How to Hand Polish Aluminum Wheels

Cleaning and maintaining polished aluminum wheels is a tedious and often neglected step in the detailing process. Cast, forged, and billet aluminum wheels are naturally flawed because they constantly oxidize, regardless of how clean they are. Polished aluminum wheels look dynamite when they are clean and highly polished, but when they oxidize and look dull, it can be a complete flop. Here are some of our tips for maintaining and hand polishing aluminum wheels, as well as some of our favorite products for the job at hand.

What Do You Need to Hand Polish Aluminum Wheels?

Maintaining and hand polishing aluminum is quite simple in terms of what products and equipment unlike ceramic coatings or multi-step paint corrections. Here are the basics you need to tackle the job.

Basic Wheel Polishing & Cleaning Materials

If you do not want to break the bank and simply want to polish a set of wheels, we recommend the following products and tools to get the job done.

• Car Shampoo - Your favorite shampoo for washing and cleaning the wheels.
• All-Purpose Cleaner - Stronger solution for stubborn grime and brake dust.
• Wash Mitt - A wash mitt is a good tool to quickly and efficiently wash your wheels.
• Microfiber Towels - A 300 GSM low-pile towel is good for cleaning and polishing aluminum. I really like The Rag Company's Rp N' Rags as I can reuse them, and I know they are durable for deep cleaning, but soft so they do not mar the surface.
• Metal Polish - Grab a metal polish that will work on many types of metal. Some of our favorites are Wizards Metal Polish and Wenol.
• Latex Gloves - Cleaning and polishing aluminum is messy and will stain your hands if you do not protect them.
• Paint Sealant - A good sealant can slow the oxidation process as well as protect the wheels from brake dust, salt, and more.

These items are probably on your shelf or in a cabinet already, and if they are not, they will not break the bank! 

Better Wheel Polishing Tools & Products

If you are looking to make your hand polishing experience easier and get better results, we recommend combining these products with the basic metal polishing components listed above. 

• Microfiber Applicator - This will help you spread the polish more easily.
• Turtle Wax Rapid Decon - This is the best iron remover as it is one of the only products that can be used on raw aluminum and makes the metal glow immediately.
• Cotton Polishing Wheels - These cotton wheels come in different shapes and sizes to get into intricate spaces and cut deeper.
• Foam Polishing Pads - A good foam polishing pad can bring the high luster and shine that you want, and will help remove any haziness left behind from the cotton polishing wheels.
• Cordless Drill or Polisher -  A polisher or cordless drill will speed up the process and allow you to cover more surface area and get better results.
• Wheel Detailing Stand - This is the best way to clean and polish the entire wheel inside and out.

• Metal Ceramic Coating - A great way to keep your aluminum shining as long as it can, while adding hydrophobicity and protection, is to add a wheel ceramic coating to the wheel faces, barrels, and lips.

Getting Started With Polishing Wheels

Aluminum, especially billet aluminum, can be the shiniest part of a vehicle when taken care of and properly polished. While aluminum is strong enough of a material to be used in wheels, suspensions, engines, and other components, it is delicate in many ways. Taking a couple of precautions before you dive into your polishing project is recommended.

First, always work on cool-to-the-touch wheels, as warm or hot aluminum can etch extremely easily. Never use an acidic cleaner on the wheels, as you can stain and damage the finish that would possibly require sanding and a bench polisher to remove. Finally, be patient, polishing aluminum is an art and takes time. We have had salt-stained and cloudy wheels take 3 or 4 rounds of polishing. The more you work at it, the better the result! 

Best Steps For Cleaning & Polishing Aluminum Wheels:

1. Always put on latex gloves as wheel polishing and cleaning can be rough on your skin. Trust us, you want to wear gloves!
2. Pre-rinse the wheels with a cool flow of water and pretreat with an iron remover that is safe on raw aluminum, like Turtle Wax Rapid Decon. This will help break down dirt and brake dust and will start pulling the oxidation out of the metal.
3. Wash the wheels with a sudsy and lubricating car shampoo and use a dedicated wheel wash mitt so you do not accidentally use this mitt on a painted surface. I like to use a slightly higher pH soap like KCx Active Foam, Detail Co. Hard Wash, or DIY Detail Incredible Suds as they have a little more kick and seem to clean much better. You may also want to use a soft brush for around the valve stems and other intricate areas on the wheel. Remember, polished aluminum is soft and will scratch easily if you use a coarse brush. If you have the ability to do a wheels-off cleaning, we recommend it as it really adds to the project, and the results will be incredible. This is especially true on wheels that have large windows that allow you to see the inside barrel and brake components. 
4. Dry the wheel completely and inspect the wheel for any outstanding dirt, grime, grease, or brake dust. If you have any stubborn areas, we recommend testing an All-Purpose Cleaner on a microfiber towel and softly working the problem area so you do not induce any marring.
5. When you get to the polishing, we recommend starting by placing your preferred metal polish on your index finger or microfiber applicator in a small section. This will give you an idea of how bad or how much work you may need to achieve the results you want. Much like testing a polish on a painted surface. I actually will use my index finger for the first application of polish on the entire wheel. We feel that it allows you to work in tighter areas and get a better feel of the metal. As soon as you begin applying the metal polish to the wheel, you will see why we recommend wearing gloves. Your fingers, applicators, polishing pads, and towels will become black from the dirt and aluminum oxide coming off the surface.
   1. If the polish starts to dry, you may need to apply more or work in a smaller area
6. Now that you have gotten things going, apply more polish to an applicator and continue to polish in straight motions. The more you work the polish the better. Remember, this is where patience comes into play. Polish each wheel barrel, lip, and face a couple of passes before wiping with a clean and dry microfiber towel.
7. After you have wiped the entire wheel and removed the excess polish and residue, you examine your work. You may find that there are dull spots or areas that need more work. This is where the cotton polishing wheels and foam pads can cut down on time and speed up your results, and you may want to follow these steps with your machine.
   
8. If you find areas are not as lustrous as others, continue working the polish by hand or machine until there is a consistent look to the wheel's surface. The wheel should look very similar to chrome when you are finished. If you are seeing less and less dark staining on your towels, you are near the end of the polishing step. 
9. Once you are happy with your polishing results, we recommend cleaning the polish residue with an IPA, panel prep, rinseless wash, or shampoo.
10. Now that the wheel is polished and cleaned, you have a prepared surface for the last step of protection, like a ceramic sealant or ceramic wheel coating.  This process will help hold the wheels' luster and slow down the oxidation process, but will not completely stop it. Instead of 4 or 5 days of high shining metal and then oxidizing, you may get several weeks to even a month or two of durable shine.

If you use polishing wheels and pads, you may need to test different combinations and polishing speeds to achieve the results you are looking for. Some pads and cotton wheels can cause hazing and halos like you've seen in paint correction. Take your time and start less aggressively to ensure you are creating more work for yourself.

Finally, we recommend a polish twice per year to keep your wheels looking their best. If you have a show car, hotrod, streetrod, or other vehicle with lots of polished aluminum, you may want to work on this more regularly.