Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

[boba7523]

Hi Everyone!

Just curious what you guys' steps are in terms of washing your cars. Do you wash the wheels first or after the entire car has been washed?

If I washed the wheels first, I'd have to probably rinse out my two buckets and re-fill with car wash soap since I don't want re-use it to wash my car.

If I washed the wheels last, I'd have to rinse the car again because it would've already been dried (water spots even).

[The Guz]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

First. I do have a dedicated wheel bucket that I use with various brushes.

[510GUY]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

I wash my wheels last. I know you are supposed to wash your wheels last but I don't. I have a use a dedicated bucket. I pour the rinse water from the 2nd bucket (I used the 2 bucket method), that after washing the care has plenty of soap into the dedicated bucket for cleaning my wheels and tires. As I use up the soapy waster from the dedicated bucket on my wheels and tires, I add more from the 2nd bucket. If I need more than the 2nd bucket has I pour the soapy water from the 1st bucket into the 2nd bucket and then in to the dedicated tire and wheel bucket. By doing this, I am re-using the relatively clean soapy water from the 2nd bucket and "rinsing out" the second bucket with clean water from the 1st bucket.

After washing the wheels and tires, I rinse them with clean water and then dry the wheel with a cotton terry cloth towel. I re-use these cotton towels for drying off the wheels. When the cotton towels are too soiled to use any more I throw them away. I don't wash them! I don't want to get any of the break dust from cleaning the wheels on the clothes we were.

I find that if I am careful and a slow stream of water for wetting down and rinsing the wheel and tires, I don't get much of anything on the car. And if I do get some water on the car, it is easily wiped off with a micro fiber towel.

When I am done, I pour the dirty water from the dedicated tire and wheel bucket down the toilet so it can be handled by our municipal sewer system. You don't want to let this water go into the street and down into the storm drains. I keep pouring water from the 2nd bucket into the dedicated tire and wheel bucket, from the 1st bucket into the 2nd bucket and emptying the dedicated tire and wheel bucket into the toilet until I used up all the soapy water from the 1st and 2nd buckets. By doing this I have rinsed out all the buckets and disposed of the water in the municipal sewer system that will take care of it. As a side benefit if have flushed plenty of water through my houses sewer pipes to help get everything out to the municipal sewer in the street that may have remained in my house's sewer pipes as a result of out 1.6 gal low flush Toilets.

Hope this helps.

[JET_Fusion]

I wash the wheels first. When I did them last it felt like the whole process took longer.

[Murr1525]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

Yeah, I do first.

[Top Gear]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

I wash them first when bucket washing (same bucket, different mitt, maybe a different shampoo), but usually last when waterless washing (quick, but greasy wipe, so my hand gets greasy, hence last).

[davey g-force]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

I wash them last.

I like to make sure my wash water is clean for doing the body of the car. Once the body of the car is done and the water is a bit dirtier, I'll use that on the wheels. Makes sense to me...

[DasBurninator]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

Wheels, tires, and wheel wells first. I have a separate bucket dedicated to wheels with numerous brushes and a dedicated wash mitt for wheels.

If you do them second you end up splashing water and dirty nastiness from tires, etc onto the freshly cleaned paint. On top of it there is no risk of introducing water spots this way.

This thread from Mike Philips discusses this in greater detail:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/52981-how-wash-your-car-kiss-style.html

[Sleper]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

I do first with water, then bleach white, rinse and then again at the end

[The Guz]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

If we are talking about a rinseless wash, then I will do the wheels and tires last.

[davey g-force]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

Wheels, tires, and wheel wells first. I have a separate bucket dedicated to wheels with numerous brushes and a dedicated wash mitt for wheels.

If you do them second you end up splashing water and dirty nastiness from tires, etc onto the freshly cleaned paint. On top of it there is no risk of introducing water spots this way.

This thread from Mike Philips discusses this in greater detail:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...iss-style.html

I use Mike Philips' logic, but in reverse.
Every few minutes while washing the car and the wheels, I spray the car with water to stop water drying (potentially causing spots) and making sure any dirt splashed up from the wheels onto the body doesn't stay on there.

[willowcatfish]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

I'm not quite understanding why I would wash my tires first? I have always been under the logic of washing from Top Down.

[davey g-force]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

I'm not quite understanding why I would wash my tires first? I have always been under the logic of washing from Top Down.

Take a look at Mike Philips' article in the link provided by DasBurninator above. That gives a few reasons why, but personally I still feel it's not needed. But whatever works for you...

[DasBurninator]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

If we are talking about a rinseless wash, then I will do the wheels and tires last.

Yep. I do that too with rinseless. Use the left over solution for quick cleanup on wheels and tires.

[Captain Rad]

Re: Do You Wash Your Wheels First or Last?

I always do my wheels and tires first. I live in the country and sometimes get mud on them. If I do them last I run the risk of spattering dirt and mud on the paint resulting in me re-washing the truck.