Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 6
Quick and easy tire detailing - Use a water-based all-in-one rubber & vinyl cleaner/conditioners instead of tire dressings
Below are some before and after pictures of a car I just detailed to test out the IGL Poly Ceramic Coating and IGL Compounds & Polishes. The technique I used for the tires on this car, (to complete the detail job), is a fast and easy technique I use to clean and dress tires on a lot of cars including my own.
So I've turned this technique into an article and share not just the HOW-TO but more important the WHY-TO.
From this review
Review: IGL Poly Ceramic Coating & IGL Compounds and Polishes - GREAT ABRASIVE TECHNOLOGY
Here's a couple from the before shots of the paint that shows the tires.
Here's how they look after machine scrubbing with a rubber/vinyl all-in-one.
It took me about 3-4 MINUTES for each tires. Process is as simple as 3-steps...
Done.
A little bit of work and a huge improvement.
Here's something else to consider when cleaning and dressing your own tires.
Instead of looking for a LONG LASTING tire dressing, consider an all-in-one rubber and vinyl cleaner.
Why?
Generally speaking, long lasting tire dressings are DEDICATED dressings. This means they have no cleaning ability in and of themselves so the tires must first be pre-cleaned. No big deal, that's normal and you can do the dedicated cleaning step when washing the car. The thing about long lasting tire dressings is they tend to be solvent or oil-based, as in a silicone oil. These types of dressing last longer because they don't break-down easy with water. For example if you drive your car in the rain, or when you wash your car, the dressing will not simply mix with the water and run off the tires.
The problem with this type of dressing is because it's more difficult to remove - you cannot remove it. At least not easily.
Now follow me as I go deep....
If your car, or your customer's car is a DAILY DRIVER - the tires ARE going to get dirty. They're going to get road film on them, brake-dust and normal grime build-up. So a long lasting tire dressing doesn't stop them from getting ugly BUT a long lasting tire dressing is going to be harder to remove to REFRESH the look of your tires. This is what you want, a way to remove and then replace the tire dressing so it's fast and easy and you can quickly refresh the look of your tires.
So instead of getting a long lasting tire dressing and dealing with the mess that goes with them, get a water-based rubber/vinyl CLEANER & CONDITIONER. Because it has a cleaner, you can use IT to remove itself off your tires and at the same time it's conditioning and protecting the tire or in other words refreshing the look.
I learned this approach from Mike Pennington years ago when I was at Meguiar's. He always used Meguiar's M40 on his tires and company vehicle tires because.... it didn't last a long time. It was easy to remove an replace or refresh and thus quick and easy to always have your vehicles tires looking great.
A real out-of-the box way of thinking but it works.
The product I shared above is called Pinnacle Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner & Conditioner. It's 100% water based. Safe for use on all your interior rubber and vinyl include door gaskets, engine compartment gaskets, hatchback gaskets, and it also makes a great one-step tire cleaner and conditioner and protectant.
Heck most the time I don't even wash the tires I just machine apply this product, wipe off the excess with a scrap rag and I'm done. The next time I do this to the same tires it works even better. The more you do it, the faster and easier it gets.
This is what you want when it comes to detailing cars, fast and easy. And also consistency in results over time.
Pinnacle Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner & Conditioner
Machine scrubbing vs Hand scrubbing
You can do the same type of cleaning, conditioning and protecting by hand it's just a LOT more effective to work by machine. The human hand gets tired. The machine never gets tires.
Once you use a cordless rotary polisher to machine scrub tires you'll never look back -Mike Phillips
Machine Scrubbing
FLEX PE-150 Cordless Rotary Polisher
Heavy-Duty DA Carpet Brush – Long Bristles
Rotary 4 ¾ inch Flexible Backing Plate
Hand scrubbing
A short bristle length brush works best to hand scrub tires.
Low Profile Tire Brush
Below are some before and after pictures of a car I just detailed to test out the IGL Poly Ceramic Coating and IGL Compounds & Polishes. The technique I used for the tires on this car, (to complete the detail job), is a fast and easy technique I use to clean and dress tires on a lot of cars including my own.
So I've turned this technique into an article and share not just the HOW-TO but more important the WHY-TO.
From this review
Review: IGL Poly Ceramic Coating & IGL Compounds and Polishes - GREAT ABRASIVE TECHNOLOGY
Here's a couple from the before shots of the paint that shows the tires.
Here's how they look after machine scrubbing with a rubber/vinyl all-in-one.
It took me about 3-4 MINUTES for each tires. Process is as simple as 3-steps...
- Spray rubber/vinyl cleaner onto tire sidewall.
- Machine scrub tire with cordless rotary with brush attached.
- Wipe and scrub tire sidewall with scrap rag to remove loosened grime and excess product.
Done.
A little bit of work and a huge improvement.
Here's something else to consider when cleaning and dressing your own tires.
Instead of looking for a LONG LASTING tire dressing, consider an all-in-one rubber and vinyl cleaner.
Why?
Generally speaking, long lasting tire dressings are DEDICATED dressings. This means they have no cleaning ability in and of themselves so the tires must first be pre-cleaned. No big deal, that's normal and you can do the dedicated cleaning step when washing the car. The thing about long lasting tire dressings is they tend to be solvent or oil-based, as in a silicone oil. These types of dressing last longer because they don't break-down easy with water. For example if you drive your car in the rain, or when you wash your car, the dressing will not simply mix with the water and run off the tires.
The problem with this type of dressing is because it's more difficult to remove - you cannot remove it. At least not easily.
Now follow me as I go deep....
If your car, or your customer's car is a DAILY DRIVER - the tires ARE going to get dirty. They're going to get road film on them, brake-dust and normal grime build-up. So a long lasting tire dressing doesn't stop them from getting ugly BUT a long lasting tire dressing is going to be harder to remove to REFRESH the look of your tires. This is what you want, a way to remove and then replace the tire dressing so it's fast and easy and you can quickly refresh the look of your tires.
So instead of getting a long lasting tire dressing and dealing with the mess that goes with them, get a water-based rubber/vinyl CLEANER & CONDITIONER. Because it has a cleaner, you can use IT to remove itself off your tires and at the same time it's conditioning and protecting the tire or in other words refreshing the look.
I learned this approach from Mike Pennington years ago when I was at Meguiar's. He always used Meguiar's M40 on his tires and company vehicle tires because.... it didn't last a long time. It was easy to remove an replace or refresh and thus quick and easy to always have your vehicles tires looking great.
A real out-of-the box way of thinking but it works.
The product I shared above is called Pinnacle Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner & Conditioner. It's 100% water based. Safe for use on all your interior rubber and vinyl include door gaskets, engine compartment gaskets, hatchback gaskets, and it also makes a great one-step tire cleaner and conditioner and protectant.
Heck most the time I don't even wash the tires I just machine apply this product, wipe off the excess with a scrap rag and I'm done. The next time I do this to the same tires it works even better. The more you do it, the faster and easier it gets.
This is what you want when it comes to detailing cars, fast and easy. And also consistency in results over time.
Pinnacle Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner & Conditioner
Machine scrubbing vs Hand scrubbing
You can do the same type of cleaning, conditioning and protecting by hand it's just a LOT more effective to work by machine. The human hand gets tired. The machine never gets tires.
Once you use a cordless rotary polisher to machine scrub tires you'll never look back -Mike Phillips
Machine Scrubbing
FLEX PE-150 Cordless Rotary Polisher
Heavy-Duty DA Carpet Brush – Long Bristles
Rotary 4 ¾ inch Flexible Backing Plate
Hand scrubbing
A short bristle length brush works best to hand scrub tires.
Low Profile Tire Brush
