How to Clean Your Cadillac’s Rims and Tires like a Pro

Your rims and tires are the quickest parts of your car to get dirty.

Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t focus on their wheels when it comes time to wash the car. That means your rims and tires stay brown and dirt even if the rest of your car looks clean and new.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Learning how to keep your rims and tires clean is a quick fix.

Here’s everything you need to know about cleaning your Cadillac rims and tires.

How to Clean Your Rims

The rims of your tires pick up all kinds of dirt, dust, and debris when you’re out driving. If you don’t take the time to clean your rims on a regular basis, your rims will get dirtier and dirtier. This can make the rims difficult to clean.

But cleaning your rims isn’t a hard job if you know what you’re doing.

Here’s a step by step process that’ll help you clean all that gunk off your Cadillac rims.

Find out What Type of Rims You Have

Your Cadillac will have one of several different rim types. You have to figure out what rim type your car has so you can pick the matching rim cleaner.

Don’t just choose the first rim cleaner you find. Not all cleaners work for all rim materials. If you get the wrong cleaner, you risk damaging your rims.

The owner’s manual will be able to tell you if your car has steel, aluminum alloy or chrome rims.

Pick the Right Cleaner

Once you know what type of rim you have, you can pick the right cleaner.

If you haven’t cleaned your rims in a long time, you may want to choose a concentrated wheel cleaner. This type of cleaner is more heavy-duty than normal cleaners and may make the process easier.

Rinse the Rims

Start by spraying your rims down with a hose. The water will remove the first layer of grime and loose debris before you apply the cleaner.

Even if your rims look clean, it’s a good idea to spray them down with water anyway. Many cleaners need a wet surface for the best results.

Apply the Rim Cleaner

While the rim is still wet, spray the cleaner onto the rim. Most cleaners work best if you spray an even coat over the entire surface of the rim. However, you should read the instructions of your brand before you start.

Be careful when you apply the cleaner.

Getting the rim cleaner onto the body of your car can damage the wax, paint, or finish. If you do get some of the rim cleaner on other parts of your car, take some time to wash the rest of your car after you finish your rims.

Let the Rim Soak

You should let the rim cleaner soak for a few moments before you start scrubbing. Most cleaners contain chemicals that break down the grime on your rims, so the longer it soaks, the easier it will be to clean your rims.

Again, it’s a good idea to read the instructions for your specific cleaner. If you aren’t sure how long to leave the cleaner on the rim, start by waiting a few minutes. If it seems like the cleaner still needs more time to soak after that, you can wait a few more minutes.

But don’t let the cleaner dry on the rims.

Scrub the Rim

Make sure you have a brush or sponge designed for rims. Normal tire brushed are too stiff for rims and can create scratches or other flaws.

Use your brush to scrub the dirt, debris, or brake dust off the rims.

Rinse the Rim a Second Time

Once you’re done scrubbing, use your hose to rinse the rim down a second time. This will remove any remaining debris and wash off the cleaner.

Make sure you rinse the entire rim, including gaps in the design or the hard to reach space around the lug nuts. This will ensure none of the cleaner stays on the rim.

If there’s still brake dust or debris on your rims at this point, you may want to consider starting the entire process over again.

Dry the Rim

Dry the rim with a soft, microfiber cloth right as you’ve finished the second rinse.

How to Clean Your Tires

The rims aren’t the only parts of your wheels that take on a lot of dust and dirt as you drive. Your tires get their fair share too.

Washing your tires is a very similar process, but it requires different cleaners.

Check out this step by step guide that’ll teach you how to clean your Cadillac tires.

Pick the Right Tire Cleaner

Make sure you choose a cleaner designed for your tires. Other types of car cleaners can damage your tires.

Try to avoid getting any of the tire cleaner onto your rims. If you’re worried about the tire cleaner damaging your rims, you can buy a cleaner designed to work on both tires and rims.

Apply the Cleaner

Spray the cleaner over your tires in an even coat. If you get any of the cleaner on your car’s paint, wipe it off right away. You might also want to wash the rest of your car when you’re done with your tires to ensure none of the cleaner remains on the paint.

Let the Tires Soak

Let the cleaner soak on the tires for a few moments before you scrub off the dirt and debris. Tires are made of rubber, which is a porous material. Because of this, it can be hard to clean the grime off your tires without soaking.

The instructions will tell you how long to soak the cleaner, but again, don’t let the cleaner dry on the tire.

Scrub the Tires

Use a stiff tire brush to scrub off the dirt and debris. Make sure you apply some pressure as you scrub for the best results.

While you want a stiff brush, don’t use a steel toothbrush. This type of bristle might puncture the tires.

Rinse the Tires

Once you’re done scrubbing the tires, rinse them off with a hose. This will remove any dirt left on the tire and will wash off the tire cleaner as well.

Keeping Caddilac Rims and Tires Clean

Sometimes people forget to wash their rims and tires when they clean the rest of their vehicle. Don’t let that person be you.

Spend some time cleaning your Cadillac rims and tires as part of your routine car maintenance. This will keep them in good condition and make it easier to spot any damages that crop up.

Now that your wheels are clean, you’ll want to keep them protected.

Click here to learn how you can protect your wheels on the road.