What is the deal with cleaning tires?

I honestly don't think I'd use my Cyclo brushes for tires unless I was scrubbing dozens of tires in one go. I just use one dedicated stiff handheld brush. The trick is to get four two-foot-long pieces of 5/4 deck board and drive up onto them, getting the shoulders of the sidewall up off the ground. This is also key when applying dressing later on. How many recently-cleaned cars have you spotted that had un-dressed areas on tire sidewalls.
 
StuDLei said:
I use OPC at full strength. Even after four or five rounds on one tire, I'm still getting brown. Do clean tires do this or what am I doing wrong? They're relentless! I've experienced this on multiple sets too.
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The reason you are getting "brown" is from a process called "blooming" in which antiozonants that are added to the tire material during manufacture are working their way out onto the surface when you drive the car. There is no way to stop this effect completely. You can however clean and add tire dressing to remove the amount of it on the surface and prevent more from working its way out.

If you are using a very strong cleaner you are removing the surface anti-ozonant and bringing more out of the tire, completing a vicious cycle. Dilute the cleaner down a bit (will take practice) and get that surface cleaner but without completely stripping the antiozonant. It is helping protect your tire, just looks bad. Dress it up and move on with life :)

For more info go to:

How To Get Rid Of Brown Tires Permanently | Incredibly Detailed
 
To me, when you are getting the brown blooming effect after you've cleaned the tire. And the tire looked clean prior to it drying then that means that the cleaner was too strong and you leached too much 'good stuff' from the tire rubber and the tire is just trying to heal itself. If it didn't then the rubber would start to dry rot and crumble from the UV and ozone that breaks down the rubber.
 
DBAILEY said:
To me, when you are getting the brown blooming effect after you've cleaned the tire. And the tire looked clean prior to it drying then that means that the cleaner was too strong and you leached too much 'good stuff' from the tire rubber and the tire is just trying to heal itself. If it didn't then the rubber would start to dry rot and crumble from the UV and ozone that breaks down the rubber.
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Yep that's pretty much exactly what i said above.

And yea i definitely stole my learning curve from Mr. Phillips, can't beat tried and true experience.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
..., I find this is exascerbated by oily dressings (not necessarily only clear oil dressings, some of the white dressings seem to have some this characterisitic also, and of course the white "water-based" dressings are also just emulsions of silicone oil.
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I am trying to avoid silicone, which specific brands are you referring to?
 
SameGuy said:
I honestly don't think I'd use my Cyclo brushes for tires unless I was scrubbing dozens of tires in one go.
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Try a stiff Cyclo brush on a PC and then tell me what you think

I love it
 
Belphegor said:
Have you done this brushing method personally? And if so, have you noticed any marring on the rubber? :dunno:
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I have

I use the blue colored brush on my PC. It is not stiff enough to damage the tires

It is so fast and does a much better job than by hand.

Everyone should at least try it once
 
StuDLei said:
I did this.

I'd like a brush attachment, now that I have the 4" plate for my Flex, how would that work?
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I do not rinse the Cyclo brush between tires

I clean the brush with APC, when I am cleaning pads
 
allenk4 said:
I am trying to avoid silicone, which specific brands are you referring to?
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If are trying to avoid silicone, stay out of the detailing aisle, pretty much every product is based on a silicone chemistry. http://www.dowcorning.com/content/p...tomotive_Surfaces_Product_Selection_Guide.pdf

What I was saying is that oil-based or solvent-based dressings use silicone oil, while water-based dressings are an oil-in-water emulsion of silicone oil, and some of them are oily-er than others.

It's obviously a little more complicated, as there are a myriad of "silicones".
 
Setec Astronomy said:
If are trying to avoid silicone, stay out of the detailing aisle, pretty much every product is based on a silicone chemistry. http://www.dowcorning.com/content/p...tomotive_Surfaces_Product_Selection_Guide.pdf

What I was saying is that oil-based or solvent-based dressings use silicone oil, while water-based dressings are an oil-in-water emulsion of silicone oil, and some of them are oily-er than others.

It's obviously a little more complicated, as there are a myriad of "silicones".
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Absolutely no idea what I am to infer from the Dow Corning link? I have never heard of any of the products listed.

I thought water-based tire dressings did NOT contain silicone? Do you have a MSDS sheet for a water-based tire dressing that is popular on the Forum and contains silicone?

Interesting
 
allenk4 said:
Absolutely no idea what I am to infer from the Dow Corning link? I have never heard of any of the products listed.

I thought water-based tire dressings did NOT contain silicone? Do you have a MSDS sheet for a water-based tire dressing that is popular on the Forum and contains silicone?

Interesting
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I am in no mood to argue with you today, Allen. That Dow Corning brochure is "recipes" for making automotive appearance products. Dow Corning (along with others) provide building blocks for formulators.

How about we try this one on for size: Optimum Tire Shine is a glossy, protective tire dressing for all exterior rubber trim, tires & moldings. Get the optimum shine on your car's tires!

You'll note the touting of methicones, which is a general reference to siloxanes.

Since you're a Meguiar's kind of guy, you might be interested in this: http://www.meguiars.com/content/en/msds/M40 MSDS.pdf or this: http://www.meguiars.com/content/en/msds/D163 MSDS.pdf

You'll note both of those water-based dressings contain PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) which is a silicone oil. The reason that Optimum apparently decided not to list the "methicones" as a hazardous ingredient in Tire Shine/Opti-Bond (they share an MSDS) is that PDMS is also known as dimethicone, a common ingredient in foods and cosmetics.
 
Apparently, there is a lot of different dressing types. I tend to call them "oil based", "water based", or "polymer based"... However, this probably technically isn't correct - but it's a way of classifying like vrs unlike.

But, most (if not all) have some type of silicone in them. They are in different bases (vehicles) and formulations that allow us to apply them - but some of the key ingredients are the same.

But, MANY detailing products have silicones - including most spray waxes, QDs, & LSPs.
 
I have the blue and the white Cyclo brushes. But in the amount of time it would take to remove my BP and attach the blue brush, I could have easily scrubbed all four tires with my handy handheld brush. As I said, unless I was scrubbing dozens in one go, simply not worth the effort.

Oh, and again, most of the low-profile tires I do have sidewalls of 2½" or less and it's simply silly to use an oscillating 4" brush on them.
 
SameGuy said:
I have the blue and the white Cyclo brushes. But in the amount of time it would take to remove my BP and attach the blue brush, I could have easily scrubbed all four tires with my handy handheld brush. As I said, unless I was scrubbing dozens in one go, simply not worth the effort.

Oh, and again, most of the low-profile tires I do have sidewalls of 2½" or less and it's simply silly to use an oscillating 4" brush on them.
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I will race you any day...

The DA brushes do a better job in half the time
 
I'm not saying they don't. I'm just saying that for four 225/35-16s, a) I can clean them right quick with my brush, no need to swap BPs, and b) the 4" brush is simply two inches too big to do a precise job on a two inch sidewall. That's all I'm saying.
 
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