Car Care & Auto Detailing Blog

A vehicle’s tires are constantly in contact with dirty, oily road surfaces. Wheels, meanwhile, are getting spattered with this combination, and are collecting brake dust as well. Yet, when it comes to cleaning a vehicle, wheels and tires rarely receive the same level of care and attention that most people give the bodies of their cars.

Over time, dirt, oil, and brake dust can take a toll on your vehicle’s wheels and tires. Tires become drab and cracked, and wheels get grimy and scratched. You could take your car to a car wash regularly to have the wheels and tires professionally cleaned, but to save time and money (and make sure the job gets done right), you easily can do it yourself in your own driveway and get the best tire shine.

Best Practices and Helpful Tools

Any time you wash your car, wash your wheels and tires first to prevent spraying dirt from them right back onto your doors and fenders. Gather some cleaning tools first, such as a tire brush, a Wash Mitt, and The Absorber for drying. These should be dedicated for cleaning tires; use another set for cleaning the car’s painted surfaces.

If you are cleaning aluminum wheels, a Buffing Ball will help you polish them. When you select a wheel and tire cleaner, you should know that some tire cleaners are specially formulated to clean and rejuvenate rubber. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions if you use a cleaner made specifically for tires. Use two buckets at all times; one with your cleaning solution and water, and the other with water just for rinsing your tools before dipping them back into the solution.

You can use a Wash Mitt to give your tires a preliminary cleaning. After spraying the tires and letting the cleaner break down the buildup for a few minutes, use a stiffer brush to scrub the tires — being careful not to scratch the wheel surfaces as you do so.

Moving on to the wheels, be sure to choose an appropriate cleaner for the type of wheels on your car, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. After leaving the cleaner on for a few minutes, scrub away accumulated dirt and brake dust with a soft, feathered brush to prevent scratching. It’s important to remove accumulated brake dust because it includes tiny metal filings from the brake pads that can corrode and damage the surface of your wheels over time.

Once you’ve scrubbed the tire and the wheel, rinse the entire wheel with a strong jet from your hose. Clean only one wheel/tire set at a time. If the cleaner dries, all you’ve done is apply a thin coating that won’t simply rinse away. Use The Absorber specifically for drying your wheels and tires to prevent water spots. Its unique PVA material and sponge-like pore structure combine to ensure superior drying.

The Finishing Touches

Chrome and aluminum wheels can reflect an extra shine when polished with a Buffing Ball. Specifically designed for polishing chrome, aluminum, and painted surfaces, Buffing Balls’ Italian viscose fibers are safe at speeds up to 2,500 rpm, and they won’t tear the way foam buffers can. Applying wax to your wheels will make it easier to clean them the next time, and also help prevent dirt and brake dust from accumulating.

Knowing how to clean tires, using a little elbow grease, and having the right tools will enable you to give your wheels and tires a professional-grade look and protect them from road elements for a long time.

Detailing your car at home — and yet still getting professional results — has never been easier. From waxes to washes, today’s car detailing products have been engineered to ensure that your painstaking efforts aren’t remembered as paint-scratching errors.

A gorgeous glow, an immaculate interior, and the accompanying glory are yours if you can just avoid some common car detailing mistakes. The key thing to remember is that the best ways to detail a car involve both patience and care.

A water hose, a couple of buckets, a Wash Mitt, car wash soap, and The Absorber are all you need to get started.

Beyond that, knowing how to detail a car includes knowing that these 10 common mistakes must be avoided:

1. Don’t use dish soap or other household detergents.

Soaps not made specifically for car washing can strip away waxes and finishes and be too harsh on your paint job.

2. Don’t wash your car in direct sunlight.

Soapy water will dry before you can rinse it off.

3. Don’t use the same bucket for soap and rinsing.

Squeeze your dirty Wash Mitt out in a separate bucket before dipping into soapy water to get more suds.

4. Don’t forget to clean the tires/wheels first.

Ignore this and you will be splashing grime from the dirtiest parts of your vehicle onto freshly washed surfaces. Clean the soap and rinse buckets and start fresh after washing the tires, too.

5. Don’t dry your car with a regular towel.

Baby your finish with The Absorber instead of grinding dirt and dust particles into it.

6. Don’t wipe missed spots with the drying towel.

If you spotted dirt after completing your washing stage, wash the area again. Trying to instead wipe it clean with a drying towel could embed dirty particles into your paint, scratching the surface.

7. Don’t apply wax or polish directly to the car’s surface.

Instead, apply it to or pour it on the applicator to ensure you don’t get dark spots and uneven streaks.

8. Don’t over wax.

Anything after a second coat is a waste, likely to be wiped away.

9. Don’t skip the polishing.

You’ve come this far; why not smooth out the surface of the paint and make it shine?

10. Don’t use an ammonia-based glass cleaner for the interior.

Chemicals from the spray can damage dash surfaces or discolor the upholstery. Using an efficient Dash Gear microfiber cleaning cloth makes cleaning the inside of your vehicle equally easy.

When it comes to tips for car detailing, knowing what NOT to do is crucial, too. Car detailing is one task for which you definitely don’t want to start from scratch.

If worries about a water spot here, a streak there, and a scratch in yet another place have you ready to throw in the towel on washing your own car, don’t. In fact, you shouldn’t even have a towel to throw in. There’s a proper way to wash and dry your car — and come away with a smooth, even and shiny finish — and it starts with using the right car care products.

Henry Ford was on to something when he said, “Any color you like, so long as it's black.” No color looks as sharp on a vehicle, but keeping it that way is hard work. Black shows dirt and dust, and there's nothing as annoying as swirl marks on a black car. You can purchase auto scratch removers to lessen the appearance of swirls, but the best approach is prevention.

You take great care of your car, regularly washing and waxing it to ensure it stays shiny and in like-new condition. Yet have you ever thought about the condition of your actual wheels (not the tires)? If you have not polished or cleaned your aluminum wheels recently, you could be setting the stage for corrosion and detracting from the overall look of your vehicle.

The Problem With Aluminum Rims

Aluminum rims are a great option because they give the car a smooth ride. However, the one downside to aluminum rims is the high risk of damage from road debris and more specifically brake dust. Brake dust is made from tiny metal shavings from the rotor and carbon fibers from the brake pad that, when combined, are highly corrosive. Brake dust is inevitable so it is important to polish and buff your wheels to ensure they are not being damaged.

Before you jump into polishing aluminum wheels, make sure you are tackling the job in the right way.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Rinse the wheel wells thoroughly to remove brake dust and road grime. Be sure to get into the crevices and clean behind the wheels as well as the wheel well.
2. Use an aluminum wheel cleaner to clean the wheels more effectively. The best aluminum wheel cleaners are designed to be non-acidic, so they will not tarnish the aluminum.
3. Buff the wheels using a Buffing Ball on a 3/8” drill with an aluminum wheel polish. The fibers of the Buffing Ball will get into the crevices you can't reach to achieve a brilliant shine.
4. When buffing, do a small portion of the wheel at a time, because aluminum polish turns black quickly. After buffing, use a clean towel and remove the polish before it changes color. Repeat on the next portion of the wheel.
5. Wipe everything with a dry towel then a wet towel to remove polish still lingering on the wheels.
6. Dry everything thoroughly using The Absorber to ensure you do not leave water spots.

Find the Best Products for Cleaning Aluminum Wheels at CleanTools

The task of cleaning aluminum wheels becomes a bit easier with the right tools. Although the quality of the aluminum rim cleaner is important, the towels and buffing tools you use will also play a role in the effectiveness of the job. CleanTools has a number of products that will make this job a breeze. Use The Absorber and the Buffing Ball to clean and buff your aluminum wheels in little time, so you can enjoy shiny rims and wheels that match the rest of your car.

The problem with oxygen is that it’s everywhere. That is to say, it’s good for us that oxygen is everywhere because we need it to live. But, it’s not good for your car’s finish because of the damage oxidation can cause. Oxygen molecules are constantly in contact with the surface of your car’s paint job. It tends to cause other molecules close to it to lose electrons which, over time, causes those other molecules — like the molecules in your car’s paint — to fall apart.

As your paint continues to oxidize, the effects become more noticeable. At first, you’ll see that the paint looks a bit duller than it did before. Then, the surface of the paint will start to fade and the colors won’t be as vibrant. A paint job that is suffering from heavy oxidation will have a dull, chalky surface. The final stage of oxidation means the clear coat will deteriorate, causing patches of paint to dissolve permanently. That opens the door for rust and means you’ll need to repaint the car.

Using the right tools and tips you could save yourself $500 from professional detailing service. With the proper tools and a little extra attention, you can take matters into your own hands and conquer these often-overlooked steps in the car cleaning process. If you need a little help along the way, we offer reusable, chemical-free tools designed to give the proper care your car deserves at every step in the detailing process.

1. Conquer Hard Water Spots

The more you spray and scrub, the more water spots smear, streak, dry, and re-appear. It’s important not to give up on this seemingly minor detail. If you know a few tips and tricks, you’ll have no problem removing lingering blemishes caused by hard water.

What causes it:

Water spots are a common problem if you’re doing your own detailing, as the sun can quickly dry mineral-laden hard water onto your car’s exterior.

How to clean it:

For optimal results, use our multipurpose Absorber towel. The Absorber's superior drying power soaks up more water than a leather chamois and terry towel, and its unique surface glides effortlessly across your vehicle leaving no lint behind.

2. Make Brake Dust Bite the Dust

After scrubbing and buffing your car’s exterior to a dazzling sheen, it might be tempting to cut some corners when it comes to the rims and wheel wells. After all, who’s really going to pay attention to your tires? Unfortunately, grimy wheels can easily throw off the whole effect of a freshly washed car, and the longer you skip this step, the more annoying it becomes.

What it is:

Small iron deposits form on your rims and wheel wells as brakes, pads, and rotors wear down over time due to friction. The heat and friction generated by the braking system cause this residue to cling deeply to the wheels and rims.    

How to clean it:

Tackle this job with CleanTools’ reusable Buffing Balls, which are made from small fibers that help lift dust from chrome, aluminum and other metals. Our tool can attack gunk at speeds of up to 2500 rpm.

3. Destroy Dashboard Dirt

Drivers see their vehicle's interior more than they see the exterior, so a clean, uncluttered dashboard can be a welcome change. Untreated dirt inside your auto may contain chemicals that will damage the vinyl, plastic, and other surfaces on your dash.

What it is:

Dust, dirt, and microscopic buildup will cause cracking and peeling on your dashboard over time. The more you ignore it, the worse it will be, until one day you’re stuck doing extra work to rid your dash and control panel of debris. The following steps can help you properly clean your interior and prevent cracked, or discolored surfaces:

How to clean it:

Teeny tiny microfibers make our Dash Gear cloth especially effective for routing out dirt and dust from tight crevices, and hard-to-reach areas. The Dash Gear won’t streak electronic panels, or leave lint on your dash.

Detailing your ride can be a rewarding, but daunting task. Don’t skip these overlooked steps in the interest of time. Instead, use the proper tools and techniques to get the job done right the first time.