Beginner’s Guide: How to Clean Aftermarket Wheels

Part Science, Part Art, Part technique, we break down how to clean aftermarket wheels on your Civic and keep them looking as good as new. To learn of the types of aftermarket wheels available, check out our beginner’s guide to aftermarket wheels

Why clean Aftermarket Wheels separately?

It seems only natural that while you clean the body of your car (ideally with the two-bucket method), you simply add a bit more out of the pressure washer and clean your aftermarket wheels too, right? Wrong! Your aftermarket wheels were made with different (more sensitive) materials and are exposed to many more external elements. As a result, the level of gunk, dirt, and a general accumulation of debris requires a separate methodical approach to being cleaned.

Today we wish to share with you the care and caution you need to take care of when cleaning your aftermarket wheels.

Pre-Cleaning

Temperature

Ideally, before cleaning your aftermarket wheels, you want your rims to be cool before you begin the cleaning process. If the temperature is too high, the chances of mineral deposits will be higher post-clean-up, which you want to avoid.

Materials

Here is a list of materials that will help get you started:

Cleaning

Step 1 – Pre-Rinse

To start with, you grab your garden hose and clean each wheel ensuring all the debris has been cleaned out. The wheels are exposed to a lot of dirt and external elements, as such you want to make sure the surface of the rim is absolutely clean.

If you have a connector for the garden hose that has adjustable pressure, you want to set it to a minimum pressure setting. This helps clean the wheel just a bit better, without causing any coating of the aftermarket wheel or finishing of the wheel to peel off. Pay attention to the area inside the wheel wells. This area is notorious for debris buildup and can hamper your ride quality (and keeps your car remaining dirty).

Step 2 – Lather

In a bucket of water, add a touch of non-abrasive liquid soap such as this Meguiar’s All Wheel Cleaner. The non-abrasive element allows you to ensure excessive acidity from other harmful cleaners won’t eat into the rims over a period of time. With a Microfibre towel, make sure to lather the bucket of water nicely.

Step 3 – Cleaning

Using the microfibre cloth dipped in the bucket of soapy water, begin cleaning the wheels. Any additional dirt that can be seen can then be rubbed gently with a soaked toothbrush for those hard-to-reach places within the rim. Should there be any additional larger forms of dirt, use a bigger brush to help remove anything that is truly stuck to the rim of your Civic.

Step 4 – Post-Rinse

Now that the wheels have been soaped and cleaned well, it is time to grab the garden hose once again. This time though, ensure to clean from the top down and see to it that there is no soap left on the wheel.

Step 5 – Dry

Once all the soap and dirt have been cleaned out of the wheel well and off the rim, take a dry microfibre cloth and dry the wheels. Make sure no mark or residual dirt is left on the wheel and that it is completely dry.

Final Comment

Now you just need to admire your car now that you know how to clean aftermarket wheels on your Honda Civic. (and any other ride you may possess). Finally, enjoy driving your cleaned Civic around to the compliments of others knowing in a few days’ time, you look forward to repeating this process and enjoy the process of keeping your aftermarket wheels looking as good as new.