My wheel cleaning products have evolved over the years, and I found what I think are the best products to use to date for this process. Let's start with the product that is the main staple when it comes to wheels. That is P&S Brake Buster. I like Brake Buster because it has more lubrication than most wheel cleaners and foams well in a foam cannon or foam sprayer. I use it straight up with no dilution. This stuff is inexpensive and will last you a little while, especially if you’re foaming your wheels like me. For you car detailers and heavy users looking to save, you can dilute it 50/50 and still get good foam.
Brake Buster will tackle the brake dust and dirt on your wheels/tires. And yes, it’s safe on all wheel finishes. It also contains corrosion inhibitors to protect from future corrosion.
Depending on the tier that you choose with this package, you will get either one large and one small EZ detail brush or just one large brush. I believe these brushes are necessary for your wheel-cleaning arsenal. I use the larger one on the wheel’s barrel most of the time because it’s much quicker to get in and out. I’ll use the smaller one to clean my exhaust tips. Just know that these will fling product because of the bristles.
Another important step in the wheel cleaning process is a thorough cleansing of the face of your wheels along with getting behind the spokes. To accomplish this, I include the Flexipads 4-Finger Lamb Skin Wheel Cleaning Mitts. I see many people using a wheel brush - I want something that will allow me to clean my wheels both front and back completely.
If you’re like me, you also want to hit your calipers, lug nuts, and valve stems. The RaceGlaze brush is perfect for this application. While still having Brake Buster on the wheel, I like to hit these spots quickly. This brush is versatile and can be used for many things, including applying tire dressing.
When it comes to cleaning tires, I’m using The Detail Factory Tire Brush. The bristles are firm and will remove dirt without scuffing your tires. Deep cleaning your tires is a critical step before applying tire dressing. Most of my cars have lower-profile tires and not a whole lot of fender gap, so I don't want my tire brush hitting the lip of the wheel or my fender. This brush has a hard plastic surface to prevent damaging my paint if I accidentally hit it.
To complement those clean tires, this is where OG Tire Dressing comes in. I think it is the best tire dressing on the planet. Before you apply OG Tire Dressing, you’ll want to be sure that you’ve prepped your wheels with Stoner Tarminator Tar & Sap Remover, or else it won’t stick. What I love about this stuff besides the fruit slice smell is how dark and uniform it looks. I usually wipe off the excess dressing on each tire after I’ve cleaned my door jambs, which is about 20 minutes or so. Remember, friends don't let friends have shiny tires.
Now, this package comes in two tiers. Everything I mentioned above is part of the basic tier, and that will get you started with the essentials. But if you want to take it up a level, the advanced tier comes with more products, which are:
- Hyde's Rust Stopper: You recall me talking about how Brake Buster has corrosion inhibitors built into it. Hyde’s Serum Rust Stopper possesses all of the essential elements to help prevent corrosion and rust. I’ve been using this on my cars for years, and it works so well. Once I’m done rinsing my car off (after washing it), I’ll walk around to each wheel and spritz this on my rotors.
- Shine Supply Wise Guy Wheel & Tire Cleaner: This is for the guys that have neglected wheels, are in need of a thorough decon cleaning, or need to remove that dealer prep junk. It's an aggressive, non-acidic wheel and tire cleaner that can remove even the most stubborn dirt and stains and help strip away any leftover protection. Once the wheel and tire are nice and clean, you can use Brake Buster as the maintenance wheel cleaner.
- Detail Factory Curveball Brush: This brush is normally intended for interiors, but you have probably seen me use it when applying tire dressing. I saw how well the dressing went on with the even coverage it left compared to the Raeglazxe XL brush I would normally use.
- Microfiber Madness Incredibrush Flat: I like to keep this in my detailing tool arsenal when it comes to wheels. The microfiber on this brush is high quality, cleans the barrels well, and is slim, so it works on my cars with larger brakes. It really does exactly what you'd want it to do.
If you want to get your wheels and tires dialed in, this is the package you need to help you get started. It's specially curated to give you a taste of our Ultimate Wheel & Tire Solution.
