What is your tire cleaning/dressing routine?

[imported_NHBFAN]

1. Do you clean your tires with car wash soap, a detergent, or a dedicated tire cleaner?



2. Do you scrub with a brush, or use a high pressure rinse?



3. Do you dry your tires before dressing?



4. What product do you use to dress the tires?



5. What implements, e.g. brush, or tire swipe do you use to apply dressing?

 

[BigAl3]

~first, i hose the tires and get them wet.



~then i use the EO1 bucketless wash and spray onto tires and then scrub with a tire brush. works like a charm!



~after i'm done washing the whole car, i use the leafblower and dry the wheels/tires/car (drying the car with a large microfiber drying towel or waffle weave), and then apply tire dressing.



~finally, by that time i can qd the whole car and come back and add a second coat of tire dressing and even everything all out if needed...

 

[drck1000]

I do the wheels and tires first. I do one wheel at a time and start with a spray on the jet setting on the hose nozzle. Next, I use the Eagle One All Wheel & Tire on the side wall of the tire and then use a sponge to clean the wheel and then follow up with a wipe around the side wall of the tire with a different area of the sponge (it's stained so you can easily tell which section). By that time, there is dirty foam on the ground from running off of the tire. I then use the sponge and clean the plastic trim at the rim of the wheel well and then use a nylon brush inside the wheel well. I do all four wheels and then wash the car. I dry the tires and wheels last with a MF decidated for that use.



I've been thinking about just using the Eagle One on the tires at only every third or so washes (I wash weekly) and that way, I could only have to reapply the tire dressing after those washes that I used Eagle One. I use 303 for the tires and haven't had problems of it lasting. Almost daily rain this week after washing and tires still look fine. But I do go for the flat matte black look instead of the wet shine.

 

[Pennypacker]

My method is:



-Give tires a hose-down

-Spray on dedicated rubber cleaner (I use Griot's)

-Scrub well with a dedicated tire brush (curved; again, I happen to use Griot's)

-Rinse

-Dry tires with "only meant for tire-duty" towel.

-Apply dressing accordingly (I use either Mother's FX or Jeff's Werkstatt Satin Prot)



I think the cleaner and brush are key. I can't imagine thoroughly cleaning the tires without a good brush. And of course, I never, ever apply dressing to dirty tires...yuck!



I have a separate regimen for the wheels..

 

[imported_NHBFAN]

I think the cleaner and brush are key. I can't imagine thoroughly cleaning the tires without a good brush. And of course, I never, ever apply dressing to dirty tires...yuck!

I think you're right ... it's always about the prep!

 

[imported_NHBFAN]

-Apply dressing accordingly (I use either Mother's FX or Jeff's Werkstatt Satin Prot)

Do you apply dressing with a brush or tire swipe?

 

[Flat-6]

1. spray w/ griots rubber cleaner, expensive but nothing cleans the white raised outlines on my truck tires like it. (that I have tried)



2. scrub with a brush (griots also)



3. rinse and blot dry with a cotton terry towel



4. dress w/ Armorall, I really like this and has been my go to this year. it does not have the durability of many others, but it does have the perfect sheen for my taste, and does not attract much dirt or sling off.

 

[imported_bigfoot1]

1. Soak them with a regular hose.

2. Use a APC and soak both wheel and tire (I use Simple Green diluted 1:10)

3. Scrub with a tire brush (I use a TW curved, but I will buy the Meguiars new one soon) And scrub wheels and wheel wells. (Just bought the meguiars wheel brush on sale for $3.00 :woot:

4. Rinse

5. Dry with the Absorber (Gotta love it)

6. Use AA, as a previous comment said, it does not has any durability, but it has a good shine level and is CHEAP!! :bounce

7. Wipe wheels with a cheap towel so no tire protectant stain shows up!!

 

[sspeer]

Black Magic Tire Cleaner on Dry Tire

Scrub with a tire brush.

Rinse tires

Wash/Dry Car and Wheels

Apply Meg's GC Endurance (standard gloss) with the supplied foam applicator (with plastic handle)

Sit back and enjoy it

 

[EBPcivicsi]

For *my* tires:



wash with car wash soap, scrub with soft brush, blow dry, dress with EO swipe or stiff sponge applicator



I use water-based dressings on my car, so the removal is not an issue--no build up either.



For *other people's* tires:

pressure wash

apply tire cleaner (local purchase, but think bleach white on steriods)

scrub with brush

presure rinse

blow dry

apply dressing with EO tire swipe or similar sponge applicator



I clean the tires/wheels first, dress tires last.

 

[Laxpunk2006]

I do my tires right after I do my wheels. I start off spraying them down with some Meg's Gold Class Wheel Cleaner I have, which by the way I do not like at all. I only bought it to finish off a gift card I had for Target. After taking care of the wheels I use my regular car wash soap and a Meguiar's Tire Brush to scrub down the rubber. Normally I use Meguiar's High Endurance Tire Dressing to dress the tire, but I used a Wolfgang Sample I got from Autogeek and now much prefer it.

 

[imported_karwaxer]

Cleaning the tires first is a must, I have a very good cust. who uses the same dressing I use on his car and every time I do his car he comments on his tires saying how when I do them they shine like they are wet, when he does them they dont. Well I found out he does not clean them first. I use blech white on the tires then powerwash them I have been using Black Magic tire foam as a dressing its cheap ( $3.00 in Walmarts ) and it looks great and seems to last!! I clean and dress the tires prior to doing the rest of the car and when I am finishing off I wipe the tires with a foam pad to even the dressing out.

 

[sumptimwong]

I'm no expert by Autopian standards, but here's the method I've developed over the years:



(1) Hose down with water.

(2) I clean my wheels and tires with a dedicated Walmart wash mit and an APC.

(3) Hose off.

(4) Remove majority of water and leftovers with a couple sheets of paper towel.

(5) Let dry for ~15 min while I dust my interior, dress the dash, and shake out my mats.

(6) Spray AA, somewhat liberally.

(7) Let AA soak in while I wax the horizontal panels of my car. Buff off.

(8) Remove excess AA with a couple sheets of paper towel.



I really like AA for the dry months. I find it to be perfectly durable for the 1-2weeks between my regular car wash and wheel/tire cleaning. It applies VERY easy, has a perfect sheen for my tastes, and most importantly, does not sling AT ALL!

 

[imported_themightytimmah]

My regimen depends if I use HT grape or a different brand of dressing. HT grape seems to layer and resist water (solvent based), so I just hose the tires off with the foam gun and soap, and take a quick swipe with a chenille mitt I use only for rims and tires, then spray HT Grape on and wipe it in with a terry applicator.



If I'm using water-based dressings, I clean the tires with APC, pressure wash, and dress with a swipe.



I'm leaning more towards the HT Grape lately, it's a bit of a PITA to use, but it really leaves a nice look, and the durability is *significantly* better than water-based (I use Mothers' Reflections) dressings I have tried. Sometimes I wonder why it isn't a more popular product.

 

[imported_NHBFAN]

I am finishing off I wipe the tires with a foam pad to even the dressing out.

I was wondering how many people did this step.

 

[drck1000]

I was wondering how many people did this step.

When I use Mequiar's Endurance Gel, I follow-up with a rag MF to make sure to remove any "overage" and prevent sling. I usually try to make sure the car that I use it on will be allowed to dry for at least a few hours. But I try to make sure to remove any excess just in case. I do use EO or other foam tire dressing applicators to apply, but just figured that following up would just push excess around.

 

[SVR]

(1) High pressure wheels only (tyres don't like water and shampoo's dry them out)

(2) Shampoo wheels with four star UAS (2 bucket method) with a meg's gold class bendable brush, arches get shampoo'd with a sea sponge clean

(3) Hose off

(4) Wash the car and dry (wheels last)

(5) Once car is dry, I QD the wheels and apply sonus and wolfgang gels to tires with a de puy packaging foam pad (is like a 3M black waffle polishing pad on one side)

(6) leave for one hour then apply another two coats



Tire cleaners are never used and tyres never shampoo'd, I find with my soft compound tyres that I get a better gloss with no dust attraction which meg's cause and the shine lasts longer

The WG and sonus never build up or leave sticky residue and so far got three months protection and the full gloss returns each time I drive it

 

[Pennypacker]

Do you apply dressing with a brush or tire swipe?

Personally, I put dressing on with Vroom cotton towels from Target. I use one to apply and even out coverage and one to wipe off excess. I like the mf's I have too much to relegate to tire duty..maybe down the road when some of them get worn and ratty I'll use them as well.

 

[DaGonz]

1. Do you clean your tires with car wash soap, a detergent, or a dedicated tire cleaner?

It depends on how dirty the tires appear to be.

2. Do you scrub with a brush, or use a high pressure rinse?

For really dirty tires, I use a tire cleaner, let it dwell on the surface for about a minute, spary it again and then scrub with a brush, then use my pressure washer to rinse it.

3. Do you dry your tires before dressing?

I have an old Absorber chammois dedicated for just this purpose.

4. What product do you use to dress the tires?

I have different types of dressings... Stoners's MSLT, Meguiar's Endurance, Eagle One, etc.

5. What implements, e.g. brush, or tire swipe do you use to apply dressing?

I use a tire swipe and and a briush to apply the dressing into the "nooks and crannies" that you find on tires today.

 

[Shelbrain]

1. Rinse off tires and wheel wells.

2. Spray on TOL Tire Cleaner, sit for 30-60 seconds, agitate with dedicated brush and rinse off

3. Spray on Meg's Wheel Brightener, cut 4:1, wait 30-60 seconds, rinse off. Agitation is not usually needed because the rims are frequently maintained.

4. Spray on PB Bold n' Bright. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and then use tire swipe to even out. I don't drive the vehicle for awhile after I do this as it is usually the last step I do. The tires are mostly dry when I apply the dressing.