DIY Rust Removal: Soap and water works fine for most types of rust, but you can use vinegar mixed with water to clean heavy rust off of rims.
Our 5-Step Process: Mix one gallon of water with a cup of vinegar, hose down your rims, spray the solution, clean with a rag, and let them dry.
Baking Soda Option: Combine with vinegar for a paste to remove rust, though effectiveness varies.
Time for Vinegar: Dissolving rust can take from hours to days; stronger vinegar or heating can speed up the process.
Common Mistakes: Avoid using incorrect cleaners, too much pressure, neglecting to rinse, or damaging tires.
Got some rusty rims? No big deal. You can clean off your rims in about 15 minutes with some water, vinegar, and even a bit of baking soda.
You might even be able to clean your rims with only some dish soap.
Cleaning the rust off your rims is a lot easier than you think it is.
In this article, we’re going to show you how to get the dust, dirt, grime, and rust off of your tires using household cleaners, a rag, and maybe even a toothbrush if you really want to do some heavy scrubbing.
Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know to clean your tires like a pro, protect them from future damage, and even get some of that “new car shine” back. We’ll also cover a few of the key mistakes most people make when cleaning their tire rims with vinegar, so you don’t end up doing irreversible damage and having to buy a new set of rims.
Best Vinegar For Cleaning Rims
Try Hot Water And Soap First
Unless you haven’t cleaned your rims since you bought your car, chances are hot water and some regular ole’ dish soap will do just fine.
In fact, Dawn Dish Soap, the soap that’s probably sitting next to your sink right now, even touts itself as a rim cleaning agent.
And it does actually work.
There’s no reason to waste good vinegar when all you need is dish soap.
Here’s what to do:
Hose down your rims first. This will remove some of the light rust and make it easier to scrub later.
Fill up a bucket with a gallon of warm water and throw in a spoonful or two of dish soap.
Scrub the rims down using a rag and use an old toothbrush to get to those hard-to-reach places. Make sure to scrub until all of the rust is gone.
Hose the wheels down again until all of the soap is gone.
Let them bad boys dry up.
That should do just fine for most types of rust.
If the rust is too stubborn, you can then move on to trying a vinegar-based solution.
Using Vinegar to Clean Your Tire Rims
Vinegar and water is a great homemade tire cleaning solution that costs a fraction of what most professional cleaning agents cost. All you need is a clean rag, a spray bottle, some vinegar, and water.
We recommend this for tough rust and stains that soap won’t clear off.
Grab your spray bottle and rag, and let’s get to it:
Start by hosing down your wheels again to get some of the bigger chunks of rust off. It’ll make your life easier.
Now, start mixing your solution. You want roughly one cup of vinegar for every gallon of warm water. If your solution is too acidic, you might damage your rims. Just eyeball it if you’re using a smaller spray bottle. So, if your spray bottle is a quarter of a gallon, use a quarter of a cup of vinegar.
Spray the solution onto the wheels and let it sit for about 5 minutes to sink in.
Now, start wiping down your rims with a clean rag. If the rust is too tough, use a stiff-bristled brush. Just make sure not to scrub too hard or you risk damaging the rims.
That’s it. Just rinse off the rims again with a hose and you’re good to go. Let them air dry in the sun or use a clean, dry cloth to remove the water.
WARNING: Leaving the vinegar solution on your rims causes corrosion, so make sure to rinse your tires thoroughly.
We just want to say that vinegar and water is a safe, effective way to wash your rims, but it probably won’t work on heavy rust or tough stains. It’s fine for normal wear and tear, but if your car needs some serious love, we recommend a professional cleaning agent. We’ll get to that in the next section.
Use Professional Rust Cleaning Products For Heavy Projects
Professional cleaning products are best for the toughest dirt, grime, and rust on your car.
You’ll get better results with less effort, and you probably won’t need to clean your tires again for a lot longer span of time (they have protective qualities that keep rust off your rims).
There’s a reason that auto shops use industrial cleaning agents instead of vinegar, which is meant for salad dressing!
Not to mention that professional tire cleaning solutions don’t leave streaks and can also clean the rubber on your tires.
We don’t want to promote any particular products here, but you can find a good cleaner for $10-$20. It’s worth it if you’ve got a store nearby and some spare change.
Pro Wheel Cleaning Tip - Apply a Protective Coat to Keep Rust Off of Your Rims
Here at GPS Tracker Shop, we believe the best offense is a good defense. So, if you want to clean your rims less often and keep your tires looking good, apply a protective coat after you’re done cleaning. This will keep the dust off and reduce wear and tear on your tire rims.
Common Mistakes When Cleaning Your Rims
Before we wrap things up, we just want to warn you about some of the mistakes we see people making when cleaning their tire rims. It seems easy, but if you don’t clean them right, you risk leaving streaks, damaging the tire, or, at the very least, wasting time that could be better spent enjoying your weekend scrubbing away.
Avoid these mistakes, and you’ll be just fine:
Using The Wrong Cleaner: Don’t use harsh chemicals to clean your tires, please. You aren’t cleaning the hull of the Titanic here. Avoid bleach or gasoline like the plague.
Using Too Much Vinegar: Keep your mixture to 1 cup of vinegar for every gallon of water. At the very least, never use more than a 50/50 mixture, and even that might be a bit much. Too much vinegar will damage the rim.
Scrubbing Too Hard With The Wrong Brush: Chances are you’ll only need a clean rag to wash the rust off. But if you do use a brush, make sure the bristles aren’t too harsh. To be safe, use a wheel rim cleaning brush that’s designed for this type of work.
Not Washing All Of The Cleaner Off: Make sure to thoroughly rinse the wheels first before calling it a day. If you leave any of the cleaning solution on, it could damage your rims.
Conclusion - Can I Clean my Tire Rims With Household Cleaners?
Yes, you can clean your rims with soap or vinegar. Just be careful.
If you’ve got some soap or vinegar in your house, all you need to do is mix it with water, and you’re all set. Just spray down your rims first, apply the cleaner, rub the solution off your wheels, and let them dry.
You should clean your tires at least once per month, but it’s best to eyeball it. Clean your tires when necessary. If you drive a lot and notice the dirt building up, clean them more often. If you just drive around town and you don’t notice much wear and tear, then you don’t need to clean them very often. If you want to keep your tires clean for longer, apply a sealant or protective coat after you’ve cleaned them. This prevents dirt and rust buildup.
Can I Use Household Products For Rims?
Yes, you can use household cleaners like dish soap and white vinegar for rims. These will do the trick if your tires aren’t too dirty. However, we recommend professional cleaning solutions if your tires have serious rust and dirt.
How Can I Restore The Shine on My Rims?
The best way to restore your rim’s shine to their factory level is to use a polish on your tire rims. Just make sure to thoroughly clean them first.
What Brushes Do I Need For Cleaning Tires?
You should use a wheel brush or at least a brush with sharp bristles to clean heavy rust off of your tires. But a rag will do just fine for normal wear and tear. For tough to reach places, try an old toothbrush.
Does Baking Soda And Vinegar Remove Rust?
Baking soda and vinegar can be used to remove rust from certain surfaces.
The acidity in the vinegar reacts with the baking soda to form a paste that can be used to scrub away rust on steel wheels or tire rims. However, this form of DIY rust treatment may not be effective on all metal surfaces or objects and it is not a substitute for professional rust removal methods.
How Long Does It Take For Vinegar To Dissolve Rust?
According to the rust treatment experts at Home Depot, the amount of time it takes for vinegar to dissolve rust varies depending on the size and thickness of the rust, as well as the concentration of the vinegar. In general, it can take anywhere from several hours to several days for vinegar to effectively dissolve rust. To speed up the process, you can try using a stronger concentration of vinegar or a wire brush to scrub the rust before applying the vinegar.
