Natural Tire and Wheel Cleaner

Steps

1. Dissolve baking soda in warm water, stirring until no granules remain.
2. Add vinegar slowly, letting the fizzing subside.
3. Stir in castile soap and lemon juice. Pour into a 32 oz spray bottle.
4. Rinse wheels and tires with plain water to remove loose mud and grit.
5. Spray one wheel and tire at a time, coating spokes, lug nut recesses, and sidewall.
6. Let sit 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Scrub the wheel with a soft brush and the sidewall with a stiff-bristle brush. Use a toothbrush for lug nuts and tight spoke gaps.
8. Rinse thoroughly with a strong hose stream. Repeat for all four wheels.

Why It Works

Vinegar dissolves the iron oxide in brake dust, breaking its bond with the wheel surface. Lemon juice chelates iron ions, pulling them into solution. Baking soda provides gentle abrasion and neutralizes acidic road grime. Castile soap emulsifies the oily resin binders in brake dust and road tar.

Tips

• Clean wheels before washing the car body to avoid splashing dirty water onto clean paint.
• For baked-on brake dust, soak a cloth in straight vinegar and wrap the affected area for 10 minutes before scrubbing.
• Never clean hot wheels. Let them cool at least 30 minutes first.
• Apply a wheel sealant or wax after cleaning to ease future brake dust removal.
• Test on a hidden area first for aftermarket or specialty finishes.