Wheels and Wheel Wells

I start with a bucket, car soap, a mitt, a long handled scrub brush, a wheel brush, a flat handled brush, and a detail brush.  I put all those in my bucket, add some water, and grab the degreaser and the tire cleaner and start at the rear passenger side wheel.  I start with the rear wheels because the front wheels are usually dirtier.

It's best to have the wheel and the well dry so the chemicals will work better.  First spray the sidewall of the tire with a generous coating of tire cleaner.  Then spray over the same area with the degreaser, and spray the inside of the wheel, the caliper, the outside of the wheel, and  a really good coating up and all around the well.

I use the flat handled brush to scrub inside the well, keep dipping it back in the bucket of soapy water to help get the mud and dirt that cake in the well.  I use the long handled scrub brush to scrub the sidewall, again, dipping into the bucket now and then.  Make sure to really scrub the sidewalls, that way we wont have to use a lot of tire dressing to make the tires look clean, instead we actually clean them. Use the wheel brush for inside the wheel and behind the spokes or openings (if any), and around the caliper (if visible).  I use the detail brush for the lug nuts and any areas I couldn't fit anything else into.  Now go over the lip of the fender where the fender meets the well, with the soapy mitt.  Also go over the outside of the wheel with the mitt and then rinse with hose.  

For vehicles with hubcaps or beauty rings:  Pop the hubcaps or beauty rings off and wash them with soapy water and whatever brush you need, and make sure to clean both sides of the hubcap.  Then, clean the wheels and wells just as above, only without the hubcaps or beauty rings on.  This will eliminate brake dust from running out from behind the hubcaps or beauty rings every time the vehicle is washed.  This is a good time to polish and wax the hubcaps or beauty rings, also, don't put the hubcaps or beauty rings back on until we re-assemble the vehicle, that way they don't get covered in polish.

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