Often people overlook the importance of keeping their car wheels clean. Obviously it is an integral part of any car washing process, that is, if you do not want your alloys to degrade.
If they are not maintained correctly, wheels are more likely to corrode and will eventually need to be repaired.
There are certain chemicals that can cause damage to the material of the wheels and expose them to moisture. The main culprit of this is acid – steer clear of cleaners that contain acid. Road salts are also particularly bad, thus regular washing will get rid of this. Another factor that could lead to your wheels wearing, is a build-up of brake dust. If it is not timely removed, it will bond with the surface, and dirt and moisture will accumulate around it – this will lead to severe pitting and in turn corrode the wheels.
So how can you maintain your wheels correctly?
1. If your rims and wheel arches are very dirty, and or, caked with brake dust, spray W6 Iron and General Fallout Remover onto the wheels. And, a neat solution of W5 Citrus All Purpose Cleaner into your wheel arches. If your rims are not very dirty, skip to bullet point 3
2. Leave the W5 and W6 to dwell for 3-5 minutes. During this time any ferrous particles will dissolve into the W6 solution turning it bright purple
3. Hose or jet wash your wheels and wheel arch to remove as much loose dirt, and if you have completed point 1 and 2, the W5 and W6 residues. If your rims and arches are still coated with dirt and, or, brake dust, reapply the W5 and W6 and agitate the dirty areas with the appropriate brushes. Namely a soft detail brush for the wheel nuts, a soft wheel brush for rims and a long handled wheel arch brush for your wheel arches. And then rinse with a hose or jet wash
4. Fill one bucket of water with GWash solution, and another with fresh water- use grit guards in the bottom, if you have them, to prevent larger dirt particles mixing in the water. Dunk the WM2 Microfibre Wash Mitt into the suds, wash a wheel and arch at a time. Rinse the wash mitt in the clean water bucket to release the dirt before dipping it into the soapy bucket again, and starting the next wheel and arch
For the best result, protect your wheels with C5 Wheel Armour to make them much easier to maintain. The coating will last for up to 2 years, and the slick finish repels surface contaminants.
For full details on how to clean your car see the Gtechniq Wash Guide
