Sponsored

Wheels first or car first?

Do you wash the wheels first, or car first?

  • Car

    Votes: 4 23.5%
  • Wheels

    Votes: 13 76.5%
  • Does not matter

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I take my car to a car wash

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    17

ivantwilliams

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2017
Threads
61
Messages
650
Reaction score
154
Location
Georgia, USA
Vehicle(s)
2018 Mustang GT Premium with Performance Package
Vehicle Showcase
1
Based on Google searches, it seems one should wash the wheels of the car, before the car itself.
But, I am confused with this process. Would the wheels not get dirty, to a degree, when the car is then washed?

Anyway, all that to ask, do you wash the wheels first, or car first?
Sponsored

 

Nagare

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2017
Threads
58
Messages
4,023
Reaction score
2,226
Location
Ft Lauderdale
Vehicle(s)
2017 Lightning Blue V6
Vehicle Showcase
1
The question for me is more...when the hell is the last time you washed your wheels?

Other than that, most advice is usually top to bottom but if you need to pressure wash the wheels to get them properly cleaned, the might be why?
 
Joined
Jul 23, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
3
Reaction score
2
Location
USA
Vehicle(s)
Ford
If you wash the wheels after the car, you will get the brake dust and the harsh chemicals you use to clean them all over your paint when it inevitably splashes everywhere. When you clean the body last, you remove the brake dust and wheel cleaning chemicals and you can rinse the wheels last to remove anything that came down from the body.
 
OP
OP
ivantwilliams

ivantwilliams

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2017
Threads
61
Messages
650
Reaction score
154
Location
Georgia, USA
Vehicle(s)
2018 Mustang GT Premium with Performance Package
Vehicle Showcase
1
Ah, I see! Now those details I did not find online. And it totally makes sense. I was not thinking about the 'dust', merely the dirty water from the car rolling down to the clean tyres/rims...

If you wash the wheels after the car, you will get the brake dust and the harsh chemicals you use to clean them all over your paint when it inevitably splashes everywhere. When you clean the body last, you remove the brake dust and wheel cleaning chemicals and you can rinse the wheels last to remove anything that came down from the body.
 
Joined
Jul 23, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
3
Reaction score
2
Location
USA
Vehicle(s)
Ford
Not sure how thorough you want to be when washing your car but I recommend checking out Obsessed Garage on YouTube. He used to have a GT350 and has an entire video series about cleaning it as well as some of his other vehicles including 1st and 2nd gen Raptors, 911 GT3, BMW M4, and others. Beware that he can be cynical and true to his name, he has OCD so his process is extremely meticulous but there is still a lot you can learn from him.

GT350 Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG_BGdABDC9stE0CPdTeC76meVpkOVswK
 

Sponsored

Bikeman315

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Threads
520
Messages
15,245
Reaction score
19,269
Location
Myrtle Beach, SC
First Name
Ira
Vehicle(s)
2019 Mustang GT/CS, 2021 Volvo XC60
Wheels first for the reasons given above. I hit the wheels with my pressure washer/foamer when I'm doing the body to minimize dirt getting back on the wheels.
 
 




Top