Brake dust, road grime and other debris can make your painted wheels look dull and drab. Wheels may become gray or even black in areas. A new vehicle can suddenly look not so appealing because of grime on rims or covers. Your automobile may have painted rims or wheel covers, but all are cleaned in a similar fashion. Fortunately, you can clean painted wheels by yourself in a short amount of time and with inexpensive items, as part of the overall care to maintain the look of your automobile.
Buy a cleaner that is specific for your rim or cover type in the automotive section at your local retail outlet. Read the backs of bottles carefully and choose one that states that it is safe for all factory and wheel types. Some products are made for metal rims and others are specifically for painted finishes.
Rinse off loose debris on one of your painted wheels with a garden hose. Use low water pressure when you are rinsing to prevent damage to the paint or clear coat.
Fill your bucket up with ¼ cup of dish soap and warm water. Take your automotive cleaning sponge and saturate it in your water-soap mixture. Begin wiping gently on your rim or wheel. Ensure that you check your sponge frequently for heavy debris and rinse it immediately with clean water from your garden hose to prevent accumulated grime from scratching your painted surface.
Rinse off your rim or wheel cover thoroughly on a low pressure setting with your garden hose.
Move on to the next rim and repeat the cleaning steps with the soap-water mixture. Clean all of your painted wheels one by one.
