. A special rim cleaner can be of good service here. Rim cleaners are offered by various manufacturers in the car accessories trade and are specially manufactured for the requirements of aluminum rims.
However, when it comes to rim cleaners, you should definitely make sure that you choose a product that is not too aggressive. This can quickly attack the sensitive surface of the rims and, in extreme cases, even damage them. Sometimes this damage only shows up after some time and not immediately after the first application. Therefore, you should not assume that a rim cleaner is safe to use if everything seems to be fine after the first use.
Instead, pay attention to the ingredients of the cleanser. In general, acidic rim cleaners with a low pH value attack the rims less than pH-neutral or alkaline products. However, the cleaner should not be too acidic either. This in turn could lead to damage to the rim surface. For example, it could happen that the paint of the rims is attacked and peels off the rim in places. In this case, the rim would have to be completely repainted by a professional.
When choosing the right rim cleaner, you should not skimp. It's better to go for a slightly more expensive and better product. A high-quality rim cleaner not only reliably and gently removes dirt from alloy rims, but also contains special ingredients. These protect the sensitive surface of the rims from new contamination.
They also ensure that the brake dust does not burn into the rims so quickly. In addition to rim cleaners, special sealing products for rims are also offered. After cleaning, apply these to the rims, where they leave a thin protective layer. This layer also protects the surface of the rims from new contaminants.
How to proceed correctly when cleaning the rims
First, wash your car as usual with the pressure washer. In this way, you can work on each rim individually. Be sure not to aim directly at the tires and to keep enough distance. The pressure washer has enough power to damage your car's tires.
Then apply your chosen rim cleaner to the rims.
Leave it on as prescribed. Then work on the rims with a hand brush and clean hard-to-reach areas with a toothbrush or bottle brush. Finally, rinse the rims with clear water from the high-pressure cleaner until the rim cleaner is completely removed. Finally, you can seal the rims with a special product. However, this is not necessary for every washing process - once or twice a year is sufficient.
Home remedies for clean alloy rims
Many people prefer to use tried-and-tested home remedies instead of special rim cleaners. These are much more cost-effective and promise the same success as products from the car accessories trade.
Toothpaste is one of the most common home remedies for cleaning rims. Simply apply some toothpaste to a previously dampened, clean cloth. Rub it into the dirty areas of the alloy rims until the dirt comes off. In the case of very heavy soiling, you should wash the cloth every now and then before continuing. Make sure that the cloth is only damp and not wet. Finally, rinse the alloy rims with plenty of clear water until all dirt and toothpaste residues have been removed.
But be careful: Since toothpaste often contains fine abrasive particles, this can damage the paint surface of the rims if used permanently. You should therefore not use toothpaste for rim cleaning too often, but rather use rim cleaner.
Oven spray is another proven home remedy for cleaning rims. Wash your alloy rims as usual and remove the coarsest dirt. Dry the rims carefully before spraying them with oven spray. This step is very important for the spray to take effect. Leave the spray on for about 15 minutes. Then clean the rims with a sponge or brush and rinse them with plenty of clean water.
Be particularly careful with highly polished and chrome-plated alloy rims
Highly polished and chrome-plated rims require special cleaning and care. In this case, you should not use rim cleaners, but only use water and mild washing-up liquid. Due to their particularly sensitive surface, you should therefore clean this type of rims particularly often. Be sure to keep your distance from any aggressive rim cleaners and home remedies.
Result
Well-maintained and shiny alloy rims are an eye-catcher on every car. To ensure that these are positive and not negative, you should clean the rims of your car thoroughly on a regular basis. Whether it's special rim cleaners from the car accessories trade or home remedies, special cleaning of the rims is mandatory to keep them beautiful for a long time.