Dirty wheel rims detract from the overall appearance of your vehicle, but brake dust and dirt can get them dirty pretty fast. Going a long time without cleaning or servicing the wheel rims can leave them stained, pitted and scratched to a point where even washing with a special wheel cleaner won't do the trick. If your rims have gotten to this point, you can still restore them to their original appearance.
Wash the wheels and rims with a quality cleaner that's specified for your wheel type or for all wheels. Some cleaners made for specific wheels contain acidic components that can damage painted or clear-coated rims and wheels. Use the toothbrush to scrub between the spokes.
Rinse the wheels and rims completely. Let them dry. Do only one wheel at a time. Don't let the cleaner dry on the wheels or rims or you could further increase the stubborn stain damage.
Polish the rims using a mini auto polish ball attached to a cordless drill. Spread some of the polish on the ball. Spend a few minutes buffing the metal between the spokes. Wipe away excess polish with a microfiber cloth dipped in mineral spirits.
Remove the more stubborn stains inside the spokes by using a more abrasive aluminim polish. Spread it inside the spokes. Use the buffing ball to clear away the stains. Remove excess polish the same way as the gentler polish.
Switch to a larger polish pad or ball. Spread more abrasive polish over the center of the rim. Buff it for several minutes. Remove excess polish with the minieral spirits and cloth. The rims should be shiny.
Use a wool pad polisher if you still have stains in the center after polishing it with the abrasive cleaner. Reapply some of the abrasive cleaner to the center of the rim. Polish with a wool pad. This should remove any last stubborn stains. Remove the excess with the cloth and move on to the rest of the rims.
Polish the metal wheels to the original shine with the least abrasive polish and a cloth to restore the shine lost by using the abrasive pad.
