How to removal tire mounting lubricating grease from tire

[Desertnate]

A new set of tires were mounted to my car this weekend. The tire shop did a good job of not damaging my wheels, but a side effect is the lubricating goo is everywhere.

A quick wash with a wheel cleaner got all the grease off my wheels nicely, but the tires are another story. I scrubbed them using the wheel/tire cleaner and then a degreaser (probably not the best choice) and quite a bit is gone. However some still remains and a couple of the tires have a grayish look to them.

How do you get the stuff off without damaging the tire? On a different car I`m not convinced the stuff was every completely off the tires; even several years later. They looked OK, but the sidewalls always felt a little slick and no tire dressing I ever used "took" to the rubber and would last more than a few days.

With any new tires, I won`t even try to dress them for a couple months in order to wear out the mold release, so dressing isn`t important right now. I would just like to remove the other grease/lube.

Thoughts/advice are greatly appreciated.

[Accumulator]

Desertnate- That [stuff] and be a real challenge, huh?!?

I use Griot`s Rubber Prep and scrub *scrub* *SCRUB* as aggressively as I can (without doing damage, be careful on soft compound ones!) with brushes or the Griot`s "Ergo Wave Foam Scrubber" sponge, which they also offer in a little (?3"?) pad for machine use.

EDIT: I do wonder whether there`s some other, more efficient, approach. I spent *hours* over the course of a few days doing one set.....

[Ron Ketcham]

Is it a hydrocarbon based lubricant or water based?

[Strong66]

All of the tire lube we use is water based, it kinda reminds of a soap derivative. Maybe a scrub with a carwash soap will take it off.

[ShaneB]

Just a thought, I don`t believe it would be harmful to tires but honestly I don`t know for sure, but give WD-40 a try. Follow up with your usual tire cleaner to remove any residue left behind by the wd-40. Just put some on a towel and use it to wipe the stuff off. Shouldn`t need to scrub it at all.

That stuff works like nothing else on greasy stuff

[Ron Ketcham]

​Use HOT water.

[Oneheadlite]

Wow, that`s some serious stuff. The lube we use here at our shop comes off with water (I usually just touch up the wheels with a M914 mix and a wet towel for the tires, but I`ve also got the luxury of having the stuff still be fresh).

I like Ron`s idea of starting super simple and just hit it with some Hot water.

I wonder if the Grayish look is from the cleaners used thus far? What tires?

[wannafbody]

Have you tried a degreaser such as Dawn?

[Desertnate]

Desertnate- That [stuff] and be a real challenge, huh?!?

EDIT: I do wonder whether there`s some other, more efficient, approach. I spent *hours* over the course of a few days doing one set.....

Yeah, it`s terrible stuff to try and remove. I may see if I can hunt down some rubber/tire cleaner locally and give it a try.

I don`t think I have the patience to spend hours on tires. The smeary look will bug me, but eventually it will wear off or get dirty enough it will blend in with the rest of the tire.


Is it a hydrocarbon based lubricant or water based?

Since I couldn`t rinse it off and it beads water like oil, I don`t think it`s water based. I even found it hard to wash off my hands.


All of the tire lube we use is water based, it kinda reminds of a soap derivative. Maybe a scrub with a carwash soap will take it off.


​Use HOT water.


Wow, that`s some serious stuff. The lube we use here at our shop comes off with water (I usually just touch up the wheels with a M914 mix and a wet towel for the tires, but I`ve also got the luxury of having the stuff still be fresh).

I like Ron`s idea of starting super simple and just hit it with some Hot water.

I wonder if the Grayish look is from the cleaners used thus far? What tires?

I`m not certain this stuff is water based. Interesting to hear multiple reports of a water based product. I`ve encountered this nasty goo from multiple, unrelated tire places in the local area and it`s always the same. A greasy, sticky, white grease like substance.

It`s really hard to get off tires. It doesn`t rinse off with the hose, it smears all over the place and gums up any brush, and is difficult in removing from my hands with soap and water. So far it has proven to be resistant to wheel/tire cleaner and only a degreaser like Purple Power has any affect.

Since I`m open to any/all options I`ll give hot water a try and see what happens.

The grayish look is actually a fine layer of this goo smeared on the tire. At this point only the heaviest areas remain and you can see the smear marks from my sacrificial wheel/tire brush. I can still change the smear marks/gray patches with my finger.


Have you tried a degreaser such as Dawn?

I actually went stronger and used Purple Power degreaser. Probably way to strong for rubber and I won`t use it again, but nothing else seemed to work. I might try Dawn AND hot water just to see what happens.

Thanks for all the inputs!

[ShaneB]

Last resort you could try mineral spirits or MAYBE acetone (probably risky). I still believe WD40 would do it for you rather easily. I was a mechanic for over 10 years and wd-40 instantly cleans up even dried up paste like grease

[Accumulator]

Heh heh...those of us who`ve struggled with the stuff that *NOTHING* seems to remove are just shaking our heads and wishing when we hear how people can clean off other versions of the stuff with such easy approaches!

And yeah...I tried pretty much everything you can imagine (on the back side of one tire) before settling on the Griot`s Rubber Prep and hours of work. The stuff I normally wouldn`t touch a tire with didn`t work any better and at least the Rubber Prep (supposedly) won`t do any damage.

[Accumulator]

Yeah, it`s terrible stuff to try and remove...
The grayish look is actually a fine layer of this goo smeared on the tire.

Sounds very familar :(


I don`t think I have the patience to spend hours on tires. The smeary look will bug me, but eventually it will wear off or get dirty enough it will blend in with the rest of the tire.

I`m all in favor of not expending resources on stuff you don`t care about! Though I`ll note that the stuff never did come off the back sides where I only got ~90% of it cleaned away.



I`m not certain this stuff is water based. Interesting to hear multiple reports of a water based product. I`ve encountered this nasty goo from multiple, unrelated tire places in the local area and it`s always the same. A greasy, sticky, white grease like substance.

It`s really hard to get off tires. It doesn`t rinse off with the hose, it smears all over the place and gums up any brush, and is difficult in removing from my hands with soap and water. So far it has proven to be resistant to wheel/tire cleaner and only a degreaser like Purple Power has any affect...

Sounds exactly like what my guys use. I oughta ask `em about it the next time...


Since I`m open to any/all options I`ll give hot water a try and see what happens. FWIW, my steamer didn`t help much, if at all (finally just quit trying it).

pquote]At this point only the heaviest areas remain and you can see the smear marks from my sacrificial wheel/tire brush. I can still change the smear marks/gray patches with my finger...I actually went stronger and used Purple Power degreaser. Probably way to strong for rubber and I won`t use it again, but nothing else seemed to work. I might try Dawn AND hot water just to see what happens.[/QUOTE]

Well, at least that made some progress and got the worst of it.

For some reason this...[stuff]... is harder for me to get off Michelins than some other brands of tires. No, I don`t have a clue why that`d be...

[Desertnate]

Heh heh...those of us who`ve struggled with the stuff that *NOTHING* seems to remove are just shaking our heads and wishing when we hear how people can clean off other versions of the stuff with such easy approaches!

And yeah...I tried pretty much everything you can imagine (on the back side of one tire) before settling on the Griot`s Rubber Prep and hours of work. The stuff I normally wouldn`t touch a tire with didn`t work any better and at least the Rubber Prep (supposedly) won`t do any damage.



Sounds very familiar :(



I`m all in favor of not expending resources on stuff you don`t care about! Though I`ll note that the stuff never did come off the back sides where I only got ~90% of it cleaned away.

Sounds exactly like what my guys use. I oughta ask `em about it the next time...

FWIW, my steamer didn`t help much, if at all (finally just quit trying it).

For some reason this...[stuff]... is harder for me to get off Michelins than some other brands of tires. No, I don`t have a clue why that`d be...

Glad to hear I don`t suffer alone!

These tires are Michelins, so that is discouraging. I can say a set of Continentals covered in this goo never seemed to EVER wear off. Those sidewalls were a little slick for their entire life. The stuff almost seemed to absorb into the rubber.


Last resort you could try mineral spirits or MAYBE acetone (probably risky). I still believe WD40 would do it for you rather easily. I was a mechanic for over 10 years and wd-40 instantly cleans up even dried up paste like grease

I forgot to respond to this before. I`ll give this a shot too on a small area. WD40 does seem to be a miracle fix. Thanks.

[Accumulator]

DesertNate- Heh heh, if the WD40 *does* work that great, I`ll be both happy (hey, a quick/easy solution!) and *not* (hey, I spent all that time/effort!). But OK...I can just be happy for *you* if it works on what`s left :)

And I`m gonna remember that those Continentals were that way, just in case the brand does somehow factor in (not that I`ve ever liked my Contis..).

For some reason the Michelins and I just don`t seem to get along :( The ones I had on the previous Crown Vic were fine in every respect, but the ones on the Tahoe and A8..well, not so much even besides the mounting lube mess.

[Bill D]

I`m supposed to get new tires by year`s end and I`ll distinctly keep this thread in mind. I wonder if my getting Pirellis may keep things easier