It's almost certain that your car will have alloy wheels – even basic family hatchbacks now sport wheels which used to be reserved for the range topping model.
Finishes range from standard silver through to fancy finishes including diamond cut, anodised and different colours. Most are protected with a clear top coat however and any tips below relate only to this type of wheel. If you have a bare metal or chrome type finish, then you need to take a bit more care.
Let's start with the simple stuff – wheels cover brakes (did I mention that I'm an ace mechanic too….?) and brakes get hot when in use. This creates dust from the pad and this is nasty stuff – wheels don't like it and if not kept in check it can cause a lot of issues.
However, it's easy to keep your wheels looking sharp and I reckon shiny paint and mucky wheels is as poor form as wearing an Armani suit and unpolished shoes – it's just not right.
I always start with wheels as you can end up splashing residual dirt onto the paint – this won't cause a problem as you'll wash it away when you do the bodywork.
Firstly, don't wash wheels unless they're cold – it can cause all sorts of safety issues, not to mention being wallet busting. Warped discs for one – not good.
Start by rinsing – you'll be surprised how much surface dirt is removed.
If your wheels have no extra protection (and I'll bore you with protecting surfaces in a separate article) then you'll almost certainly need a specific wheel cleaner to help shift any stuck-on dirt. I'll assume for this that your wheels aren't protected but if they are, then usually regular shampoo will work just fine.
Remember, the heat build-up will actually bake dirt onto the wheel so you might need to use a bit more elbow grease to shift it.
I have a separate bucket for wheel cleaning and washing – mine even has “wheels” printed on it in case I forget.
I work on the motto of “least aggressive first” – in life and car washing (how Zen does that sound?) so start with shampoo and a separate wash mitt for wheels. It's also a good idea to buy a couple of small soft brushes for more intricate bits and a decent long handled brush for the insides – avoid anything with metal in its construction as this can cause scratches. Wool based brushes are my favourites with soft bristle brushes for the smaller areas.
Mix the shampoo a bit stronger, wash, rinse and see how this looks.
If it's still dirty, then time to step it up a bit. Personally, I avoid anything strongly acid based unless the wheel is a) removed from the car and b) undamaged – no kerb marks or chips. Acid can get underneath the top coat and cause a lot of issues usually ending up with refurbishment being the only remedy.
Some wheel cleaners will also be termed as a “fallout remover”. These are products which use a mild acid to lift embedded metal particles out of a surface. They usually change colour whilst working so you can see that they're doing their job. Again, watch for any damage as above but these are safe to use without taking wheels off. Apply, watch them turn a pretty purple, then rinse.
If you still have embedded dirt at this point, have a mild tantrum, curse the car and the world, then take a deep breath and either keep trying or google “wheel refurbishment”.
If all is well however, use a separate drying towel to dry the wheels off.
I usually take the car for a short drive after washing and drying. This ensures that any corrosion forming on the brake disc is removed just by gentle braking and any water trapped within the brake components is forced out – no different to driving through deep standing water and testing brakes to make sure they work.
You can buy electric dryers (yes, really – I have one designed for pets) and they're handy for chasing water out of wheels, mirrors etc.