How to clean your exhaust tips

Exhaust tips are one of many things on a vehicle that can be easily overlooked. These tips are regularly exposed to contaminants and wear, causing it to lose its shine over time. By cleaning your tips, your exhaust will continue to look as good as new.

Our step-by-step guide will go through the process of how to clean and polish your exhaust tips.

What are exhaust tips?

Exhaust tips are an accessory that’s fitted to your vehicle’s exhaust pipe. The tips channel exhaust gases into the exhaust, regulating the vehicle’s sound and airflow. You can find exhaust tips in a range of shapes, sizes and materials to help you create the perfect look for your vehicle.

What do you need to clean your exhaust tips?

Whether you are new or experienced to cleaning your exhaust tips, there are a few things that you’ll need, which include:

Microfibre cloths
Car soap
Metal or chrome polish
A pair of gloves
Wheel sealant
Wheel wax
A couple of buckets of water
Wheel cleaner

Once you have everything you need, you can start the exhaust tip cleaning and polishing process.

Give your exhaust a wash

The first step with cleaning your exhaust tips is to give your exhaust a thorough wash.

Put some water into your bucket, add some car soap and start to clean the interior and exterior of your exhaust tips. If your tips have not been cleaned for some time, apply some degreaser before rinsing your exhaust with soapy water.

Once you’ve given your exhaust a wash, dry it off with an old cloth and leave it to dry for a considerable period.

Scrub with steel wool

After you’ve washed your exhaust, you may find that there are specs of black carbon on your tips that haven’t been removed.

Apply some wheel cleaner to your exhaust and leave it to dwell for a few minutes. Once the wheel cleaner has settled on your tips, you can start to rub it in with the wire wool.

You won’t need to rub the barrel on the pipe, but the tips and the front of the exhaust. Don’t worry about the wire wool damaging your exhaust as it won’t scratch it. Keep working the wheel cleaner into the exhaust as it begins to break down the dirt and grease.

If you want your tips to look perfect, you’ll need to work on it for 10 minutes per pipe for a perfect finish.

Add some metal polish to your exhaust

The exhaust tips on your vehicle should be clean now. Polishing your tips is the penultimate stage of the cleaning process.

For this next step, you can use a metal or chrome polish to polish your exhaust tips. Firstly, you should ensure that both tips are completely dry before polishing. Cover the whole of each tip with a layer of polish and use your fingertips to massage it into the exhaust. Leave the polish on the tips for a couple of minutes, before wiping it off with a microfibre cloth.

Finish with a wheel wax

To give your exhaust tips its glossy shine, use a wheel wax and apply it on the entire exhaust. You want to make sure that both the front and back of the exhaust are coated with wheel wax. Leave the wax to settle for 10 minutes, before removing it with a microfibre towel. You can then take a step back and have a look at your newly shined exhaust tips.

Having problems with your vehicle’s exhaust? Our technicians can not only provide a free exhaust check but are also experienced in dealing with exhaust repairs. When you buy your exhaust from us, you get a two-year guarantee as standard.

To find out more about our range of exhaust products, contact your nearest PTA branch or get in touch with us today.