Best way to clean tires (mainly old tire dressing)

[Cajun93]

I usually use a light water based dressing but sometimes my dealer washes it and uses a thicker dressing. SO- what is a good way to clean tires from the thick build-up of varying types of tire dressing?
Soap and water is not strong enough. I'm nervous about de-greaser.

T-ANKS

[Jumbo Jet]

The first mistake is letting your dealer wash it, avoid that like the plague.

No degreaser is necessary to get the tires and wheels clean, however you do need something stronger than soap and water. I highly recommend Eagle One A to Z tire and wheel cleaner. You can use it on both the wheels and tires. Its about $5 a bottle, but most auto parts stores have their own house brand version of it for a little less.

[kerryman71]

I use Westley's Bleche Wite (not a spelling error either). Spray that
stuff on and you can't believe the color of the liquid that comes off.
I use a brush to scrub it off after letting it sit and then rinse. It really
gets the tire back to plain rubber.

[HOGWILD]

I use Michellin Products and try to stay away from bleach based cleaners, hard on the sidewall/rims & hands. This stuff cost a bunch but i like how it protects and it last longer than other brands i have tried! Click on Link below!
Michelin Wheel & Tire Care Products using this stuff saves your lungs from breathing Ajax/Comet & having washed cars at my fathers Full Service Gas Station for 12 years i really do not wanta see another can of Comet as long as i can afford the Michellin Products in above link!

[eds72]

Originally Posted by Jumbo Jet

I highly recommend Eagle One A to Z tire and wheel cleaner.

I second that. I bought an aerosol can of this cleaner a while ago and it worked rather well. Today I picked up the same stuff in a spray bottle and it worked equally well.

I don't know about others, but I really hate cleaning the wheels and tires. I have been on a quest to minimize the effort required while still getting good results for some time now. Prior to the Eagle One I'd tried:

Bleche White
Simple green
Some kind of citrus stuff
Generic "wheel and tire" cleaner
Soap/water from wash bucket
Dishwashing soap/water

With enough elbow grease all of those things worked, but sometimes the effort required was significant. With the Eagle One I've found that a light coat, quick scrub and then rinse seems to take it back to bare rubber. Much less effort for great results.

[Quentin18]

When I do my tires I typically use a mixture of degreaser and car washing soap. And scrub them with a stiff bristle hand scruber. Then blast them off with my powerwasher. Its a gas honda 3500 psi. So its gonna blast anything that gets stuck to my ties. Then I dress the tires with armoral tire foam. From my experience working detail at the local yota dealership. I wouldn't worry 2 hardcore about degreaser messing up your tires. although if u think it might damage them. don't do it. what recommend doing is to go to like Lowes or Dome Depot or someplace where they sell professional cleaning chemicals and basically ask them if they have a rubber cleaning compound of somesort or ask them if they have some type of cleaning chemical for tires. then just try them out till you eventually find the exact one that you like.

[verrot]

Pressure washer with either a 25 deg. nozzle or an oscillating "dirt buster" nozzle. Little bit of Simple green 50/50,, let it soak for 5 min., hit it with the pressure washer to get all the filth muck off the tires,,, no scrubbing needed. If you don't have your own,,, hit a car wash and use it for the tires only. After the initial cleaning,, you won't need chemicals any longer,,, just 30 seconds with the pressure washer every time you wash. The PW might hurt the white lettering,, not sure there,,, I always run black side walls.

I've been using my pressure washer on my tires for years,,, nothing works better that I've found,,, saves money on chemicals. (assuming you've already dropped the $$ for the washer )

[ATEC]

SPRAY NINE ! Takes it right off , But i dont let it sit to long on rims . It is some strong stuff. You can buy it a Home Depot . about 3-4.00 a bottle.

[Brandon1]

You guys with the strong chemicals and the pressure washers need to be reminded to be careful. Strong chemicals will damage wheels and a pressure washer in the hands of someone that isnt paying attention will eventually cost you some missing paint.

The best way I clean tires ( and i've cleaned almost 8,000 tires) is to use a All Purpose Cleaner. NOT a degreaser. You "can" use a degreaser if you wish, but it's a waste IMO. A good all purpose cleaner such as Simple Green, Meguiars APC or APC+ is all you need. Spray on wet tire, scrub with tire brush of choice and rinse. No risk of damaging wheels or tires or white letters. Also hit the wheel wells with the same thing.

[cheapskate]

Originally Posted by ATEC

SPRAY NINE ! Takes it right off , But i dont let it sit to long on rims . It is some strong stuff. You can buy it a Home Depot . about 3-4.00 a bottle.

I second that. I like the "wet" look that Armor All and similar give but those sprays create a sticky surface. If you hit even the slightest bit of dust anywhere or a gravel road and your tires turn brown. Then they are a real bitch to clean. Shot of Spray Nine and a bristle brush gives a less bright look but they stay clean for a long time.

[verrot]

You guys with the strong chemicals and the pressure washers need to be reminded to be careful. Strong chemicals will damage wheels and a pressure washer in the hands of someone that isnt paying attention will eventually cost you some missing paint.

Same goes for pretty much everything in my experience. A squirt bottle with water in it can do damage if it's in the hands of an idiot.

[Tundraman10]

Originally Posted by Brandon1

You guys with the strong chemicals and the pressure washers need to be reminded to be careful. Strong chemicals will damage wheels and a pressure washer in the hands of someone that isnt paying attention will eventually cost you some missing paint.

The best way I clean tires ( and i've cleaned almost 8,000 tires) is to use a All Purpose Cleaner. NOT a degreaser. You "can" use a degreaser if you wish, but it's a waste IMO. A good all purpose cleaner such as Simple Green, Meguiars APC or APC+ is all you need. Spray on wet tire, scrub with tire brush of choice and rinse. No risk of damaging wheels or tires or white letters. Also hit the wheel wells with the same thing.

Not trying trying to jack your thread Brandon, but I also use Meguiar's APC+ but I make sure to dilute it because this stuff isn't cheap and you don't want the APC too strong.


Using a type of wheel acid like Whestly's will make your wheels look chalky and aged. I ruined a set of brand new American racing wheels when I sprayed a commerical white wall cleaner on them the first day that I had them on when I was 17.

[Jobe]

Originally Posted by kerryman71

I use Westley's Bleche Wite (not a spelling error either). Spray that
stuff on and you can't believe the color of the liquid that comes off.
I use a brush to scrub it off after letting it sit and then rinse. It really
gets the tire back to plain rubber.

I never knew so much road gook got on my tires. I have always used this...even when i raise white letters on my tires...works even better on solid black wall