After a thorough wash your wheels might now look spotless, but there’s sadly still the chance there may be residual break dust and another corrosive elements attached to the paint. In this last blog winter care regime blog we look at one of the ways to ensure your alloys are absolutely pristine – even at the level undetectable by the human eye.
Clay detailing is a brilliant technique that guarantees great results – although its still relatively unknown by the car-driving community at large. Simple use of a clay bar provides not only a deep shine but also gives you peace of mind that pollution has been banished from your alloys.
Wheel detailing clay usually comes in a bar, and feels a bit like putty when you first touch it. All you need is one of these bars, available from shops like Halfords, plus a suitable lubricant (which you’ll find usually next to the clay in the shop) and you’re ready to clean your alloys like they’ve never been cleaned before. The trick is to only use a portion of the clay bar at a time – that way it’s easier to work in between the spokes, and if you drop it you still have a supply of clean clay to use!
After spraying a small amount of lubricant on the area of focus (it’s best to do the wheel in segments), just flatten the clay over your fingers and gently rub it over the wheel. Make sure you cover every area, and pay particular attention to any black spots. You’ll be amazed at how much dirt you see transferred to the clay! You can fold the clay over to create a new ‘clean’ surface, but don’t do this if it falls onto the ground – you may have picked up bits of grit that will scratch the alloy.
Once you’ve made a couple of passes over the area with the clay, give it another quick spray with the lubricant or a similar detailer and hey presto! Perfectly clean alloys. All you have to do now is give them a final wax or polish, depending on what’s more suitable for your wheels, and they’ll be as good as new.
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