Wheels are the dirtiest part of a car and the first thing a customer inspects. The whole routine takes about six minutes per vehicle once the order is right.
1. Always work on cool wheels. Chemical on a hot rim flashes off and etches. If the car has just arrived, rinse the wheels with water and start with the rest of the vehicle.
2. Choose between liquid and gel. Rim Cleaner is the fast, economical choice for regular maintenance. Gel Rim Cleaner clings to the vertical face of the rim instead of running off, so it is the one to use on baked-on brake dust and on deep-dish wheels.
3. Give it dwell time, not brute force. Two to three minutes, then agitate with a soft wheel brush and rinse thoroughly, including the inner barrel.
4. Dress a dry tire. This is where most jobs fail: dressing applied on a damp sidewall goes patchy. For daily volume work Tire Shine gives a deep satin finish. Gel Tire Shine lasts longer and does not sling onto the paint. Glitter Tire Shine is for show cars and delivery photos.
Keep the brush used on wheels away from paintwork - it collects metal particles that cause swirl marks.