How To Clean Car Tires: Do It Yourself With These Easy Methods

How to clean car tires is always a matter of concern for motorists. After a long time of driving, the tires - the part that comes into direct contact with the road - will become covered with dirt and stubborn plaque. Dirty tires have both reduced durability and unsightly cars.

How to Clean Car Tires Quickly?

1. Use Tire Cleaner

You can easily find tire cleaners at auto parts stores. However, please check carefully before buying as it requires some different precautions and usage. You can refer to Turtle Wax's clean car tire guide.

For example, tire cleaner specifically for tires will adversely affect the wheels and vice versa. If you buy one that works for both parts, you do not have to worry about this. In addition, you also need to be careful to avoid the bleach getting on the car paint.

When using tire cleaner, give it some time to soak it into the tire. Rubber tires are pretty porous, so removing dirt is not easy. Wait a minute or two for the tire dressing to soak in and remove more dirt.

Then use a stiff brush to scrub the tires. Brown tires need to be cleaned regularly. The stiff bristles from the brush will help you remove brown stains or white patches faster. It would be best if you rubbed in an even circular motion.

If you feel the tires are cleaner than before, use the hose to rinse the tire dressing and dirt from the tire. Strong water currents can cause dirt to splash out. However, you can repeat the steps if the tires are not clean enough.

2. Wash Tires before Washing Cars

Before you do this method, there are some tools that you need to prepare: two buckets, sponge/wipes, wheel cleaner, and clean water.

• Step 1: Clean the tires first. They are constantly in direct contact with the road, so they are indeed the dirtiest part of the car. To make sure your car does not get dirty when you wash and coat your tires, clean the wheels and tires first. Other parts of the car are not affected, and you need to take care of them.
• Step 2: Use two different buckets. You need to prepare two buckets, one for the tires and the other for the wheels. When you break the car, your brake pads will wear out and collect a lot of dirt. It leaves your tires and wheels with this dirt, too.
• Step 3: Paint may be affected by tire cleaner. Tire cleaner not only destroys the paint it also dulls the paint color. Since it is a dirt-removing chemical, it is strong enough to impact your powder coating.

3. Apply Tire Dressing or Tire Coating

To perform this method, you need to prepare a separate cleaning cloth. You must only use this towel to clean the tires, not with other parts. Dusty wipes can cause some scratches in the paintwork.

• Wipe the sidewalls of the tires.
• You should pay attention to the side parts of the tire because it is difficult to clean the treads.

Then you apply a layer of tire dressing on the tire. When choosing a tire dredging, you need to check its ingredients and avoid those containing silicone. 

Although silicone-free tire dressings do not give the perfect shine right away, you don't need to care for your tires regularly.

• Dab a little tire dressing on your cleaning cloth and dab it lightly on the tire.
• You can use water-based tire dressing instead of silicone coating to ensure a brilliant shine.
• Always follow the instructions from the manufacturer.
• Let the tires dry completely before driving.

If you want to apply tire coating instead of tire dressing, you can layer on the tire. Tire coating can give perfect gloss on rubber tires. It is pretty durable, keeping the tires safe for a long time. In addition, Weather does not affect the tire coating too much.

• You use a sponge soaked in tire coating and apply it to the sides of the tire.
• Follow the steps in the instructions to ensure the best coverage.

After the first coat has dried, you should apply a second coat. Waiting time can range from a few minutes to an hour, depending on the type of tire coating you use. The glossy coating will make your tires look new.

How to Clean Car Tires with Household Tools?

Besides the tools to help wash the tires, you can immediately apply a few household products available in the house to handle this job. Prepare some of the following tools:

• Warm water
• Borax
• Lemon oil
• Dish soap
• Brush

With these simple tools, you can polish your tires to look new. First, you need to make a wash by adding hot water to dish soap. Use the stiff brush you prepared in advance and start working.

A stiff bristle brush will help you scrub away dirt that has accumulated for a long time from the treads and grooves of the tires. When you regularly clean your tires, you can monitor the condition of your tires and extend their life.

In addition, borax is another material that you can apply. First, you combine a bucket of warm water with a half cup of borax.

This cleaning solution can remove a large amount of dirt on tires. If your tires have too many stubborn stains, add a little more solution. Use a stiff-bristled brush to scrub away stubborn stains.

Why Do We Have to Clean Car Tires?

Why should you wash your tires regularly? Many people ask this question. Whether you often drive or leave your car in one place, tires can quickly get dusty. Dirty tires not only detract from the beauty of your car, but they also cause you some problems. Here are the main reasons motorists should wash their tires regularly.

1. Dry Rotting

If you ignore your tires, they can quickly deteriorate and develop cracks in the sidewalls. That's because they are subject to ionic toxins on their surfaces. This damaging process is called dry rot. Stubborn cracks reduce tire life significantly.

When tires are thoroughly cleaned, they can avoid this hazard. You also don't need to change your tires as often – a hassle and a waste of time.

2. The Appearance of Brown Patches

To avoid direct contact with ozone, manufacturers use the chemical Antiozonant to create tires. This particular chemical can protect tires and reduce their degradation time. In addition, the ionic poison does not affect the tire when it is in contact with the road.

However, when exposed to air for long periods, this chemical tends to turn brown due to oxidation. You can see on the tires starting to appear brown stains. Please do not confuse it with ordinary dirt and clean up quickly.

Conclusion

All you need to prepare for tire cleaning is just a few tools and effort. Take a moment to clean your tires regularly. It not only helps the tires perform better but also prolongs their life. Hopefully, through this article, you learned how to clean car tires properly.