If you’ve splashed out on beautiful alloys for your car, it’s natural to want to preserve and protect them. You want your car to look the business for as long as possible. If you have alloys, they do require maintenance, and it’s always advisable to keep on top of cleaning and to take steps to prevent damage. Here are some simple maintenance tips to take on board.
Cleaning your alloys
Cleaning your car may not be your favourite thing to do of a weekend, but there’s nothing more thrilling than putting your foot down in a glimmering, glistening vehicle that looks like it’s fresh from the forecourt. Cleaning your car is important for aesthetics, but it’s also crucial to keep your alloys clean to protect them and prolong their life expectancy. Before you start cleaning, make sure you’ve got all the equipment you need. To do a thorough job, you’ll need a hose, a bucket of water, a washing mitt, a towel, a wheel cleaning brush, polish and cleaning solution. Using specially designed products and equipment will enable you to achieve a superior finish. When buying polish, look for products that are geared specifically towards your alloys.
Start the process of cleaning your car by hosing it down to loosen dirt and remove debris, and aim the hose at the intricate parts of the wheel to get rid of stones. Once you’ve finished hosing, grab your mitt and use the cleaning solution to gently wipe your alloys and your wheel cleaning brush to get right into the nooks and crannies. When you’re happy that you’ve eliminated every trace of dirt, rinse the wheels with clean water.
The next step is to polish your alloys to give them that all-important sheen. Apply a small amount of polish to the alloys, and buff them using a clean cloth.
Cleaning and maintenance are essential all year-round, but it’s particularly important to take good care of your alloys in the winter, especially if it’s very cold and the roads have been gritted. If you get stones, sand, and salt stuck in your wheels, this can lead to scuffs and scrapes.
Alloy wheel repairs
We all know that accidents happen. If you find yourself staring at a scuffed alloy after brushing against a curb or falling foul to a pothole, it’s best to get your alloys repaired sooner rather than later. Look for a garage that specialises in alloy repair. In most cases, it will be possible to clean, fill, prime and then paint the affected area. The result will be sparkling, shining alloys that look brand new.
If you’ve got stunning alloy wheels on your car, it pays to take good care of them. Clean alloys don’t just look the part. They also help to prevent damage caused by small stones, sand, and dirt. Take a few minutes to clean your alloys every week, and increase the frequency in the winter months, when there is likely to be more debris on the roads. If you’re keen to keep your alloys in tip-top condition for as long as possible, it’s worth investing in cleaning solutions, a wheel cleaning brush and polish that is suited to the type of alloys on your car.
