Warm weather brings with it the season of cruising down the strip with all your friends.  Of course when you're rolling out in style, you'll want your donk to look its very best. Those 28-inch wheels won't polish themselves, and even if your spinners are shining bright, you won't want to leave your paint job in the dust. We've got some tips for bringing out the pearlized undertones and keeping your tires and vinyl looking their most awesome.

 

  1. Begin With Your Wheels: Remove the brake dust covers and spray down your wheels with a high-pressure nozzle before washing the rest of the car. If you leave polishing the wheels until the end, loose brake dust can be cast back onto your clean paint job. Take a soft but durable cloth and wipe down each wheel, removing loose grime and dust. Spray on an appropriate aluminum cleaner--you must first know if your wheels have a protective film over the aluminum. If they have no film, you can use a more abrasive polish. Otherwise, you will want to use a product like SONAX wheel cleaner or P21S Gel Wheel cleaner. Scrub down the wheel, including the lug nuts and bolts, with a soft bristled brush. Don't use wire, it will only scratch the finish. Use a chamois to dry without leaving spots.
     
  2. Headlights and Tail Lamps are Next: Like your wheels, the frame of your headlights are great for hiding dust and dirt. After washing off surface grime with a narrow nozzle, sponge, and car cleaner, apply acrylic polish to the lenses help bring back that bright look of a new car. Don't forget to pay attention to any chrome surrounds.  Look for small painting sponges that have pointed ends to help you get in tiny creases.
     
  3. Open Your Doors: The dirt that builds up and is trapped on your running boards and around the edges can be visible from the outside if you don't remove it from the interior. Good old soap and water with elbow grease will get out all the sand and gravel that collects in those crannies.  Bring a vacuum cleaner out to the car and suck up the loose stuff before you wet it down and potentially end up scrubbing it into your paint.
     
  4. Leave No Streaks on the Windshield: While a good glass cleaner is going to get all the grime off the glass of your windows, mirrors, and windshield, somehow almost every cloth will leave behind lint and streaks. Dry the window using newspaper and you'll see a brilliant spot and streak free finish.

 

Of course, brake dust covers help to prevent the dirt from accumulating on your wheels in the first place. Check out our full line of accessories at our website.