subject: Maintaining And Cleaning Your Chrome Rims [print this page] Maintaining And Cleaning Your Chrome Rims
If you have customized aftermarket chrome rims in your car, you probably care about how they look. Actually, it's more likely that the chrome rims are your pride and joy, and you would want to take special care of them to ensure they gleam every time you take your ride for a spin. However, things like grease, dirt and salt that is applied on roads to de-ice them can wreak havoc on your precious rims. So here are some tips for cleaning them so that they are good as new. First of all, make sure your chrome rims are cool before you begin working on them. If you try to use cleaning products on hot rims, they might be baked onto the surface, resulting in ugly spotting. Also, burning your fingers would not help in the cleaning process. Wash away loose particles like dust and other detritus with a fine spray of water. It will also help loosen some of the more stubborn bits of dirt. Mix two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid into a bucket full of water. Vigorously rinse the mix until its suitably sudsy. Dunk a soft piece of cloth or a cleaning sponge in the mixture and gently wash away the dirt. Don't apply too much pressure or wipe too vigorously as bits of gravel or sand caught in the sponge can scratch your chrome. If your rim has a lot of spokes or crevices that the sponge cannot reach, consider using a soft toothbrush. Spray the chrome rim with more water to wash away any residual bits of dirt. If need be, repeat the previous step. After your rims are dry, it's time to polish them. Use high quality polish as some of the cheaper brands can actually do more harm than good. Apply the polish; allow it to sit for a while before you buff the area to a shine. Unless you enjoy cleaning your chrome rims every other day, it is advisable that you apply some chrome-safe car wax on your rims. This will protect them from further wear and keep them gleaming longer without any assistance. Other than the aforementioned products, it is advisable you don't use any cleaning chemicals, like strong detergents on your Chrome rims. Baltimore residents who use such chemicals could be causing irreversible damage to their rides, the kind that is very expensive to fix. And of course, using anything coarser than a soft washcloth or sponge is a huge no-no. Follow these simple rules and you will ensure that you dazzle the bystanders every time you take your ride out for a spin.
