Wheels and tires are so often neglected that it makes me sad. Look I get it, washing wheels and tires is no fun because they literally get dirty the second you move the car. But I promise you, this is an area well worth taking care of. For starters, cleaning your wheels and tires is generally good maintenance that will extend the life of them. More importantly, clean wheels and tires really complete the clean look of your ride.
Wheel Cleaner – Mother’s Foaming Wheel Cleaner
The key to any wheel and tire cleaning, is to start with a good wheel cleaner. The less known secret is that you can totally use whatever soap you are using for the rest of the car. However, if your wheels are especially or dirty, or if you really want to get stuff off than I recommend getting a cleaner specifically for wheels. Mother’s Foaming Wheel Cleaner is a good safe cleaner that won’t ruin the wheel surface but will still get the job done. It also happens to be one of the cheapest ones so it’s very economical!
Tire Cleaner – Meguiar’s Super Degreaser
We have mentioned the Meguiar’s Super Degreaser in the other detailing post. It is a great cleaner for so many reasons. You could go out and buy a specific tire cleaner, but if you’ve followed the detailing posts you would already have Meguiar’s Super Degreaser so you might as well use it in stead. It does a great job removing road grime, mud and that worn out tire shine!
Tire Dressing – Pinnacle Black Onyx Tire Gel
The best part of the job, tire dressing! I found Pinnacle’s Black Onyx Tire gel will leave a nice clean look without making your tires look like they’ve been shined and waxed. I also like that the Pinnacle Black Onyx tire dressing is a gel, as they usually do last longer than the spray based products!
Dressing Applicator – Chemical Guys Durafoam Contoured large Tire Dressing Applicator Pad
You’ll want a good applicator to apply tire dressing that won’t disintegrate as you get to work. The Chemical Guys Durafoam Contoured Applicator is great as it has two sides with one being a rigid tough dura foam side which is easy to grip. These seem to last a long time which is nice for those on a budget.
Microfiber – Chemical Guys MIC 507 06 Professional Grade Premium Microfiber Towel
You’ll definitely want a set of microfiber options to properly clean your wheels and tires. I strongly recommend have a set you only use for your wheels and tires as they will easily get the most abuse. Chemical Guys has great microfiber that we have brought up before due to it’s reliability and price.
