How to Clean and Protect Your Wheels and Tyres Like a Pro (Mar 2026)

I cannot stress this enough. If the wheels are hot to the touch, you are going to have a bad time. The chemicals will dry instantly and leave spots that are a nightmare to remove. If you've just come back from the servo, let them cool down for 20 minutes.

Get your wheel bucket filled with water and a bit of car soap. Lay out your brushes so you aren't fumbling around with soapy hands.

Give the wheels and arches a good blast with the hose to knock off the loose grit and mud. Don't go crazy yet, just get the heavy stuff off.

Spray your degreaser directly onto the dry tyre sidewall. Let it sit for a minute. You'll see the brown gunk (antiozonants) start to bleed out of the rubber.

Take your stiff brush and scrub the sidewall hard. If the suds are brown, it's working. Rinse and repeat until the suds stay white. This is the secret to making tyre shine actually stay on.

Spray your wheel cleaner over the entire rim, including the barrel (the inside bit) and the brake calipers. Don't be stingy here.

Wait 2-3 minutes. If you're using a reactive cleaner, it'll start turning purple. This is the chemical reaction breaking down the iron particles from your brake pads.

Take your long barrel brush, dunk it in your soapy bucket, and get right behind the spokes. Most people miss this, and it makes the whole car look half-done.

Use your soft detailing brush to go around the lug nuts, the valve stem, and any intricate bits of the wheel face. Be gentle, you're just agitating the cleaner.

Blast it all off with plenty of water. Make sure you get the cleaner out of the lug nut holes and off the brake calipers. You don't want that stuff sitting on your rotors.

Use a dedicated old microfibre towel to dry the wheels. If you let them air dry in the sun, you'll get water spots, especially if you have hard water.

If you have a leaf blower or a dedicated car dryer, use it to blow water out from behind the lug nuts. Nothing ruins a fresh detail like a dirty water streak 5 minutes after you drive off.

I reckon a quick spray of a ceramic sealant (like Gyeon WetCoat or similar) while the wheel is wet is the easiest way to keep them clean for longer. If they're dry, a specialized wheel wax works wonders.

Apply your tyre shine to an applicator, then wipe it onto the tyre. Avoid spraying it directly on, or you'll get 'sling' all down the side of your doors.

Wait a few minutes, then lightly wipe the tyre with a dry rag. This takes off the excess and gives it a nice satin look rather than that greasy, cheap-looking shine.