clean wheels first or last?

wheels/tires/wells first, that way I don't have water just sitting on my paint forming water spots while I wash the wheels and tires
 
I do wheels/tires after I wash the car. This is because I don't want to waste the water that I already have filled in both buckets after the car is washed. I just continue on and use the car soap mixture and rinse bucket to wash the wheels/tires. If it's done the other way I just feel it's too wasteful to fill two buckets, wash the wheel areas, dump the water, then refill the buckets to wash the car.



If I do another car afterwards I do the wheels/tires first to use that water, then rinse all buckets, and start with clean water for the car.



:cooleek:
 
Grimm said:
I'm the odd duck. I've always done the wheels last figuring they were the dirtiest part of the car and I didn't want to use that dirty mitt on the paint. Now that I've found Autopia and take better care of my car I've still been doing them last, but I use my old mitt instead of the good one. Just hard to break a habit I guess.:p
Click to expand...



Same exact for me - wheels and tires last with an older sheepskin mitt.
 
usualy I do wheels and tires first, except when I use ONR, then Iwash the car first and use the left over solution to do wheels and tires
 
twitch said:
I do wheels/tires after I wash the car. This is because I don't want to waste the water that I already have filled in both buckets after the car is washed. I just continue on and use the car soap mixture and rinse bucket to wash the wheels/tires. If it's done the other way I just feel it's too wasteful to fill two buckets, wash the wheel areas, dump the water, then refill the buckets to wash the car.



If I do another car afterwards I do the wheels/tires first to use that water, then rinse all buckets, and start with clean water for the car.



:cooleek:
Click to expand...



I felt this way as well but I remembered I had a bottle of EO "Bucketless Car Wash" so I just go bucketless on the wheels/tires/wells now! :chuckle:



Of course I have a separate brush and rinse it out with the hose gun attachment. Maybe it wastes water, but eh whatever :p
 
Whats everyone reason for doing the wheels first besides over spray? Ive always done them last so I do not need to make two buckets of soap.. I use the MEGS rim brush and MEGS tire brush to clean the wheels. I usually do not need any rim cleaner b/c I have metallic brake pads which do not put off dust.. I use wesley's bleche white on the tires and an old sponge for the fender wheels.. :-)
 
I do 'em last. I do 'em by hand, I never have any problem with rinse over spray. I also use a retired-from-paint-duty wash mitt. I also prefer not to dress my tires, so no over spray there, either.



I just figure it's the dirtiest part of the car, and I top up whatever is left in my bucket before tackling them.



This is for a "routine" wash... if they're REALLY dirty, I'll give 'em a quick rinse first, along with the rest of the car, but still leave thorough cleaning to the end.



20061110-dirty.jetta-01.JPG
 
If the wheels are reall dirty (someone else's car) I usually do the wheels first with a separate bucket.

On my cars the wheels don't get to dirty in a week so I usually do them last with the left over wash water and my dedicated tools for wheels/tires.

On the picture above this post, I would do the wheels first after pre-washing with a foam gun.
 
Last, if wheels/tires are clean or <3 weeks. I use the leftover wash to gently clean and it won't strip the sealant on my wheels. I've also done this first in a separate bucket with soap I just want to get rid of.



First, if tires/wheels are extremely dirty or greater than 3 weeks. At this point I would use something stronger like EO All Wheel & Tire Cleaner. Then I would need to apply sealant to wheels.:hide:
 
I personally start whith the wheels , tires and inner wheel splash guards then move on to a carwash starting with the roof, hood rear sholders and trunk and work my way down using plently of water to flush shampoo from the top surfaces and to clean my wash mit or spong and refill my wash bucket with fresh auto shampoo and clean water.

Remember that the sides of the automobile will be collecting a lot different kind of dirt and soil than the top porportions of the automobile. The lower rockers and read end of the automobile may collect road tar and oil baised gravle so beware of using a different washing mit and tar remover during or after the wash process. Then move on to clay and accessing your paint detail process and thought.



Bob Geco

detailing since 1970
 
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