How To Clean Your Car's Wheel Wells (And Why You Should)
Detailing your car on your own can be a lot of work, and it's also not easy, making it tempting to avoid strenuous tasks like cleaning the tires and wheel wells. However, you really should clean your car's wheel wells.
The wheel wells are the curved compartments above the tires that protect the car's undercarriage and engine from mud, dirt, or whatever debris your tires fling around while driving. Because these protectors are often exposed to road elements like mud and road salts (in snowy regions), they are prone to corrosion and rust. Therefore, how often you should clean the wheel wells varies considerably depending on the kinds of roads you traverse and how spotless you'd like your car to be. Ultimately, ignoring them completely could tank your car's resale value — apart from the fact that it might take something away from the looks of your clean car.
How should you clean them? You can use soap and water or a degreaser, depending on the state of the wheel wells and your options. But if you have carpeted wheel wells, you might have to approach things a little differently. Here's all you need to know below.
How to clean non-carpeted wheel wells
Before you begin your cleaning, here's a list of items you should have to follow the method we've prescribed here:
- Garden hose or pressure washer
- Degreaser or all-purpose cleaner
- Tire brush or wheel brush
- (Optional) A car blow dryer or drying towel
- (Optional) Trim dressing and an application paint brush
While it might not be necessary, you may need to remove your tires to access your wheel wells properly. In that case, make sure you have the following:
- Car jack
- Jack stands
- Lug wrench or torque wrench
Once you have all you need, you can now begin by following these instructions:
- Get the wheel well wet first to loosen up all the dirt. You can use a pressure washer or a hose to do this. It's crucial for those using car shampoo or all-purpose cleaners.
- Take your degreaser or all-purpose cleaner, spray it onto the wheel well evenly, and leave it to sit for one to two minutes.
- Next, gently agitate the degreaser or cleaner with a soft-bristled wheel or tire brush by rubbing it.
- Rinse off the wheel well.
- Repeat the application, agitation, and rinsing process till the rinse-off isn't brown or black-stained.
- Dry it with a towel or blow dryer. You could leave it to dry by itself, too.
Now, use a trim dressing or protectant to coat the wheel well. It's not compulsory, but it'll help keep the components around there safer for longer.
How to clean carpeted wheel wells
If you notice that the wheel wells in your vehicle use some kind of carpet-like material as their liners, you'll have to approach your routine cleaning differently. If you simply use the method we outlined for the non-carpet version, it might get the "carpet" muddy, defeating the purpose of cleaning it.
Here's what you're going to need:
- Soft-bristled brush
- All-purpose cleaner or rinseless wash
- Power washer or garden hose
Once you have all of that set, you can begin with the instructions below:
- First, use the brush to remove any dirt that may have clung to the carpet. Ensure the brush is dry to avoid muddying and dirt clinging to the fabric.
- Use your all-purpose cleaner or rinseless wash to spray evenly across the wheel liner. Leave it to work itself into the carpet.
- Gently agitate the cleaner with your brush. Don't worry if it looks a little muddy.
- Use your pressure washer or garden to work your way from top to bottom of the carpet repetitively until the water is not as brown.
- Leave it to dry out when you're satisfied.
You should know that this wheel well will soon get dirty once you start driving again. You can just brush off the dirt using the first step and leave it at that. The density of hairs in the carpeted wheel wells might vary depending on the brand, so if your brush isn't very effective, you could try an adhesive lint roller or a pet brush.