How to Kill Brake Dust Before It Kills Your Rims

Never, and I mean never, spray wheel cleaner on hot rims. I learned this the hard way on a black Commodore years ago, the chemical dried instantly and left white streaks that took me hours to polish out. Especially in March when it's still 30-odd degrees, wait until the wheels are cool. If you've just come off the freeway, give 'em twenty minutes or you'll regret it.

Standard soapy water won't cut it for the baked-on stuff. You want a pH-neutral iron remover. My go-to is Bowden’s Own Wheely Clean or P&S Brake Buster. They react with the iron and turn purple. It looks like the wheel is bleeding, which is a bit of a laugh, but it’s actually just the chemical breaking down the metal bonds so you don't have to scrub like a madman.

Some blokes reckon you can just 'spray on and hose off'. Maybe if the car is a week old. For the rest of us, you need a soft-bristle brush. I use a 'Wheel Woolie' to get deep into the barrels. A customer once brought in a Range Rover with black rims that looked grey; five minutes with a proper brush and some Wheely Clean and they looked brand new. Just don't use a stiff scrubbing brush or you'll scratch the finish.

Nothing looks worse than a clean face and a filthy black barrel behind it. It’s like wearing a tuxedo with dirty undies. While you’re at it, give the brake calipers a quick wipe. It stops that red Aussie dust from building up and becoming a permanent fixture in the nooks and crannies.