Even when painted, brake calipers are vulnerable to getting dirty from time to time. If you have painted your brake calipers, that is a clear indication that aesthetics matters to you.
Therefore, if you want your painted brake calipers to look neat, you must clean them regularly. So, how do you clean painted brake calipers? Do you need to follow a unique approach?
Cleaning painted brake calipers is a fairly straightforward process. However, the final finish will depend on the cleaning products you use, as well as the procedure you follow.
We have compiled a quick guide on how you can professionally clean your brake calipers. Expert detailers commonly use these steps; therefore, you are assured of achieving a sparkling finish.
A Guide on Cleaning Brake Calipers
1st step – Gather necessary cleaning materials
Even though you don’t need special equipment to clean brake calipers, having some can make it easier for you to clean this part of your car thoroughly.
One of the essential tools is detailing brushes. The area around the brake calipers can be hard to reach with an ordinary cleaning brush.
Detailing brushes can penetrate tiny spaces. Without these special brushes, the best way to clean the brake calipers would require you to remove the rims. And that’s a lot of work.
The other thing you need to buy is a wheel cleaner. You can use ordinary car shampoo, but brake dust can be stubborn to come off. Let’s not even get started with stains such as road tar.
A wheel cleaner is strong enough to penetrate hard and stubborn stains, making it easier for you to clean them off. As you shop for a wheel cleaner, ensure you go for ones that will be safe on paint. Some cleaners can be too harsh for paint.
✔ Cuts Through Brake Dust & Grime – Formulated to break down stubborn brake dust, dirt, and road grime while restoring tires to their factory-black finish.
✔ Safe on Most Wheel Finishes – Works safely on clear-coated, painted, powder-coated, chrome, and alloy wheels without harming your rims.
✔ Revives Faded, Brown Tires – Removes silicones, grease, wax build-up, and old dressings, prepping your tires for fresh applications of tire shine or balm.
✔ Maximizes Tire Dressing Longevity – Proper tire cleaning ensures your dressings stick longer and look better, maintaining a clean, detailed appearance.
✔ High-Foaming, Alkaline Formula – Delivers a thick lather with powerful surfactants that cling to surfaces and lift away deep-seated contaminants.
✔ 110% Satisfaction Guarantee – Backed by Adam’s Polishes reputation for quality detailing products and customer-first support.
✔ 3 Sizes for Precision Detailing – Includes small (0.88"), medium (1"), and large (1.5") diameter brushes to reach tight spaces and tackle broad surfaces with ease.
✔ Feather-Soft Bristles – A premium blend of natural and synthetic fibers delivers scratch-free cleaning on wheels, emblems, grilles, and more.
✔ Gentle on Surfaces, Tough on Grime – Ideal for pairing with your favorite car shampoo or degreaser to clean lug nuts, vents, engine bays, and trim.
✔ Ergonomic Wooden Handles – Comfortable, durable grips give you better control and extended reach during every detailing session.
✔ A Must-Have in Every Kit – Trusted by DIYers and enthusiasts alike for professional-level exterior care.
2nd step – Wet the painted brake calipers
Most people jump right into cleaning when dealing with dirty brake calipers. However, getting them wet is an important step. Water has a way of softening stains and dirt.
Before anything else, you may consider splashing some water on the painted brake calipers. This will loosen surface dust and make the calipers much easier to clean. If you are in a hurry, you can always skip this step.
3rd step – Apply wheel cleaner and let it sit for some minutes
Most wheel cleaners come in the form of a spray which makes application easy. So, grab your wheel cleaner and apply it to the brake calipers. Ensure that each part of the caliper’s surface is coated with a wheel cleaner.
For it to work, don’t rush to scrub it right away. Give the cleaner some time to settle and absorb the stains and dust. 15 to 30 minutes should be enough time for that to happen.
✔ Cuts Through Brake Dust & Grime – Formulated to break down stubborn brake dust, dirt, and road grime while restoring tires to their factory-black finish.
✔ Safe on Most Wheel Finishes – Works safely on clear-coated, painted, powder-coated, chrome, and alloy wheels without harming your rims.
✔ Revives Faded, Brown Tires – Removes silicones, grease, wax build-up, and old dressings, prepping your tires for fresh applications of tire shine or balm.
✔ Maximizes Tire Dressing Longevity – Proper tire cleaning ensures your dressings stick longer and look better, maintaining a clean, detailed appearance.
✔ High-Foaming, Alkaline Formula – Delivers a thick lather with powerful surfactants that cling to surfaces and lift away deep-seated contaminants.
✔ 110% Satisfaction Guarantee – Backed by Adam’s Polishes reputation for quality detailing products and customer-first support.
4th step – Scrub the dirt away
After the wheel cleaner has settled on the brake calipers, start scrubbing using the detailer brush. Begin scrubbing with the big brushes and work your way to the smaller ones.
You will notice that the calipers will start looking better and cleaner as you do this. Work your way all over the brake calipers until you are satisfied with the result. Amidst scrubbing, you can always add more wheel cleaner.
Your rim design can either make scrubbing brake calipers easy or difficult. In case the specks of your wheels are all placed closely together, you may be in for a hard time.
You must analyze whether removing the wheels is worth it. Because if you don’t have enough space for brushes to penetrate through, cleaning them isn’t going to be easy.
To get a cleaner finish, repeat this process at least twice. Make sure that you rinse the brush after every use. This ensures you don’t re-introduce dirt back to the calipers.
You can be as thorough as possible when scrubbing the brake calipers. If you frequently clean brake calipers, you can do this once. But, if you have never cleaned them, prepare to spend some time scrubbing them.
5th step – Rinse it with some clean water
Once you are satisfied with the effects of the scrub, rinse the brake calipers with clean water. They should immediately look as good as new.
There you have it, guys. Cleaning your brake calipers is that easy. There is nothing more irritating than seeing your brake calipers dirty and full of brake dust.
That can make the wheels look unattractive, and it would be a waste of time and money used to paint the brake calipers.
How Often Should You Clean Painted Brake Calipers?
How often do you wash your car? Your brake calipers are subjected to the same conditions as your car. The brake calipers are often subjected to worse conditions since they are located inside tires.
It would be best if you cleaned them at least once a month. Depending on the area you drive your car in, you may have to do it more frequently. Considering that brake calipers are pretty visible, you should notice them when they get dirty.
What If My Brake Calipers Are Inaccessible?
Some wheels make it hard to reach and have full access to the brake calipers. The speck design is usually to blame for this. However, just because your brake calipers are inaccessible doesn’t mean they should always look dirty.
What you need to do in such situations is invest in special detailing brushes. These can get through tiny spaces. In case detailing brushes are no match for your rims, you will have to remove them to gain access to the calipers.
Yes, that may seem like a lot of work, but you have no option in this situation.
You can always dedicate an entire afternoon to cleaning the brake calipers. If you genuinely care about aesthetics, you will always have the time for such.
A quick fix that you can use is spraying the wheel cleaner, letting it sit, and then rinsing it off with water. Depending on how strong the wheel cleaner is, it may or may not thoroughly clean the calipers.
The only sure way of cleaning these calipers is by scrubbing the dirt using a brush.
What Should I Use to Clean Painted Brake Calipers?
The recommended cleaner for your brake calipers is a special wheel cleaner. A wheel cleaner is formulated to get rid of brake dust, road tar, mud, and anything else that might find its way to your calipers. Wheel cleaners vary in terms of effectiveness. Certain brands have been known to make the most potent wheel cleaners.
✔ Cuts Through Brake Dust & Grime – Formulated to break down stubborn brake dust, dirt, and road grime while restoring tires to their factory-black finish.
✔ Safe on Most Wheel Finishes – Works safely on clear-coated, painted, powder-coated, chrome, and alloy wheels without harming your rims.
✔ Revives Faded, Brown Tires – Removes silicones, grease, wax build-up, and old dressings, prepping your tires for fresh applications of tire shine or balm.
✔ Maximizes Tire Dressing Longevity – Proper tire cleaning ensures your dressings stick longer and look better, maintaining a clean, detailed appearance.
✔ High-Foaming, Alkaline Formula – Delivers a thick lather with powerful surfactants that cling to surfaces and lift away deep-seated contaminants.
✔ 110% Satisfaction Guarantee – Backed by Adam’s Polishes reputation for quality detailing products and customer-first support.
Considering that not everyone has a wheel cleaner lying around in their garage, people use a wide range of cleaners on painted brake calipers. One of the most popular choices is Simple Green.
✔ Powerful Yet Gentle Cleaning – Tackles dirt, grime, grease, and bug stains without harming your vehicle’s surface.
✔ Safe for Multiple Surfaces – Works on paint, clear coat, windows, chrome, rubber, canvas, and vinyl.
✔ Versatile Use – Ideal for cars, trucks, SUVs, RVs, motorcycles, ATVs, trailers, and more.
✔ Concentrated Formula – A little goes a long way for an effective, streak-free clean.
This product is very tough on stains and dust. The likes of regular dish soap may not be strong enough, not unless you use a brush as well. No matter what type of cleaner you use, it’s essential to let it sit for a while before scrubbing it with a brush.
Can I Clay Painted Brake Calipers?
A clay bar can get all the dirt, dust, and contaminants off your brake calipers. Despite being so effective, clay bars aren’t the easiest to use on brake calipers because they aren’t easily accessible.
You will have to remove the wheel to access the brake calipers. That’s the best way for you to clay them. Alternatively, you will have to improvise depending on the design of your wheels.
✔ Removes Stubborn Contaminants – Lifts embedded metal particles, tree sap, airborne pollutants, and paint overspray for a flawless surface.
✔ Soft & Pliable for Easy Use – More flexible than traditional clay bars, making it safe for all paint types, including clear coats.
✔ Long-Lasting Protection – Regular use maintains a clean, contaminant-free surface, extending the life of your vehicle’s finish.
✔ Enhances Depth & Clarity – Leaves paint silky smooth with a deep, glass-like shine for a showroom-quality look.
Is It Okay to Wax Painted Brake Calipers After Cleaning Them?
There is no problem with waxing painted brake calipers after cleaning them. The wax adds shine and protects the calipers from getting dirty. Waxing the calipers should be a bit easier than cleaning them. So, this isn’t something you should be worried about.
✔ Long-Lasting Shine & Protection – Delivers a durable wax coating that repels water, grime, and road contaminants while shielding paint from harmful UV rays.
✔ Deep, Glossy Finish – Combines carnauba wax and silicone polymers to create a rich, mirror-like shine without streaks or hazy residue.
✔ Use Solo or as a Topper – Works great as a standalone wax or as a top layer over ceramic and hydrophobic coatings for added slickness and gloss.
✔ Safe on Plastics and Trim – No white chalky residue—use confidently on glass, rubber trim, door handles, chrome, wheels, and plastics.
✔ Quick and Easy Application – Just spray, spread with a microfiber towel, and buff for that fresh, just-detailed look. Use in direct sunlight if needed—this wax can handle it.
Are Chemical Degreasers Harmful to Painted Brake Calipers?
Keep off chemical degreasers if you have painted your brake calipers. Paint is very delicate, no matter how well you apply it. The likes of chemical degreasers can strip off the paint.
This can worsen the situation because it’s better for you to have dust than chemicals on painted brake calipers.
How Do I Deal with Heavy Brake Dust on Calipers?
The more brake dust you have on the calipers, the more thorough your cleaning techniques should be. Heavy brake dust won’t come off quickly and will require some scrubbing.
If you are dealing with such, we advise you to remove the wheel to have better access and invest in a more robust cleaner.
If the brake calipers have never been cleaned, you may want to take the vehicle to a detailer so that it can get a professional touch.
At a detailer’s shop, if the paint has faded or chipped off, they may perform some touch-up repairs and restore the look of your painted brake calipers.
These are things you can also do in the comfort of your garage as long as you have the time, tools, and skills.
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Rami Hasan is the founder of CherishYourCar.com, where he combines his web publishing experience with a passion for the automotive world. He’s committed to creating clear, practical guides that help drivers take better care of their vehicles and get more out of every mile.