Tire Cleaning

I have been using the following with great results:

Auto Fanatic Professional Wheel Cleaning Foam
Gyeon Q2M Wheel Cleaner
Griots Rubber Cleaner
 
A nice lady in my church family , whom I cleaned up her car last year, bought me some Eagle One A-to-Z Tire and Wheel Cleaner because she knows I clean and detail cars. I have not used this product for many years now since migrating to Meg`s Pro Detailer D143 Non-Acid Tire and Wheel Cleaner. This EOA2Z sure foams a lot when dispensed from its sprayer nozzle and the amount of browning that ran off my newer Michelin tires was, well, quite shocking.

There has been some "debate" about tire cleaners degrading the life of the tire due to the removal of this browning bloom, which is actually a chemical designed to reduce ozone degradation of the rubber compounds in the tire. I do know that excessive heat is another culprit of tire degradation, so tires that are under-inflated, overloaded beyond their weight-bearing capacity, or run at high-speeds beyond their speed rating are more likely subject to this rubber degradation than from tire cleaning, in my opinion.
I really do not think that "regular" tire cleaning is detrimental to a tire`s life expectancy, but that`s my own opinion on this debatable tire issue. I prefer to dress my tires with Optimum Polymer Technologies` Opti-Bond Tire Gel every-other-time I 2-bucket wash my car and I do not think that has any negative effects on tire life either. I actually think it helps seal in those anti-ozone chemicals, but that my "conspiracy theory".
 
I prefer to dress my tires with Optimum Polymer Technologies` Opti-Bond Tire Gel every-other-time I 2-bucket wash my car and I do not think that has any negative effects on tire life either. I actually think it helps seal in those anti-ozone chemicals, but that my "conspiracy theory".

It`s right in the product description from the Optimum store: "[FONT=&quot]It contains advanced UV and ozone protectants to shield surfaces from sun damage and environmental pollution."[/FONT]
 
[WARNING: borderline Autopian Heresy follows in the form of even *asking* this Q!]

Just how clean to my fellow Autopians keep their tires on a regular basis...and why?

Mine look basically the same whether I knock myself out getting them to come perfectly clean or just do a quickie job that "leaves `em looking properly black". NOBODY could ever tell the difference, period, without doing a white-glove-test (and anybody who would do such a test is a nut IMO).

SO...yep, most of the time I just do a half-[baked] job with the (overly gentle, doesn`t even "hurt the dirt") Griot`s Rubber Cleaner. My tires always look the way I want, and at least as good to me as anybody else`s, so I`m satisfied.

Why do better? (Other than the "job worth doing..." thing, which is easier to justify when one has lots of free time for things that don`t really matter.)
 
[WARNING: borderline Autopian Heresy follows in the form of even *asking* this Q!]

Just how clean to my fellow Autopians keep their tires on a regular basis...and why?

Mine look basically the same whether I knock myself out getting them to come perfectly clean or just do a quickie job that "leaves `em looking properly black". NOBODY could ever tell the difference, period, without doing a white-glove-test (and anybody who would do such a test is a nut IMO).

SO...yep, most of the time I just do a half-[baked] job with the (overly gentle, doesn`t even "hurt the dirt") Griot`s Rubber Cleaner. My tires always look the way I want, and at least as good to me as anybody else`s, so I`m satisfied.

Why do better? (Other than the "job worth doing..." thing, which is easier to justify when one has lots of free time for things that don`t really matter.)

Most of the time I wash the tires with regular car wash soap and a brush if doing a traditional wash.
 
I’ll just blow dry them after I do my regular foam wash and PolyGloss, then(if necessary), treat them with 1Z Nextzett Vinyl and Rubber.
 
Does your label say "New Formula"? Just curious.

Mine says “New Enhanced Formula”. I bought this for my father for Father’s Day so I didn’t get the Concentrated Formula but it was an option when I bought this gallon.

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Most of the time I wash the tires with regular car wash soap and a brush if doing a traditional wash.

Ah, interesting! That works OK for me on the wheels/etc. but not the tires...I guess I might be a little more Autopian about it than I thought. Or, perhaps more likely, your shampoo/water/dirt-on-tires situation is just different from mine (and I sure bet you don`t let `em get as bad between washes as I do :o ).
 
Ah, interesting! That works OK for me on the wheels/etc. but not the tires...I guess I might be a little more Autopian about it than I thought. Or, perhaps more likely, your shampoo/water/dirt-on-tires situation is just different from mine (and I sure bet you don`t let `em get as bad between washes as I do :o ).

Wouldn`t a good dish washing liquid work just as well on the tires?
 
I use Adam`s Tire & Rubber Cleaner.

For my cars I am also using the power scrubbing method Mike Phillips recommends. I clean the tire using a brush attached to my PC, rinse and clean it again. That usually gets it a nice matte finish, and adding dressing (just switching from VRT to CarPro PERL) makes it look even better.
As for maintenance, I will do a full cleaning every 3-4 washes, but mostly go over the tires with left over rinseless wash solution - wash the car first, then do the wheels with a soft wheel brush, then the tires with a stiff bristle brush.
 
I use Adam`s Tire & Rubber Cleaner.

For my cars I am also using the power scrubbing method Mike Phillips recommends. I clean the tire using a brush attached to my PC, rinse and clean it again. That usually gets it a nice matte finish, and adding dressing (just switching from VRT to CarPro PERL) makes it look even better.
As for maintenance, I will do a full cleaning every 3-4 washes, but mostly go over the tires with left over rinseless wash solution - wash the car first, then do the wheels with a soft wheel brush, then the tires with a stiff bristle brush.
You need something cordless to clean your tires.
 
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