Tire Cleaner Research

[Mike Phillips]

Tire Cleaner Research

Meguiar's would like your feedback on the below question.

Question: If you use a tire cleaner to clean your tires, how often do you dress or apply some type of protectant to them after you've cleaned them?

1) Always
2) Sometimes
3) Never
Thank you for your participation! :xyxthumbs :xyxthumbs :xyxthumbs

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2CleaningTire.jpg

Mike

[thejazzguy]

Please add "Usually" to the list of choices.. "Sometimes" implies appathy. :) "Usually" at least shows that you're trying!

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by thejazzguy
Please add "Usually" to the list of choices.. "Sometimes" implies appathy. :) "Usually" at least shows that you're trying!

How's that?

Mike

[Mike Phillips]

Open question:

What type of products have you used in the past to clean your tires?

Myself, I tend to use the car wash I'm using at the time, (Currently my favorite is NXT Car Wash), but in the past I have used All Purpose Cleaner Plus from Meguair's Detailer Line, and now it's replacement, All Purpose Cleaner.

Afterwards, I usually dress my tires if time isn't an issue.

Mike

[benhui86]

i usually just take some dish washing soap and clean my tires then i apply the dressing

[clickster34]

I usually use Meguiar's extra cleaner with a scrub brush and dress with Endurance or Hot Shine depending on how much time I have.

[RamAirV1]

I use the car wash (NXT) to clean my tires and wheels and it works just fine. That way the wax is not removed from the wheels.

RamAirV1

[Lochi]

I only use APC (10:1) to clean my tires/wheels, and no dressings. I like the natural flat black look on the tires.

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/1672Tire.jpg

Greetings :xyxthumbs

[kuhlguy71]

I use "Bleche-White". Soak the sidewall with it, dip a plastic bristled tire brush into first bucket of GC wash water, scrub tire. On the RWL's I spray them again with the "Bleche-White" and dip a thick bristled grill brush(stronger bristles than typical wire brush) and scrub the RWL's then rinse thorughly.

After emptying the first bucket, I wash the car then dry and spray on tire dressing. No-Touch works great for me. Lasts for a couple weeks.

[bunker]

I am NOT a fan of an all-in-one product (cleaner/dressing)
I used to use Bleche White before I knew better to clean the tires. Use stiff brush and rinse. Follow up with Endurance or 303 Aerospace.

[kuhlguy71]

Is there a drawback to "Bleche-White"?

[scrub]

I voted usually/"sometimes". It's a time issue if I don't.

My steps and products to wash
1. Soak tire and wheel well with Safe D-Greaser. If I run out then APC
2. Agitiate with brush dipped in NXT soap and water.
3. Use wash mit on rims.
4. Rinse

When I started this process early in the summer I too liked the flat no dressing look. Then I tried All Season Dressing. Now I make time for applying dressing!

Hyper Dressing, #40, and Endurance are all great products. I switched from Endurance to ASD because ASD is available in gallon size.

Mike, where's this going??

[Beercan31]

Most of the time I use what's available.
The products I found to work well are Spray Nine and Greased Lightning both are rather strong alkaline solvents so extreme caution is used when using this type of product near unprotected aluminum.

After the tire has dryed I use the Hot Tire Shine, This stuff seems to out last all others I have tried.

[gman39120]

I like Eagle's A-Z Tire/Wheel Cleaner mainly for the fact that it is dual purpose. Nice to have one product that will handle both tasks and it's inexpensive as well. I love the look of Meg's #40 on my tires, but the durability is short lived. Great product though. It is my main choice for interior work.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by kuhlguy71
Is there a drawback to "Bleche-White"?

I've used this in the past to clean white letters and white walls on tires. I've been told that it might stain some surfaces if it's over-sprayed onto these areas, things like wheels and brake calibers. Something to be careful of if you have custom wheels or aftermarket components.

Mike

[Lt1Corvette]

I usually go with some kind of an all purpose or a rubber cleaner. Following that I always dress the tires. I like a dark flat look and my favorite new setup is #40 followed by 303 after the 40 dries. I like that because when you do a wash most of the dressing comes off so you don't have to break out the apc every week.

[vwong]

I wonder if you can add another choice in this poll ---> "very rare". Or maybe I should just vote on "never".

Since I use my car for auto-x, and oftentimes using the tire dressing will cause the tires to lose traction around corners (at the initial turn-in) because of the tire dressing on the tire shoulder. So I don't usually use tire dressing. I only use tire dressing if there is a long break between events.

Also, I used to use the Eagle A to Z wheel cleaner for cleaning the wheels and tires (with brush to agitate). Now I'm using NXT car wash to clean the wheels as well as the tires.

[Aurora40]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
What type of products have you used in the past to clean your tires?


On the Aurora, I use APC+ at about 8:1 an d a stiff-bristled brush. On the other cars, I use A2Z since I'm using it on the wheels anyway.

I clean tires when I wash the car on the daily-drivers, but only a few times a year on the Aurora as they stay pretty clean.

I typically now dress them with Endurance or Hot Shine mainly because I feel like I'm wasting good product using other vinyl/rubber products on them. :)

[cheapthrills]

I have been using car wash and soft brush for tires for a long time, Then I switched and started using A2Z for everything wheels tires, wells. but it became rather expensive when doing friends and family members cars. So I picked up Triple Seven APC by Auto Magic, and dilute it 4-1 and it works well. I might try 6-1 being 4-1 works so well. I always dress tires, I have used Turtle wax, EO, Meguiar's, 303, and Stoners dressing, I really like 303 but I only use it on interiors now, and tend to use EO Wet on tires. looking to try some hyper dressing in the near future.

[magnus]

I live in a rural area with lots of field dirt, dust, and mud. By the time I get around to washing the car, the dirt is stuck on fairly well.

I usually start with Gold Class All Wheel Cleaner (http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_detail.cfm?sku=G-113) on the tires and wheels. I scrub the tires with Meguiar's curved tire brush and then rinse everything off.

I then wash the car per usual and then scrub the wheels, then tires, with a dedicated wash mitt (inexpensive cotton mitt) and the left over water from the car body.

If I feel that they are still farily dirty, I will use EXTRA All Surface Cleaner (http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_detail.cfm?sku=G-93) and the curved tire brush.

When I polished the car over Thanksgiving weekend, I tried a new bottle of #39 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner (http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_detail.cfm?parenturl=index_pro.cfm&sku=M-39) on the trim and was impressed enough to see what it would do with the tires. After all the above steps, I still removed dirt with the #39.

On my '66 Mustang, I use Gold Class Endurance (http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_detail.cfm?sku=G-74) with two coats. The Volvo gets an application of #40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner (http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_detail.cfm?parenturl=index_pro.cfm&sku=M-40)

[RickRS]

My vote is "never", but the reality is once-in-a-blue-moon.
Alway wash down the wheels and tires with leftover car soap, but rarely dress tires on a regular basis.

[thejazzguy]

Thanks for the poll change Mike. But the change isn't exactly what I meant! :wall: I thought that a fourth choice of "usually" would be a good idea in addition to the "sometimes" choice. For example, I usually (9 in 10 times) dress my tires after cleaning. I sometimes (1 in 10 times) use glass cleaner on the windows. Oh well, no big deal! :xyxthumbs

[thejazzguy]

I usually use Meguiar's EXTRA or Simple Green (recommended by Fikse, the wheel manufacturer) and a stiff brush.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by thejazzguy
Thanks for the poll change Mike. But the change isn't exactly what I meant! :wall: I thought that a fourth choice of "usually" would be a good idea in addition to the "sometimes" choice. For example, I usually (9 in 10 times) dress my tires after cleaning. I sometimes (1 in 10 times) use glass cleaner on the windows. Oh well, no big deal! :xyxthumbs

Sorry about that thehazzguy, I guess I didn't understand what you meant?

With 61 people now having voted, I don't think it would be valid, or fair to change the poll now. It is pretty clear from the votes that are in what most people prefer to do when it comes to cleaning and dressing their tires.

Thanks for you suggestion early on however, I do appreciate your input.

Mike

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by scrub
Mike, where's this going??

We're trying to get an idea of the percentage of people that dress or treat their tires after they clean them. This poll is to get a feel for what people think?

On a personal note, if you look at the polls in this forum, this is an opportunity for our members to directly give their input, ideas, suggestions, comments, even complaints directly to Meguiar's.

I can assure you, there are people here at Meguiar's that are reading with interest what you have to say. I hope you will all agree this is a good thing!

:xyxthumbs :xyxthumbs :xyxthumbs

If you're reading this now and haven't voted in the four different polls in this forum, or if you have voted but have a comment you would like to add to the thread, then I encourage you to do so.

You have our ear!

Thanks,

Mike

[scrub]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
We're trying to get an idea of the percentage of people that dress or treat their tires after they clean them. This poll is to get a feel for what people think?

On a personal note, if you look at the polls in this forum, this is an opportunity for our members to directly give their input, ideas, suggestions, comments, even complaints directly to Meguiar's.

I can assure you, there are people here at Meguiar's that are reading with interest what you have to say. I hope you will all agree this is a good thing!

:xyxthumbs :xyxthumbs :xyxthumbs

If you're reading this now and haven't voted in the four different polls in this forum, or if you have voted but have a comment you would like to add to the thread, then I encourage you to do so.

You have our ear!

Thanks,

Mike

That's what I was wanting to hear... A company that will listen to the needs of its customers. Thanks!

[Bri]

I always wash my wheels/tires when washing the car but seldom apply a dressing on it because it's so oily and it's hard to clean the next time.. I hate oily surfaces that the Endurance gives... I usually apply dressing when I have just detailed the car or waxed it to complete the look.. I guess now that the hyper dressing would be a remedy to this one! :D

[Aurora40]

Well, Meguiar's already makes about 7 products in the pro and consumer line (not including the detailer) that can be used to dress tires.

My guess? Either they are looking to scale it down, or they are looking at some kind of cleaner/dressing all-in-one type thing... :)

[Bill D]

On --my-- car I will ALWAYS dress not only the fronts but the --backs-- of the tires as well :D I also always clean with a dedicated tire cleaner when the need arises.

If you consider launching a new cleaner and a new dressing I'd high recommend getting some input from the tire manufacturers as well. If they recommend certain ingredients use them only.

This tends to be an area I'm overly concerned about :o ;)

[Aurora40]

Heheh, tires are one I'm *least* concerned about in that regard. My paint, rubber trim, etc, I want to last the life of the car. Tires? Nah, they are gone in a few years anyways. Even on a low-mileage car, tires don't stay safe after too many years anyways. I'd be worried about 10 year old tires, even with minimal wear on them. :)

Of course that's not to say I want to just put cheap **** on my tires. And many products I use aren't tire-specific anyway, so of course I want them to be safe on rubber and vinyl. And I've seen tires where the sidewalls got all crumbly from cheap dressings, and of course I care, just not as much as I care about the more permanent parts of the car. :) :wavey

[Fr0zen]

Mike What is in that bucket. ? I really like the way it suds.

[Bill D]

On the one car in particular I would like my tires to last as long as possible because they are exact OE as original in 1989 and they are no longer made. They must have stopped production sometime after 1999 when I was fortunate enough to get them. On a Sunday driver where each mile is driven with extreme care ,a product for tires as I described is important to me.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by Fr0zen
Mike What is in that bucket. ? I really like the way it suds.

That would be NXT Car Wash!

Mike

[Bill D]

BTW, I'm finding NXT wash more and more easy to find. Sorta makes me smile to be able to stand next to a full shelf's slot's full in Wal Mart the other day. Keep up the good work Meguiars :xyxthumbs

[RamAirV1]

My Wal-Mart has NEVER stocked any NXT products. They must think people in central IN are too cheap to buy higher end car care products!

RamAirV1

[AutoNova]

Meg's wheel brightner is as good a product as A2Z. I dilute it 2:1
and it works great. Hyper-Dressing on the tires which by far outlasts most products in the industry for a medium gloss.:xyxthumbs

[electricgreen]

On the Mustang, always, although I wait til we get to a show if that's the destination. For cleaning, Westley's in the can (the foamy one with the scrub brush part on the top), but it's discontinued. I stock piled :D don't know what I'll use when it's gone! For dressing, Meg's gold class (the purple stuff).

Since we just bought a new Baja as our DD, I'll say on this one-almost everytime in the summer (I suspect anyhow, only had it a week today). It's just too cold out to worry about dressing the tires in the winter here, I'm just getting feeling back in my fingers from doing the door jambs with QD an hour ago (we go through a touchless car wash for the main body, but ya gotta do the doorjambs by hand)....brrrr, I hate the cold!

[Matt97GT]

Believe it or not, i use Comet and a scrub brush to clean my tires.

If i'm heading out to a car meet, i'll dress the tires after cleaning them. But normally i just clean them and let it be.

[MattN03]

I almost always use Black Magic Tire Wet after using Bleache White. The only time I don't add tire dressing is if it's going to rain in a day or two.

[lukester]

Just used the Insane shine tire spray...different but it does look good on a 2-tone Dakota with the white letters,I will see how long it lasts.

[SingingSabre]

I like the look of shiny tires, but sometimes I just can't be bothered. That's rare, though. Insane Tire Shine is just too easy to apply. :)

[Boss_429]

I always clean and dress my tires at every detail. I was using Meguiar's Extra until I heard it was going away. Currently I'm using Citri-Gel until my stash runs out. When that runs out, I was planning on using APC+ diluted 4 to 1. Of course, that's gone away too. :confused:

For dressing the tires, I usually use a water based product, but sometimes use a gel if I'm in the mood. :D

Mike, is Meguiar's keeping Extra? I really liked the stuff on tires. I wish it was available in gallons. :(

[AutoNova]

I am starting to become partial to All Season on tires, it has a nice shine to it. I picked up a 6 pack of 32oz spray bottles with 2 foaming spayers from Sam's (great deal). I put the ASD in a foaming bottle and it applies more evenly and uses less product then just go over it with a tire swipe.

[RamAirV1]

The Insane Shine seems to have really good durability. I have not applied it in about a month and there is still some left on the tires, although not as glossy. And we have had a lot of slush, salt etc. on the roads during this time.

I bought another can at Pep Boys. I wish it came in a trigger (non-aerosol) spray version. The trigger spray works better on windy days, almost no overspray.

RamAirV1

[RamAirV1]

I was surfing some tire websites today and I noticed that some Goodyear tires have something called "Permablack." It is supposed to maintain that new tire look. It is used in some of their Assurance line of tires.

Has anyone had any experience with this? I wonder how it affects the use of tire cleaners and dressings. Does it make them obsolete?

RamAirV1

[AutoNova]

i don't knw but I tried forever black onmy tires and it sucked a waste of money.

[thejazzguy]

RamAirV1,

I'm guessing that the Goodyear Permablack is similar to Michelin's Durablack. My current BFGoodrich Traction T/A's tend to turn brown if not dressed, say biweekly. My experience with Michelin X-One's with Durablack was that the sidewalls tended NOT to turn brown. But they were just an unattractive "tire black" with no gloss. These tire additives seem to help prevent browning. But a good cleaning followed by a quality dressing is still needed for both. So the benefit to the Dura/Permablack is minimal.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by Boss_429
Mike, is Meguiar's keeping Extra? I really liked the stuff on tires. I wish it was available in gallons. :(

I thought this product was discontinued but I noticed it's still for sale on Meguiar.com

EXTRA All Surface Cleaner (http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_detailpage.cfm?sku=G-93&store=meg)

If you get a chance, give this new product a try,

NXT Generation Tire Cleaner (http://www.meguiars.com/newproducts05/nxtproduct_page.cfm?SKU=G-125)

http://www.meguiars.com/newproducts05/images/product_G-125.gif

The foaming bubbles help the product to cling to the tire surface instead of running off the tire giving the product good dwell time to allow the product to work on the surface while giving you time to scrub the tire. A great combination is this new tire cleaner together with Meguiar's new Versa-Angle Tire Brush (http://www.meguiars.com/newproducts05/accessoryproduct_page.cfm?SKU=X-1010).

http://www.meguiars.com/newproducts05/images/product_X-1010.gif

[Boss_429]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
I thought this product was discontinued but I noticed it's still for sale on Meguiar.com

EXTRA All Surface Cleaner (http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_detailpage.cfm?sku=G-93&store=meg)

If you get a chance, give this new product a try,

NXT Generation Tire Cleaner (http://www.meguiars.com/newproducts05/nxtproduct_page.cfm?SKU=G-125)

http://www.meguiars.com/newproducts05/images/product_G-125.gif

The foaming bubbles help the product to cling to the tire surface instead of running off the tire giving the product good dwell time to allow the product to work on the surface while giving you time to scrub the tire.

Mike,

Yep, I was surprised to see the EXTRA still around????????

I'll have to give the NXT Tire Cleaner a try. After trying Citri-Gel, I certainly do like products that "cling" to the tire with some "dwell" time and loosen up the dirt and stuff. They also gives you better control over application of the product which helps minimize removing as much protective coating from the wheels.

[AutoNova]

If you can get your hands on Meg's Wheel Brightener it is one of the best wheel cleaners available.

[RamAirV1]

I found the Insane Shine and the tire brush locally, but not the tire cleaner.

RamAirV1

[Lanevoboi757]

I too have not seen the tire cleaner in local stores. Oh well, ill be ordering from you guys anyways.:xyxthumbs

[Dee]

When washing my cal I always clean my tires with the NXT Car Wash Soap. It works very well, and once I'm finished I use the Meguiar's Hot-Rod Tire spray. This keeps my tires black (w/low gloss) until the next washing.

[Bill D]

If Meguiar's is interested in a tire and wheel cleaner ( I assume reserved only for the pro product lineup, but may be not) I think something with a neutral pH --like both Mother's and the new Michelin branded product has, as well as an endorsement by a major tire company ( Michelin Tire and Wheel Cleaner has) are very attractive features. This will communicate a reassuring sense of safety for the consumer interested in selecting such a product.

If it were to be a product in the pro lineup, definitely make it available by the gallon, that would be a big advantage over the the other two above.

[Rusty Bumper]

The best tire cleaner I've ever used is the purple alkaline cleaner from Advance Auto. This stuff is very strong, so be careful around uncoated wheels!

With that said, even the purple stuff cleaner is not perfect.

I had to use it several times on some dirty tires, and the dirt was still there to a certain extent. Seemed that every time I would respray the product, a little more dirt would run off.

I've found this to be true even with Citri-Gel, APC+, Extra....Just to name a few that I've tried. I like these products, it's just that tires seem to be the hardest thing to get clean for me.

After applying Natural Shine, Endurance, or Hot Shine in the trigger bottle (My current favorite), the tires look pretty good, with no visible dirt showing.

[gregcavi]

I use APC diluted 10:1 for my wheels.

Greg

[RamAirV1]

I think that a lot of that brown stuff we think is dirt, is actually the anti-ozonants coming to the surface of the tire. It may not even be desirable to remove all of them if it is even possible. Maybe it's better to just clean the tire once and then apply your favorite tire dressing. My favorite is the Insane Shine. I like the high shine look on F-bodies, 'Vettes, and of course GTOs.

RamAirV1

[Rusty Bumper]

Originally posted by RamAirV1
I think that a lot of that brown stuff we think is dirt, is actually the anti-ozonants coming to the surface of the tire. It may not even be desirable to remove all of them if it is even possible. Maybe it's better to just clean the tire once and then apply your favorite tire dressing. My favorite is the Insane Shine. I like the high shine look on F-bodies, 'Vettes, and of course GTOs.

RamAirV1
Would anti-ozonants look like runny dirt after applying the tire cleaner?

I usually see a lot of runny, dirty looking stuff after 1 or 2 applications of the cleaner.

[RamAirV1]

Originally posted by Rusty Bumper
Would anti-ozonants look like runny dirt after applying the tire cleaner?

I usually see a lot of runny, dirty looking stuff after 1 or 2 applications of the cleaner.

After 1 or 2 applications, it could be. Is the dirt brown? Brake dust and most other road film is black. OTOH I would not expect the anti-ozonants to be runny.

RamAirV1

[Rusty Bumper]

Originally posted by RamAirV1
Is the dirt brown? Brake dust and most other road film is black. OTOH I would not expect the anti-ozonants to be runny.

RamAirV1
Yes, it's a dark, dirty brown looking.

I don't usually see the runny stuff after the 2nd application or so, unless the tire is really dirty.

Maybe I'm expecting the tire to be too clean.

[Bama]

I clean the tires with an old mit or sponge with my car wash, which is usually either Mother's California Gold or Gold Class. If the tires are really dirty, I will use a tire brush. Then I apply GC High Endurance Gel, which is a great tire dressing. I love the wet, high-gloss shine. :coolgleam

[TKDDAD]

Originally posted by Bama
I clean the tires with an old mit or sponge with my car wash, which is usually either Mother's California Gold or Gold Class. If the tires are really dirty, I will use a tire brush. Then I apply GC High Endurance Gel, which is a great tire dressing. I love the wet, high-gloss shine. :coolgleam

Bama, have you tried other dressings ?....does the gel product have staying power ?...thanks...

[Bama]

Originally posted by TKDDAD
Bama, have you tried other dressings ?....does the gel product have staying power ?...thanks...

I have tried a lot over the years - sprays, foams, gels, etc. I, like many others, like to experiment with different products. I have three different vehicles, and I have different combos for each. Meguiar's tire products are as good as anybody elses if not better. The regular gloss Endurance Tire Gel is probably going to be the product most people choose because you can control the gloss by multiple applications, imo. The high gloss is a little much for most people. Both products last longer than the sprays including Hotshine. However, if you wash weekly, the Hotshine (pump) is a good choice. You get more for your money with a pump than an aerosol. I haven't tried the NXT Insane Shine yet though. Heard good things about it. The Endurance gels work very well, but they can be messy. The gels are more durable than any sprays that I have used. To me the regular gloss Endurance tire gel would be my go to product if I had to choose just one.

[Imclean]

Aloha all,
I think it's a cultural thing here in Hawaii (or maybe it's universal, I just dont' get to travel much) but people here like wet looking tires and highly polished wheels. I wanted to think I don't fall into that category but my roots were showing when I thought about what I currently use on my cars. On the Lightning and the STi I use the Insane Shine. On the Miata (when I had it) I used the Hot Shine. On the Pilot (the car that replaced the Miata) I'm planning on using the Endurance Gel since it's more of a "touch less / leave for a while" theme to it and I'm keeping to the low maintenance "mommy" thing there.

[ProvLaq]

I use Super Degreaser cut 10:1 on my tires and you can see the dirt roll off the tire.

[will20four]

i use bleach white(sp) let it set for a bit then spray a little more and scrub with a brush. after washing the car i use whats left on the tires from the bucket. i then apply the endurance gel with eagle ones tire dressing pad. i think yall should make these type of appliers for the endurance gel. has the spot to apply and is curved to the tire.

i voted always

[PaBlkBrd]

Originally posted by will20four
i use bleach white(sp) let it set for a bit then spray a little more and scrub with a brush. after washing the car i use whats left on the tires from the bucket. i then apply the endurance gel with eagle ones tire dressing pad. i think yall should make these type of appliers for the endurance gel. has the spot to apply and is curved to the tire.

i voted always

I use the same exact method on my wheels and tires as you. Seems to well for me also.

[Erik Mejia]

Currently I use Endurance to dress the tires, as far as cleaning them I use All Wheel Cleaner(G9524). It's pretty good at removing brake dust from the tires and I don't have to worry about overspray on the wheels as it is safe for them as intended.

[Godiva]

Until I owned this car and attended the Meguiar's class I never cleaned the tires. Ever.

Now that I have a tire dressing (several actually) I do the tires every time I wash the car. I'm not sure how long it lasts, but at least the car looks really great right after I wash it. I have no idea if it effects the life of the tires in any way.

[35th Anniversary SS]

I try to scrub them each time but find that since I dont put that many miles on my SS I do it everyother. I normally just use a medium brush and the leftover soapy water from washing the car. If you clean them regularly I dont see a real need for a job specific cleaner for tires.

I currently use Gold Class Endurance on my tires and find it to be the absolute best tire shine ever. Ive been using it for years. I was turned onto it years ago after a buddy told me how to avoid the problems that the sprays/foams create when there is any kind of wind present. You know what I mean.. when it gets on the paint you just busted your butt on to make look great. :D I used to hate that!

[96greencivic]

Originally posted by benhui86
i usually just take some dish washing soap and clean my tires then i apply the dressing

I do the same. I use dish detergent to clean the old stuff off, but I also sparingly spray on a little Simple Green to cut any extra leftover grease. Then I let it dry completly before applying a dressing. Although, I only apply dressing every other wash to give the tire a break from dressings.

[emaxxman]

I wash the wheels and tires at the same time..bucket of car wash soap and an old sheepskin mitt. I use a brush to hit the tires...just got the Meguiar's tire brush..can't wait to use it.

[rqk]

I wash my tires with a tire brush and the left over wash water from washing the wheels. I don't use anything special for cleaning the tires because I don't want anything to take the NXT wax of off the wheels since it makes them much easier to clean.

I spray on a bit of Armor All (don't want too much shine) and use a brush to evenly spread it around the tire. I only use it because I bought so much of it a long, long ... really long time ago (can't believe it hasn't gone bad), and I don't want to just toss it.

[rascal]

I usually put Endurance on my tires if I'm about to go out of town. I don't put it on if I'm parking the car b/c the dressing gets on my car cover and when I take the cover off, it rubs up against my paint.

[foxhound58]

Voted usually. I scrub with APC when really dirty. If not just the car wash soap that I use is fine with a stiff brush. Then about every third time I use endurance, but if they need spiffed up a little, I will use #40. For customers all the time, unless they live on a dirt or gravel road, or driveway. It is endurance is the longest lasting that I have used so far, but is such a pain, and messy to apply. May have to give no touch another try.

[Coupe]

I always dress my tires with Endurance high gloss gel, applied with a paint brush. Every time they get washed they get dressed.

[MaximusZTS]

to clean my tires I use to use Armor all tire spray. But now I use Meg's tire shine and an applicator pad.

[mschoelen]

I usually add a tire dressing after cleaning them with APC. Unless I use some kind of areosol sprayer that cleans and dresses.

[Tom Claessens]

I always apply a dressing.

I wash the tires with the soapy solution or APC if they're really dirty and use a dressing afterwards. I tend to wipe the dressing off after a couple of minutes to get a somewhat more natural look on the tires.

[astaticwinter]

I usually dress the tires every time I wash, if I have time. Used to use Armor All Extreme shine...switch to Endurance High Glass and I'm much happier. I apply it with a paint brush, gives a little more control vs. tire swipes, plus its more efficient I think, since you don't lose much product absorbing into the swipe.

Tire cleaner, I've been trying NXT Tire Cleaner, but I'm having some trouble getting them clean if they've been dressed in the last few weeks. The cleaner foams when it's sprayed onto the tire, but just sorta hangs there for a second and dissapates quickly...it doesn't cling and break down the dressing or any dirt, and I have to do two or three applications to get anything clean enough to re-dress. Almost went through a whole can of it so far, only cleaned the tires twice.

Any recomendations on a tire cleaner that can get dressing off too? I use the Versa Angle Tire Brush which I love, but even with the brush I can't get the NXT to get through it. I was wondering about APC, APC+, and Super Degreaser...any suggestions?

[chessplayer]

80 percent of the time i clean my tires.i use car wash and the meguiars tire brush then tire and rubber dressing

[sixty7mustang22]

I always dress after a wash.:dp:

[Thejoyofdriving]

I didnt vote because I sometimes do, and there is no option for sometimes, i think a option for sometimes should be added.

[Mike Phillips]

I didnt vote because I sometimes do, and there is no option for sometimes, i think a option for sometimes should be added.

Good idea, now you can vote... we added "sometimes" to the options.

[Thejoyofdriving]

Thank you Mike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:bow:D:):)

[acsuppa]

I also use the car wash that I use, Gold class then I follow up with a dressing. I picked up a few cans of NXT tire spray cleaner but wasn't too thrilled with it. It kind of reminds me of glass cleaner.? I guess I just like car wash better.

[finz]

I have used many of the products that have been talked about in this thread with good results. My father is a long-time user of bleach-white. IMO it works well to bring back the nice black natural look of tires but not worth using around high-end rims. For the most part my tires dont get real dirty, other than picking up dust and road grime. So I just buff them off with a clean cloth and then dress them. When they do need a cleaning, I use a very diluted mix of Super-Clean. Works extremely well. The reaason why I don't use it all the time because I have some reservation about its ability to dry out the rubber or possible cause damage to other surfaces.

[Datsunscott]

I have used Bleach-white for whitewalls and blackwalls.
Also tried 409, and dishwashing detergent with a brush.
I don't really see a difference when done.

To finish I use armorall cut about 25% with water.
I wet thouroughly, going around the car doing each tire.
Second time around I wet again, then wipe off excess with part of an old towel to get off excess and shiny stuff.

The tires have a nice black satin sheen and look new when done.

PS- I hate the thick shiny sticky stuff on tires.
To me it looks stupid and it is dirty too!

Datsunscott:dp:

[Nappers]

I use (ahem) Eagle One All tire/wheel cleaner for just the tires, it seems to foam up and dissolve the dressing immediately for a fresh coat.

[PaBlkBrd]

After cleaning my Vogue whitewalls with Bleche-wite, I use a non Meguiar dressing on the whitewall and Hyper Dressing on the rest of the tire.......Works Great!