How to clean aluminum wheels (2023)

You want to wash the wheels before the rest of the car.

Thoroughly pressure wash the wheels and wheel wells to remove as much mud, loose dirt, brake dust and other deposits as possible.

Double check that your wheel cleaning solution is suitable for the type of surface you are working on. Wheels without clear coat protection (such as anodized chrome) can react poorly with acid. Also avoid using acidic cleaners on wheels with peeling clear coats.

Liberally spray the wheel with cleaner inside and out, making sure to get to the inside of the barrels. Use your soft-bristled brush to scrub every surface you can reach. Use the small brush for narrow crevices.

Rinse well and dry with a clean microfiber towel.

Is there hard dirt still adhering to the surface? Do you feel any roughness when you run your finger across the surface?

If so, you have more work ahead of you.

You can't scrub clear coated wheels too hard, even with soft brushes. If you are fighting tough contamination and embedded particles, you should use detailing clay.

Wheel Detailing Clayit usually comes with a detailed solution, but if you don't have one, a regular wheel cleaner will do.

You want to keep the wheel wet as you work, then work the clay into the correct shape and rub it into the wheels with light to medium pressure.

The clay will do a great job of pulling out trapped debris, dirt, and brake dust without damaging the surface. When it gets dirty, just fold it up and keep going until you can no longer feel or see the dirt on the wheels.

Clay is reusable to some extent. Just remember to never use wheel clay to paint the car and vice versa. Keep them in separate, labeled containers, or you will inevitably forget and contaminate them.

To remove grease and any traces of old or bad wax film, use a car soap product. If you don't have any available, you can use regular detergent. However, make sure it does not contain bleach, chlorine, perfume, or other additives that may react with the clear coat.

Mix the soap in a bucket of water and clean the wheels with a microfiber mitt or just a clean cloth. Excess grease and wax should be washed off in a few passes. Rinse quickly afterwards to protect the clear coat from any harsh detergent.

Alright, now we have a clean slate to make our alloy wheels nice and shiny once again by polishing them.

Polishing products for bare aluminum and clear coated aluminum wheels are very different.

Bare aluminum will pick up a white layer of oxidation. It doesn't rust like steel, but it will still corrode slightly. You'll recognize the matte white finish of oxidized aluminum. Polishing bare aluminum will require a compound with a little more strength to remove the oxide layer and reveal the smooth, reflective surface of the aluminum.

Clear coated wheels will need a more delicate polishing compound and a softer feel. The good news is that you shouldn't have any rust on the wheel, so it should be less work to polish.

Pay special attention to the products you are buying and whether they match the surface you have polished. Similarly, double check your pads and applicators before you make a frustrating mistake.

Once you're done, wipe down the wheels with a clean microfiber towel and inspect the results. When properly polished, aluminum will reveal a highly reflective mirror finish, similar to chrome.

We're almost done!

You have just gone through a laborious cleaning and polishing process. You definitely won't want to do that again anytime soon.

To seal the beautiful finish, you must apply wax or sealant to the aluminum wheels. This will prevent dirt, grime and brake dust from accumulating and will make the surface hydrophobic and easy to wash.

The application process is pretty much the same as if you were waxing the paint, although the results are different.

Wheels are exposed to much more severe conditions than the body of the car, which means that the wax or sealant wears out much faster. Depending on the product, you may need to reapply wax or sealant weekly or twice a month.

However, if it's consistent with your application, the only cleaning your wheels need is a power wash.

Remember that wheel cleaners, especially the stronger ones, also remove wax, so you'll need to reapply it once you're done washing.

Torque Detail Mirror Shine is the perfect choice for protection

The black residue on aluminum wheels is brake dust.

Don't worry, your brakes are fine. Intense friction and heat are what bring your car to a stop. Cast iron brake pads and rotors literally eat each other up, and the spilled material is the dust you see.

Brake dust is actually mostly iron shavings from the rotors. Metal fibers, carbon, and resins from the brake pad are also mixed in, as well as debris, dirt, and road grime.

Brake dust is thrown at high speed directly at the wheel, mainly the inner drum. The iron makes it highly corrosive to both the clear coat and the aluminum below.

If you clean your wheels regularly, most of the brake dust should be gone with just a regular wheel cleaner, light rubbing, and plenty of water pressure.

However, if you've never removed the wheels, chances are the inner tubes are loaded with a thick layer of brake dust. In that case, you may want to look into a special iron remover that has the right chemistry to remove the iron from the surface and put it into the soap.

Degreaser can also help, but be sure to keep the wheel wet, do quick work with the brush, and rinse immediately. Degreasers will eat away at the clear coat if left on too long.

If you're off-roading and there's a lot of hard, dry mud on your wheels and fenders, your first instinct will probably tell you to pressure wash it and remove the dirt.

However, beware! By doing so, you could accidentally scratch the clear coat.

Depending on the strength of the water spray, it can send bits of hard, dry mud into the clear coat and paint.

Instead, you want to wet the wheel and paint it with a soap solution or a foam gun. Let the car sit for a few minutes and allow the water and cleaner to soak into the mud and loosen it up.

You can then pressure wash it and continue with the rest of the cleaning.

There's nothing special about cleaning and polishing recessed bolts and nuts - they're just a pain in the ass to reach without removing the wheel.

Dip or spray a generous amount of wheel cleaner and use a fine brush or soft toothbrush to remove debris and grime.

The video above shows a lug brush that makes it easy to access lug nuts with them still attached to your car!

Water spots are mainly caused by improper drying of the wheel. When you let a wet surface dry by evaporation, mineral deposits naturally contained in the water are left behind.

The white spots you see as a result are mostly limescale/calcium carbonate, which is found in hard water.

The best solution to remove it is actually white vinegar. The acid in the vinegar quickly dissolves the lime deposit, but is mild enough not to damage the clear coat.

After rinsing, remember to wipe the wheel with a clean microfiber cloth to prevent water spots from reappearing.

Depending on the condition, you may be able to remedy light corrosion by buffing the clear coat. If it did not penetrate the aluminum, you can save it.

If you see signs of corrosion or oxidation on the aluminum, it's a sign that the varnish has failed, at least locally.

If the varnish is peeling, you're done. You can't save it. The best thing to do is remove it, polish the wheel, and reapply the clear coat.

To remove a clear coat, you need a stripper. Sprays work best for wheels, as the odd shapes of some spokes make them a nightmare to put a brush on.

After cleaning the wheel well, polish the aluminum and reapply the clear coat. Apply three coats in this 10 minute interval. Hold the spray can 10 inches from the surface and try to move it gently for full coverage. Let the wheel dry and cure for at least one day.

Then you want to buff the clear coat again with the proper compound and seal the surface with wax or sealant.

Mix a cup of warm water with half a cup of baking soda. Add two tablespoons of lemon juice and place in a spray bottle. Liberally mist the wheel and scrub with a soft-bristled brush.

• Baking soda is an alkali (a base), which helps dissolve grease and dirt in water.
• Lemon juice contains citric acid, which also helps break down grease and deposits.
• Finally, mixing a base with an acid causes them to neutralize each other, releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide. This fizz actually mechanically agitates the deposits and loosens them.

Vinegar contains a mild acid that breaks down most mineral deposits, oils, and grease, mud, etc. stains.

Mix equal parts warm water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the wheel generously and leave to act for a few minutes. Use a soft bristled brush to scrub the wheel and rinse well.

If you have corrosion spots, rusted lug nuts, or built-up brake dust, Coca-Cola can save the day—or at least your wheel.

Spray or pour some glue on the problem spot and scrub it with a soft brush. Properly wash the wheel with a vinegar solution to remove grout deposits and sticky spots.

Coca-Cola contains phosphoric acid, which reacts with iron and dissolves rust. There's also citric acid, which helps break down dirt and grime. Finally, the drink is carbonated. Carbon dioxide loves to react with iron oxide (rust), making Coca-Cola the perfect solution for fighting rust in the home.

If the brake calipers are visible through the wheel, it would be a good idea to detail those as well.

Here we go!

A complete guide to cleaning, polishing and waxing your aluminum alloy wheels. It's hard work, but if you do it right, your wheels will look like new every day with very little maintenance.

Visit the equipment list at the top and make sure you are purchasing the right products for your aluminum wheels. Follow the instructions and approach each step methodically.