If your clearcoat wheels have gotten stained over time, then you probably either exposed them to heat or harsh cleaning chemicals. Fortunately, you can safely clean your clearcoated wheels--and remove stains in most cases--using polishes and milder cleaning agents to treat the problem.
Wipe down the wheels with a damp cloth. Use gentle pressure to remove as much dirt and grime from the wheels as you can. Do not scrape or pry residue off at this time or the clearcoat may come with it.
Saturate the cloth with WD40. Wear the rubber gloves from this point forward. Pour the WD40 into the rag, then squeeze it several times so that the solution has permeated the rag.
Wash the wheels down with the WD40. A lot of the stains will simply lift off under the WD40. If you hit a tough spot, hold the rag in place over the stain for 30 to 90 seconds, then continue to rub the stain. If your rag becomes too soiled, move on to a new one or rinse it out and re-douse the entire thing with WD40.
Wipe down the wheels with white vinegar. Once you have gotten all the tar and grime off the wheels, you may have some remaining stains from heat or chemicals. These will be "flat" against the wheels rather than caked onto them. Wipe the wheels down with a rag soaked in white vinegar, holding the rag over the stains for up to five minutes at a time before continuing rubbing. The vinegar should lighten or remove most stains unless the stains are actually below the clearcoat. In this event, you will have to strip the clearcoat, and the project moves far beyond a simple cleaning.
Polish your wheels dry. Once the wheels are cleaned to your satisfaction, polish them dry using firm, circular rubbing motions. Your wheels should be beautiful and clean, and your clearcoat should still be intact.
