Cleaning the inside of your wheels/rims

[IndianaDave]

Hello Friends,
I really appreciate this site and the feedback I got on my first question. Now I have another, 2008 G35 S....I've got that brake dust and what not all on the insides of the wheels. I have 2010 rims on my 2008 but I did not purchase them and know little about it. I never had a car where I needed to clean inside of some fancy wheels/rims. Aside from buying a better jack so I can work with them better, I would like to know how you best clean that stuff off. I have looked on-line and there are many ideas. I'd like to buy a product to spray on, perhaps wait, and then spray off with water. I'm concerned about cleaning and staining it more as I'm not sure of the exact Alloy composition and all the products seem to talk about knowing that. I also would like to refrain from having to take the tires completely off each time to get it done. I'm just trying to get that caked on brake dust off in a way that benefits my car and does not potentially hurt it. I'm not very mechanical so some way to apply and spray off would be best for me. I'm not trying to take all day to scrub the inside of my wheels and such. I very much thank all of you for the helpful comments. - Dave

[joe603]

For mine, I just washed the car first, then the front of the rims. Next is the inside rims and exhaust. Use a different sponge (I like the microfiber ones) and regular car wash soap. You should be able to get it in there to take 90% of the dirt off. To get it show ready, you usually have to remove the rim from the car. I don't use the harsh wheel cleaners...

For the tires, I've found that armor-all wipes work great!

[larsG35]

I don't know of any spray on/spray off product, but there probably is one.

I also just use regular car wash soap with a soft sponge. I'll admit that I don't get every spot on the wheel clean (especially the hard to reach places on the back), but if I can't see it, it's not a huge deal to me. I won't ever be bringing my car to a show.

I'm not really the type that cleans the tires. They seem to get dirty so fast it's not worth it. If there is some major nasty goo on one, I'll get a brush and paper towels and scrub it off, but that's as far as I go.

[Gilley]

The paint on the OEM wheels can be damaged with harsh cleaners, so I always use car wash soap after I've washed the car. I also use a different wash mitt and also a microfiber cloth to get where the mitt cant.

[audtatious]

Twice a year I take off the wheels and thoroughly clean them and put on a wax coat. When I wash the car itself I use a Carrand 2-in-1 Microfiber Wheel Detailer I picked up from PepBoys to clean the inside

[Gilley]

That's a nice tool. I'll have to pick one up.

[audtatious]

Works well and is relatively low price.