How to Properly Clean Wheels and Tires

Whether you own and operate a self-serve car wash, mobile car wash, or full-service car wash, all of your customers expect their car to be fully washed, including their tires and wheels. As such, it is essential to understand how to properly clean wheels and tires.

Why Are Tires So Important?

The primary function of tires is to interact with the road surface and make it possible for our vehicles to move while controlling the direction we want to go. In addition, the tires help support the weight of the vehicle, make it easier to brake, and help absorb road bumps.
There are several important aspects to tires to consider as well, such as:

• Tread Depth
• Type of Tire
• Size of Tire
• Air Pressure
• Wheel and Tire Maintenance
• Wheel and Tire Appearance

Furthermore, many people enjoy customizing the look of their vehicles beyond the stock wheels that came from the manufacturer when they bought their car, truck, or SUV. For example, they may upgrade to a more sporty style of tire or opt for different wheels that improve the aesthetic value of their car.

As you can imagine, when it comes to your car wash customers and their wheels and tires, the tires’ appearance after going through the car wash is just as important as how the rest of the car looks. The last thing they want to see is brownish-colored streaks of brake dust and dirt running down the sides of their wheels and tires.

Why Should Tires be Cleaned Regularly?

Depending on how often and where you drive, your tires can pick up dirt, tar, mud, oil, salt, sand, dust, and other debris from the roads. Additionally, your brakes will give off brake dust as the brake pads slowly wear down, and it will get stuck on the wheels.
So, cleaning wheels and tires regularly helps keep your car looking its best. After all, you are going to spend time running it through a car wash. So you want to give them the TLC they need to keep them looking just as good as the rest of your vehicle.

The frequency of washing wheels and tires can be weekly, bi-weekly, every other week, semimonthly, or monthly. The more often you clean the wheels and tires on your vehicle, the less corrosion and damage they will have. Not to mention, they are easier to clean when you get into a more frequent cleaning routine and stick with it.

Our Guide on the Best Way to Clean Wheels on a Car

The process to clean wheels at a car wash depends on the type of car wash and equipment. First, we will cover automated and full-service car washes. Then we will cover the steps for mobile car washes and self-serve car washes.

Automated Car Washes

The first thing you will need to verify is if your current wash equipment can be upgraded to include washing the tires and wheels on vehicles if you do not already have automated wheel and tire wash equipment.

Second, you will want to review what type of tire applicator and wash soap you are using. Ideally, you want the tire applicator to be able to spray the wash soap to cover the entire wheel and tire completely. If a single pass is not sufficient to fully cover the wheel and tire, you will want to reconfigure the wash cycle so that the tire applicator makes two passes for each tire.
 
Third, you want to use an automated wheel and tire brush for a more detailed cleaning than high-pressure sprays can offer. There are brushes designed to clean both the wheels and tires and feature different types of bristles.

Next, remember to utilize your high-pressure sprays to prewash the wheels and tires and loosen dust, dirt, and debris. You should also use the high-pressure sprays to rinse off the tires after they have been cleaned by the wheel and tire brushes.

Last, you will want to apply a high-quality tire dressing to all four tires. There are different options depending on the wash equipment you have. One configuration sprays the tire dressing onto the tires as they pass by the spray applicator. Another configuration uses foam pads to apply the tire dressing on the tires.

No matter what application method your car wash uses, you want to ensure the tire dressing is applied consistently to all four tires. One of the more common customer complaints is when the tire dressing on the front tires is more noticeable than on the rear tires.

Self-Serve Car Washes

The best way to clean wheels on a car for mobile car washes and self-serve car washes is to do them by hand using the following steps. You should only clean wheels and tires one at a time to avoid having them dry and having to start over.

Step 1: Gather Wheel and Tire Cleaning Supplies

You will need a wash bucket, wash brush, soft-bristled lug nut brush, microfiber towels, microfiber wash mitt, car wash soap, wheel and tire cleaner, tire conditioner, tire dressing, and wheel wax.

Step 2: Prewet the Wheels and Tires

You want to rinse off any loose dust, dirt, and debris before washing the wheels and the tires. Then, spray the water from multiple directions to get into each of the different angles on the wheels.

Step 3: Use the Tire and Wheel Cleaner

Apply tire and wheel cleaner to the tires. Allow the product to soak for a few minutes but do not let it dry. You can use a soft brush to help spread the cleaner around to ensure it gets into all crevices while it is foaming.

Step 4: Wash the Wheels and Tires

Switch the wash setting to soap or tire foam and thoroughly coat the tires and wheels. Next, using the wash brush, scrub the tires to remove dirt and debris. Then use a microfiber wash mitt to wash the wheels. Last, use the lug nut brush to wash around the lug nuts.

Step 5: Rinse the Wheels and Tires

Rinse all the soap off the wheels and tires using a low-pressure setting. Make sure to spray from multiple directions again to get every bit of soap off.

Step 6: Wash the Car

Now that your wheels and tires are washed and cleaned, it is time to wash the rest of the car. You don’t wash the car first, and the wheels and tires second because brake dust, dirt, and debris could splatter onto the already clean car surface. So, you would have to wash the areas around the wheels a second time.

Step 7: Dry the Wheels and Tires

Use one microfiber towel to dry the wheels and another to dry the tires.

Step 8: Apply Tire Conditioner

If you have tire conditioner, you would apply it to the tires and allow it to air dry. You can use a microfiber cloth to ensure it is applied evenly to each tire.

Step 9: Wax the Wheels

Apply the wheel wax to the wheel following the application instructions. Next, polish each of the wheels using a clean microfiber towel.

Step 10: Apply the Tire Dressing

The last step is to apply the tire dressing to each tire for that wet shiny tire appearance. Apply the dressing evenly on each of the tires. You may want to move your vehicle slightly to ensure the bottom of the tires is also evenly covered.

Mistakes to Avoid When Cleaning Wheels and Tires

Cleaning wheels and tires might seem fairly easy. However, some people are in such a hurry they make mistakes. For example, they attempt to wash all the tires and wheels at the same time instead of one at a time.

Another common mistake is using the wrong wheel and tire cleaning and finishing products. There are specific formulations of car wash products meant to be used on tires and wheels but not other areas of the vehicle and vice versa. Always read the directions on the products to ensure they are meant to be used on tires and wheels.

Some people also use the same tools to wash the car as they do to wash wheels and tires. You need to have a set of separate tools that you use just for the tires and wheels. The best way to keep your wheel and tire cleaning supplies separate are to keep them in their own wash bucket.

Products and Supplies for Cleaning Wheels and Tires

It is easy to find the products and supplies for cleaning wheels and tires at your car wash at wholesale prices when you shop at Superior Car Wash Supply. We have a wide variety of products you can choose from to use yourself or stock in your vending machines for self-serve car wash customers.

Browse our selections in our virtual store or contact us at 800-554-9274 for further assistance today!