Keeping your BMW aluminum alloy wheels clean is a dirty but necessary job. This is especially true during the winter months when many places in the country use salt treatment on the roads to deal with the snow and ice. The most common grime thrown on your BMW wheels, however, is the brake dust from your own car. This brake dust, if left on too long, can damage the clear coat on the wheels.
A drive-through carwash may be the easiest option to clean your car and wheels. Unfortunately, these do not do a very thorough job on the wheels. If you are someone who doesn’t mind washing your own car by hand, I recommend a specific wheel cleaner to help loosen, remove the grime and protect your wheels. There are many choices of wheel cleaners, but below are some of the ones we have used to keep our BMWs clean.
Though their instructions on the bottle may differ slightly, the overall philosophy for their application is the same. First and foremost, wheels should be cool to the touch, and not in direct sunlight. Shake the bottle of wheel cleaner before use, and apply liberally from a short distance. Let the wheel cleaner soak in for 3-4 minutes.
Next, wash off the wheel cleaner. Many wheel cleaners imply you can simply spray water on it to remove it. While you can do this, I find a dedicated wheel sponge or brush will do a much better job, especially if you have a really dirty wheel. If you’re seriously OCD, let your wheels dry and then apply Wheel Wax to coat the wheel’s surface so the dust is less likely to stick to the wheels. I try to use Wheel Wax at least once a year for my wheels.
This wheel cleaner changes color after you spray it on, so it helps knowing how long to let it work before using a brush or sponge to help finish the job and spray it off. It usually runs $10-12 for a 16oz bottle. The telltale change in color during the cleaning makes me believe that this OEM Wheel Cleaner is provided by Sonax.
Sonax is a German company that makes a whole host of detailing…
