It’s important to clean your car’s alloy (or plastic) rims because they are some of the parts that get dirtiest during use: beyond the normal deposits of mud and other materials, other substances accumulate on the rims that do not usually affect the rest of the car body.
The dirt on car rims consists, in particular, of black powders that are quite anchored to the surface and come from the progressive surface disintegration of the brake pads. In fact, every time you brake, the pads are strongly brought into contact with the rotating discs and release a certain quantity of this powder.
The front rims are particularly subject to this occurrence, as their braking systems are stressed much more than the rear ones, both because the weight of the engine weighs on them and because they exercise traction and therefore have significant energy kinetics that are counteracted by the robust friction exerted by the brakes.
Furthermore, a certain layer of greasy material from different sources is deposited on the rims, such as the dispersion of oils from the engines and transmission systems of cars on the road, oils suspended in exhaust products, etc. These greasy materials can mix with water to form particular emulsions, so-called pasty “sludge” which, when dried, is very difficult to eliminate.
How to clean alloy or plastic rims
To keep the rims of your car constantly clean, regardless of whether they are made of steel, alloy or other materials, they must be periodically cleaned (weekly on average) to eliminate all the deposits mentioned, and working on them differently according to the type of dirt.
Preliminary washing
The mud, dust and powder from the brake pads can be eliminated with a pre-wash with water, best if carried out using a pressure washer. Then apply a good detergent adequately diluted in water to the rim using a spray bottle or brush. Leave it to act for a few minutes and then spray again and brush to remove the dirt. Here, too, a pressure washer returns the best results.
Eliminate the most stubborn dirt
However, using a pressure washer has little effect on grease stains and oily deposits, which must be treated differently. After washing with detergent, and subsequent rinsing, apply WD-40 Specialist Fast Acting Degreaser. It is a solvent-based formula that quickly removes grease, oil and dirt without leaving any residue. It acts immediately on contact, and is easy to rinse.
You must be extremely careful, however, that the product does not go into the brake pads.
It’s best applied by spraying the product on a cloth and then passing the cloth over the rim.
The product is available with the “Double Position” system, which lets you switch from a large spray to a precise application in a single gesture. It also offers excellent results on engines and nautical equipment. After this application, pass a clean rag over the treated parts, spreading the product over the entire surface of the rim, or you can repeat the final washing with another dose of detergent.
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