Do you clean your spare tire well?

[camrydriver111]

I used my spare tire once in the fall. It looks like the tire may have been exposed to road salt. I didn't realize they started salting so early! I checked today and the well was filled with salt which ate through the paint and started corroding the spare tire well.

In another car I've also had a trunk leak and the water collected in the spare tire well.

Do you clean your spare tire well? I think it may be a good idea.

 

[Falken]

Sometimes it is melted snow mixed with salt and sand from when you stick a child's stroller in the trunk and it melts off the wheels.

Then the salt collects in the spare tire well, there is no leak.

 

[Donald]

No.

 

[Bgallagher]

once in a great while I will vacuum out the wells. Only when I have been moving a lot of leaves or something that made a mess. Sorry about the salt rust. That really stinks

 

[Wheel]

I did have to clean the one on my wife's old van - she put a hole in a gallon of milk and didn't mention anything, or think about where the milk went to. Until the van stunk.

Now I check there regularly. Not a bad idea to check the spare's air pressure either, or that your kid put back the jack and lug wrench.

 

[4wheeldog]

Most of them have a large rubber body plug, so you can pull the plug and rinse away. If not, I guess I would use a wet/dry vacuum.

This answer assumes it is the road salt you want to get rinsed out.

 

[IndyIan]

It is amazing how much stuff gets in there over the years, but I only vacuum it out when I'm going to autocross. Gets rid of a few grams of weight for free!

 

[Kuato]

I spray it off every time I wash the vehicle.

 

[Gasbuggy]

When I check the tire pressure

 

[mjoekingz28]

Way to bring something overlooked to view?

Truck owners: got to drop the spare and clean the tire/wheel real well and also clean and oil the cross members between the spare and the bed.

 

[Kira]

Gotta clean it once in a while. If it's rusted, wire brush it, get the dirt/rust out and spray the rusted/exposed metal with Rustoleum Rust Reformer. Paint if you want to. It's rust KILL IT!

Hey, many people never clean the kooties from their air cleaner boxes.

 

[blupupher]

In my Elantra I had for 10 years, I cleaned for the first time the week I sold it, and it was almost spotless. I would check the spare tire pressure once a year, but no cleaning.
My wife's Scion, I have cleaned it once in 3.5 years, and that was after about 6 months of ownership when I put down some sound deadening material. Have not cleaned it since then. Checked the spare pressure about a month ago and it was still spotless. I do have a cargo mat on top of the carpet mat, so little can even get in there.
My truck, I drop the spare yearly, check the pressure and clean all the ricks and dirt that collect on it.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I used spare tire of my E430 once(a year ago) in 16 years I owned it, the spare tire well was very clean.

I removed the spare tire from my S2000, I had a used pillow in its place.

 

[tbm3fan]

Always

 

[Ifixyawata]

I've started a 5-tire rotation on my Mountaineer and I've made it a practice to clean/grease the 'winch cable' that lowers the tire from underneath. I also clean my wheels inside and out while I'm rotating them.

 

[sxg6]

I'll vacuum it out if I have the spare tire and everything out. I've never needed to wash it out in my legacy though, no road salt or anything gets in there, just a little bit of sand?

 

[buck91]

Had the milk thing happen to a Grand Prix once. Left a gallon of milk in the trunk for a full week when we went away for vacation. Came back and it had exploded EVERYWHERE. Tried so hard to save the car; completely gutted the trunk and the interior from rear floor pans back. Aggressively cleaned and scrubbed everything. Still stunk. Sold it on a cool morning.