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I want to share with you the best DIY tire rim cleaner to use now that we are finally in the spring and summer months.

This is such an easy solution, but it has been the best ratio of ingredients to get my rims nice and clean.

I have tried making sprays and using store-bought products, but this continues give the best results.

The BEST DIY Tire Rim Cleaner

Ingredients:

1/4 tsp concentrated dish soap
1/2 cup 5% distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
Brush attachment for hose or rim brush

Directions:

Mix up the dish soap, vinegar, and water and add to a spray bottle.
Saturate the rims on your vehicle with the solution.
Let it sit just a few seconds, then scrub. You can use a rim brush, microfiber cloth, or make it easier and use a brush attachment for your hose. This will not only scrub the rim, but rinse it.
If you are just using a rim brush, you can wipe the rim off with a microfiber to remove any lasting residue.

Before and After

The picture above is just a quick before and after. This was just a quick spray and wipe cleaning session, but it helped remove everything!

Tire Rim Cleaning Tools

There are three tools I keep in my car cleaning box for rims. I always use a microfiber for my car, and also the rims! For basic wiping and cleaning the surface, microfiber is awesome for this!

I also use a basic tire rim cleaning brush. These are very soft and won’t scratch the surface. It is good for basic scrubbing. This one came in a set with brushes for the tires too.

The last tool I use is this tire rim brush you attach to a rubber hose! If I am washing my car outside, I always use this attachment to clean the rims after I spray this DIY tire rim cleaner. It works so good and the water pressure gently moves the brush around.

Having the right tools can get all the areas of the rim clean.

Will this work on any type of rim?

This contains 1/2 cup of vinegar to 1 cup of water, so it is not very acidic. This means it should be safe for all types of rims including chrome. With that being said, I always recommend testing a small area of a surface when you are using a new DIY cleaning solution. If you have not used this solution before on your rim, just test a little area, scrub it and rinse. Make sure it works fine. I have used this on all of our tire rims with success!

Why Vinegar and Not Alcohol?

This is a common question from readers in our DIY solutions. Many times, you see me using rubbing alcohol for things. Recently, I shared this DIY patio cleaner that has become incredibly popular because of how well it works. I have had many people write in and say they have never seen anything work so well?!? I purposely chose rubbing alcohol for that solution and doubled the usual amount to work specifically for outdoor patio furniture and make it work for any surface too.

Sometimes, vinegar is a better option though. Vinegar specifically works to break down grease and hard water stains. When it comes to tire rim cleaners, vinegar will work a little better to break down the grease and dust from break pads and oil from the roads.

Acetic acid is really great for this! You can always use a cleaner like our all-purpose cleaner on page 13 of the eBook, but I think this particular solution will be a little better for the oil and grease buildup.