Tire cleaner - what product should I be using?

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ShineMyCar

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I'm easing into the car Wash, Seal, Wax and Maintain process.

I've got my Winter sealants on paint, and tested out the ONR Rinseless Wash for salty Winter days. I found a Tire shine product I like and got the wheel maintenance working well.

I'm moving to Tires. I've been just using a brush & left over car wash water to clean the wheel before applying Tire Wet with an applicator. I also maintain weekly with applicator to keep the shine.

* Should I be doing more to keep tire itself clean before each Tire Wet application?

* Is there a WOWO product or foaming product I can use to clean tire in the winter when Freezing water can be an issue? I won't have access to alot of rinse water in the winter.

I'm open to all and any suggestions on Tire cleaning & maintenance. Up until now, I've been winging it. Keep in mind that Old man winter is around the corner, and I need to factor that in.

Thanks
 
First let me say, that after many years of just cleaning tires with car wash soap as you describe, a few years ago I started using a dedicated tire cleaner. The problem is I didn't use it ENOUGH.

When you really scrub with an alkaline tire cleaner, and repeat enough to get all the brown out of the suds (as described in the Tuf Shine prep), it's amazing how much longer your tire dressing lasts.

I have been using a dilutable cleaner that isn't sold here, but when I use that up I'm going to try OPC. There is also the Eagle One A2Z and the Mother's wheel and tire cleaner, which are OTC (Mother's also avail. here). Other Autogeek choices are ARO and the Tuf Shine cleaner which will be availble here soon (or at ACC now). Other people use various APC's, including some OTC ones from Home Depot or Lowe's.

During the winter you can use your ONR straight, or use a tire cleaner and rinse with ONR (make sure you wear some gloves if you are doing that).
 
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You can try Poorboy's Bold n Bright when you cannot use a dedicated tire cleaner. It cleans and dresses.

For straight tire cleaners, Setec Astronomy covered most of the most discussed ones.
 
During the winter you can use your ONR straight, or use a tire cleaner and rinse with ONR (make sure you wear some gloves if you are doing that).

I agree with Setec Astronomy
 
Setec Astronomy said:
First let me say, that after many years of just cleaning tires with car wash soap as you describe, a few years ago I started using a dedicated tire cleaner. The problem is I didn't use it ENOUGH.

When you really scrub with an alkaline tire cleaner, and repeat enough to get all the brown out of the suds (as described in the Tuf Shine prep), it's amazing how much longer your tire dressing lasts.

I have been using a dilutable cleaner that isn't sold here, but when I use that up I'm going to try OPC. There is also the Eagle One A2Z and the Mother's wheel and tire cleaner, which are OTC (Mother's also avail. here). Other Autogeek choices are ARO and the Tuf Shine cleaner which will be availble here soon (or at ACC now). Other people use various APC's, including some OTC ones from Home Depot or Lowe's.

During the winter you can use your ONR straight, or use a tire cleaner and rinse with ONR (make sure you wear some gloves if you are doing that).
Click to expand...

OP, if you want to buy something, I researched a bunch and found the most recommended tire cleaner (as the best) is Tuff shine cleaner. The second most recommended one I found is OPC.

Btw, Setec two things you listed are going to be in my next thrifty vs fifty video comparison :)
 
Tuf Shine Tire Cleaner outperforms ARO and Optimum's APC in my experience. It is the best tire cleaner I have used to date.
 
Although you're going to need water, I use Griot's Rubber Cleaner and love it. My tire dressing lasts so much longer now that I use it.
 
+ 1 for tuff shine tire cleaner, also I like griots rubber prep as a final wiped down before dressing.


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk
 
A-train said:
I like griots rubber prep as a final wiped down before dressing.


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

That was a product that caught my eye. Was wondering if others had used it with good results.
 
For anyone who's used tuff shine: is it safe for all wheels? I have chrome and just wanna make sure it won't stain. Obviously I know to not let it dry on the wheel, but just wanna make sure. Currently I use eagle one tire and wheel cleaner, and it's the only product I don't buy from AG. It's my dedicated tire cleaner and has always done a good job in my book. I figured though tuff shine is a dedicated tire product, so I wanted to give it a try...also, AG doesn't carry it yet right? Only autopia?
 
Ryry11 said:
For anyone who's used tuff shine: is it safe for all wheels? I have chrome and just wanna make sure it won't stain. Obviously I know to not let it dry on the wheel, but just wanna make sure. Currently I use eagle one tire and wheel cleaner, and it's the only product I don't buy from AG. It's my dedicated tire cleaner and has always done a good job in my book. I figured though tuff shine is a dedicated tire product, so I wanted to give it a try...also, AG doesn't carry it yet right? Only autopia?
Click to expand...

The Tuf Shine instructions say not to even let it dry on the TIRE, let alone the wheel. I don't think it's going to stain, chrome is pretty tough (unless what you have is a bare polished aluminum, but even then caustics are usually pretty good on aluminum). That EO A2Z is good stuff, and Autopia Car Care has the PBMG exclusive on Tuf Shine for a bit.
 
Sort of on topic... ARO was mentioned. I have found it worked better straight on a dry tire. I understand the whole "water activated" thing but I sprayed it on a dry tire and it instantly started pulling all the brown up from the tire. This was after a cleaning with a Tuf Shine brush and OPC.
 
ShineMyCar said:
... I found a Tire shine product I like and got the wheel maintenance working well.

...I've been just using a brush & left over car wash water to clean the wheel before applying Tire Wet with an applicator. I also maintain weekly with applicator to keep the shine.


I'm open to all and any suggestions on Tire cleaning & maintenance. Up until now, I've been winging it. Keep in mind that Old man winter is around the corner, and I need to factor that in.

Thanks
Click to expand...

As you should know by now,Tire Wet is a beast..not only in the shine department, but in removal also.

There are other products that give similar wetness, but are dry to the touch, and are waterbased...meaning that they attract less contamination...and will last longer.

Also, at a per application cost, Tire Wet is expensive IMO.



EDIT: 2 heavy coats OTS with approx 20 min. cure between application. Then final wipe with mf towel.

 
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Vegas Transplant said:
As you should know by now,Tire Wet is a beast..not only in the shine department, but in removal also.

There are other products that give similar wetness, but are dry to the touch, and are waterbased...meaning that they attract less contamination...and will last longer.

Also, at a per application cost, Tire Wet is expensive IMO.



EDIT: 2 heavy coats OTS with approx 20 min. cure between application. Then final wipe with mf towel.
Click to expand...

I started with "Tire Wet" b/c it was dirt cheap. 4 bucks for 23 oz spray bottle and I can do a tire with 1 squirt for maintenance once a week. Seems like alot of bang for the buck.

I haven't tried "removing it". I just do a scrub with tire brush and re-apply with left over car wash. Haven't paid much attention to how much I actually remove the product.

I'm open to trying different products, but as my first sample, I've been pretty happy with durability & gloss of Tire Wet. It doesn't get dry to the touch, but the wetness left behind hasn't attracted much in the way of dirt from my observations.
 
I'm using Eagle One Wet Tire Shine, not Black Magic Tire Wet.

My mistake for the confusion.
 
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