How do you clean your Rims?

[duckymazda]

Hi everyone,

Proud owner of a cx5 here. Had a question on cleaning the rims. There's a section of the rims that I can't seem to wash behind the spokes. It gets pretty dirty back there. Anyone had a similar issue and found a solution?

Thanks!

 

[SayNoToPistons]

Dish washing liquid diluted in a spray bottle of water. Chenille washmitt. No brushes on the wheel, unless it's a soft brush on the inner barrels. A brush like this specifically designed for cleaning the barrels.

http://www.autogeek.net/auto-wheel-brush.html

 

[110321]

I use two brushes. This one for the exterior facade with the clear coat:

https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)

And something like this one for behind the spokes. Be careful, as you don't want to scratch the clear coat. This is a stiff bristled brush with an inner wire core.

http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9123076/?quantity=

 

[SayNoToPistons]

I have that exact Carrand brush and it is damn near impossible to clean into the barrel.

 

[KnurledNut]

soap & water?

 

[CXVille]

I wax the wheels with Klasse All in One. Makes brake dust and crap slide off with a hose. Some waxes tend to melt so they aren't good. There are also some specific wheel waxes out there. The Klasse All in One also cleans the stubborn crud off pretty well.

 

[IHeartGroceries]

I use two brushes. This one for the exterior facade with the clear coat:

https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)

And something like this one for behind the spokes. Be careful, as you don't want to scratch the clear coat. This is a stiff bristled brush with an inner wire core.

http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9123076/?quantity=

I have a brush exatcly (identical) to that Mother's brush, but it is made by another manufacturer. Same supple bristles, and same rubberized clading. Had it maybe 10 years now. Still use it every wash.

As for solution, I have used diluted Simple Green for many, many years. I may also use the soapy water (Usually Gold Class wash concentrate), left over after whashing the body of the car.

I can get the bulk of the dust and grime off with the brush and solution/soap. Then, I use compressed air to blow out all of the residual water and wipe it with a dedicated The Absorber synthetic chamois, to avoid water spots. Finally, I take a cotton cloth and go back over everything by hand, and a bottle of Meguir's Final Inspection.

 

[popeyecahn]

You guys are anal lol

Elbow grease and one of those Carrand brushes (I use my pinky to scour out the grime from the barrels) along with some Bleche Wite tire cleaner. I have waxed them with Klasse AIO, and it works for a couple of wash cycles but it's a helluva lota work for something that gets grimy quick and trolls along the road looking for sludge.

All in all, I hate cleaning them, it's stoop over labor I despise but I gotta do it otherwise the car looks bad. Like having an Armani suit with a pair of grungy dress shoes.

 

[MATR6]

I wipe them with a towel after washing the car. Not too much brake dust with the CX-5, mostly dirty from rain/snow splashing road debri.

 

[duckymazda]

Thanks for the replies. Do I need to be careful about using a brush on the rims? Would a brush scratch the rims at all?

 

[SayNoToPistons]

The wheel is painted and clearcoated. Same paint used on the body of the car. Would you use a brush that is not paint safe on the body of the car? There are special wheel brushes with DENSE SOFT bristles. Any other "wheel brush" without said bristles are either cheap crap, or meant for barrels of the wheels or tires.

 

[pancho]

Soap and water, dry with a clean cloth, apply Wheel Wax and buff to a shine.

Wheel Wax

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

Soap and water, dry with a clean cloth, apply Wheel Wax and buff to a shine.

Wheel Wax

I'll try something like that, I haven't really detailed my wheels since I got them in October.