Tire Dressing Applicators

Desertnate said:
Do you re-use them or are they one-and-done?

I've got a bag of the big ones I bought out of desperation at the height of the pandemic and the little ones were out of stock everywhere. They worked in a pinch, but now I've got a bunch left over and trying to find uses for them.
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I reuse them. I use one side per product and have 2 for tire use.

I first did this as I used one for a coating where I only used one side and tried to find a use for the other side as it was still good a few months ago.

Still using that one for TW graphene.

I tried the round cheap ones for a test and they fell apart in 2 uses.


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FYI for us folks in the North(Canada). Detail popo on carzilla has a small tire brush like carscope and a small foam hex type applicator that is just 3 inches in diameter.

I'm be getting the hex applicator because the handle on the brush is just too tiny...
 
noorth said:
FYI for us folks in the North(Canada). Detail popo on carzilla has a small tire brush like carscope and a small foam hex type applicator that is just 3 inches in diameter.

I'm be getting the hex applicator because the handle on the brush is just too tiny...
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I did a little searching and found them on Amazon item#B08C73BRLK for a 6 pack but you can get a 3 pack for $3 less. I'll be buying a 6 pack since it's a better value, and they also come in a black, blue, and red version to help differentiate which applicator is for which tire dressing. The smaller size will be perfect for lower profile tires.

I've bought from Carzilla before but shipping to the US is a bit pricey if I'm only placing a small order.
 
Just tried Saver with DarkSide. Still grabby (DarkSide problem) but worked well and didn’t shred up like the the cheapie round applicators from Amazon.

I have a couple of their tire savers somewhere but always forget about them when time to apply.

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The thing I love using most is the make up brush. Not to apply but to level thicker product afterwards. Get into the grooves. And levels the product nicely…. No streaks.


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Great write up thanks!

I was wondering what everyone does with the different applicators when done applying tire stuff?!
Do you clean them off totally or just rinse or stick them in a bag or ?!

Thanks :)
 
Icarus said:
Great write up thanks!

I was wondering what everyone does with the different applicators when done applying tire stuff?!
Do you clean them off totally or just rinse or stick them in a bag or ?!

Thanks :)
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I have them stored in a plastic container under the sink, no washing. Each applicator has the dressing name written on the top with a permanent marker, so I don't mix them up.
 
Coatingsarecrack said:
Just tried Saver with DarkSide. Still grabby (DarkSide problem) but worked well and didn’t shred up like the the cheapie round applicators from Amazon.
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I like these for the most part - but it's not a -saver- for me. I find I use 2X versus a foam or brush mainly because the MF does soak up a bit of it.
Sometimes 3-4 spritzes per tire = 6-8 using the *saver* app
 
chefwong said:
I like these for the most part - but it's not a -saver- for me. I find I use 2X versus a foam or brush mainly because the MF does soak up a bit of it.
Sometimes 3-4 spritzes per tire = 6-8 using the *saver* app
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I see the opposite. Foam applicators or the brushes suck it up. The saver’s barrier keeps it on top.

I find I use about half (1 to 1.5 pumps) per tire. I was using 2 plus with the foam I tried. The brush soaked up to much with TWGATC so I haven’t tried directly applying with the brush now. Just leveling.


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Product Consumption Aside, I do like the styrofoam blocked Microfiber.
The MF material and the Firm Block allows me to scrub the dressing in certain sidewalls...that has all sorts of nooks and crannies. It's also firm enough for me to level it as the final pass without needing a towel to do it. Unlike a softer material (brush or foam), I still need to use one of those to get in the area where the bead meets the wheel (my use case is mainly low profile rubber).
 
Gridlink said:
I did a little searching and found them on Amazon item#B08C73BRLK for a 6 pack but you can get a 3 pack for $3 less. I'll be buying a 6 pack since it's a better value, and they also come in a black, blue, and red version to help differentiate which applicator is for which tire dressing. The smaller size will be perfect for lower profile tires.

I've bought from Carzilla before but shipping to the US is a bit pricey if I'm only placing a small order.
Click to expand...

Mine arrived today with a bit of an issue. They come in a plastic bag inside of another thicker plastic bag and the whole thing is then vacuum sealed. Someone at the factory ripped open the inside bag, took 2 of the 6 applicators out, and then vacuumed sealed the whole thing. :mad:

Replacements are already on their way.
 
Gridlink said:
Mine arrived today with a bit of an issue. They come in a plastic bag inside of another thicker plastic bag and the whole thing is then vacuum sealed. Someone at the factory ripped open the inside bag, took 2 of the 6 applicators out, and then vacuumed sealed the whole thing. :mad:

Replacements are already on their way.
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Why, those Sons a B!tches!!
 
Well I'm happy to be wrong. The applicators were so compressed due to the vacuum sealing that it only looked like two were missing. They've been out on a table expanding for the last couple of hours and to my surprise all 6 are there.
 
regarding the cosmetic brushes, has the CarPro Darkside Brush been discussed....

I probably could have done better on Ali, but it was fire orange and black and ahem, Cute...with it's integrated cover/stand for it.
The density of it different than anything I've ever used on tires (brush is cosmetic soft) but its low cut height makes it dense and stiff....at the same time. Even though it's dense, I think it may be too soft at the end of the day
 
chefwong said:
regarding the cosmetic brushes, has the CarPro Darkside Brush been discussed....

I probably could have done better on Ali, but it was fire orange and black and ahem, Cute...with it's integrated cover/stand for it.
The density of it different than anything I've ever used on tires (brush is cosmetic soft) but its low cut height makes it dense and stiff....at the same time. Even though it's dense, I think it may be too soft at the end of the day
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I bought one earlier this year and only used it a couple of times. I find the density of bristles makes it too stiff and doesn't allow it to properly contour to certain tire sidewalls. It's best-case scenario would be a 30 - 35 profile flat face sidewall, otherwise its too small and not contourable enough. I also found it unergonomic to hold.



 
Since writing this post nearly 18-months ago, I have been favoring the ultra-large detailing brushes for tire dressing.

Now, the original in this space was the Detail Factory Curveball, and the Screwball that followed later. The main detractor using these brushes for tire dressing is the cost, they are almost too nice to subject to this task. Since those arrived, the usual suspects have come out with their knock-offs for nearly half the price. Having used the Maxshine and Detail Factory versions back to back, they have been performing exactly the same.



You can buy the Maxshine separately, or as a single handle with interchangable heads.



What I like about these brushes for tire dressing duty is the density of bristles and overall surface area, meaning they cover more ground while still being controllable. The density also limits the need for a follow up knock-down wipe as they seem to level the finish quite nicely. I use the boars hair version for profiles 35 and under, the synthetic version for all other sidewalls.





You can see that the synthetic is a touch too wide for lower profiles............................



The other great thing about these is how well they clean up, not something you can say for foam applicators. So, while the cost is up there, these will last beyond multiple foam applicators. I just use some APC every few months to refresh them.



 
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