View Full Version : Is it necessary to clean your tires?
Usually when I wash my car, I just spray some cleaner on it, brush it, spray it down with water and wipe it off. But no matter how much you clean it, there always will be some residue on it. I put tire dressing over it and it still looks ok every time. Just wondering if it is necessary to really scrub the tires off until there is no more residue on it?
mihilc
04-26-2006, 05:56 AM
I`m interested too. I do the same I use AutoMagic`s Special Cleaner Concentrate dilluted 1:4 for this task. But I don`t dress them so often
once a month maybe.
Wasatch
04-26-2006, 06:06 AM
Yes, you should clean them. Some dressing`s will not bond perfectly without a good cleaning/silicone removal. Depending on what dressing I`m using, I will clean/dress 2-3 times a month easy.
imported_smprince1
04-26-2006, 06:17 AM
I find the appearance and durability of the dressed tire is greatly improved if you completely remove all brake dust, grease, road grime, etc.
BTW, most wheel cleaners will also work well cleaning the tires.
Neo62381
04-26-2006, 10:52 AM
Definately agitate, your dressing may look pretty decent, but definately has more potential.
Scimmia
04-27-2006, 09:14 AM
like smprince1 said, you need to get all of the crap off, but not all of the residue. Some of that is coming from the tire rubber itself.
BigAl3
04-27-2006, 09:17 AM
Just wondering if it is necessary to really scrub the tires off until there is no more residue on it?
i make sure before every wash, that i clean the tires with a brush till i get all the previous tire dressing off as this insures the new dressing to bond..
Ed Fisher
04-27-2006, 10:54 AM
Well humor me and think I`m nuts but :
1- I first spray some Meg` s degreaser and scrub them with my tire brush.
2- Then I brush em again with undiluted shampoo several times and rinse em down before I wash em along with the wheels... They don` t only accumulate brake dust but also road film and grime.
3- Finally I apply dressing AFTER I make sure they are clean. And the test to see if they are clean or not is to wipe em down with a white rag. If there is black on the rag, the tires need some extra care...
Try for yourself to see and you will find that the sidewalls will get a mirrorlike shine... If you have the all too common sidewall design of fine stripes, make sure you scrub vertically along the strips. Otherwise you will end up with brittle strips which seem to have rubbed against a curb...
Good luck ! :)