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Any Recommendations on a Tire Cleaner?

Discussion in 'Detailing' started by iK0NiK, Oct 8, 2015.

  1. Oct 8, 2015 at 1:03 PM
    #1
    iK0NiK

    iK0NiK [OP] Insert custom title here.

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    Does anything exist out there that takes some of the muscle out of getting sidewalls, sidewall tread, and fender wells clean of mud & road grime? What do you guys do to clean your tires?

    My typical method for cleaning my tires is to take a curved scrub brush to them with either dish washing liquid or comet and go crazy at them with muscle for about 3-5mins per tire. The method does work, but I'm often still left with mud caked in the tiny crevices between the sidewall tread and tired as hell.

    I guess I'm looking for a tire cleaning spray to apply that will help clean/dissolve the mud and road grime, then either wash off or come of with minimum scrubbing effort. I'd also like to use the same product on the black parts of the fender wells to keep them looking good.

    I know there are a lot of tire sprays out there, but unless I'm misunderstanding it seems like all they do is leave the tires looking wet. I don't necessarily want a wet tire look, I just want them to be easier to clean.

    Bonus points if the product is safe on wheels, too.
     
  2. Oct 8, 2015 at 1:07 PM
    #2
    greeneggsnspam

    greeneggsnspam ಠ_ಠ

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    Too poor to list anything interesting.
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  3. Oct 9, 2015 at 4:18 AM
    #3
    iK0NiK

    iK0NiK [OP] Insert custom title here.

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    Gotcha. This stuff looks to be pretty cheap. I'll definitely pick some up. Maybe they'll have it at Walmart.

    Yep, pretty much my routine as well. Just hate how long it takes.
     
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  4. Oct 9, 2015 at 4:31 AM
    #4
    GZeus24

    GZeus24 bystander

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  5. Oct 9, 2015 at 4:36 AM
    #5
    tomwilson74

    tomwilson74 Well-Known Member

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    Careful with the Westleys. It ate the clear coat off a set of my rims on an S-10 I used to have. I wasn't spraying it on the wheels, just the tires. It ran down onto the wheels though. It took a while but eventually ruined the look of the rims.
     
  6. Oct 9, 2015 at 4:43 AM
    #6
    iK0NiK

    iK0NiK [OP] Insert custom title here.

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    Yeah, good call. I did a little more research and the reviews online are pretty disappointing as well. I can't afford to ruin my SCS SR8's.

    I'll probably give the Meguiar's product a try instead. I love their Gold Class car wash.
     
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  7. Oct 9, 2015 at 8:49 AM
    #7
    ace96

    ace96 Well-Known Member

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    I like Amazing Roll Off. I usually buy a gallon at a time from Autogeek.
     
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  8. Oct 9, 2015 at 11:15 AM
    #8
    dmb1650

    dmb1650 Well-Known Member

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    I like Mequiars Non-acid Wheel and Tire Cleaner. You can get a whole gallon for <$20. It can be diluted too. When I spray it on the tires the suds turn brown from dissolving dirt and grime and it is safe for wheels too. You still have to scrub the tires down but it does a great job for me.
     
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  9. Oct 11, 2015 at 5:20 PM
    #9
    Bluegrass Taco

    Bluegrass Taco Politically incorrect low tech redneck

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    Go to Krogers, or where ever you buy your groceries and get a bottle of Mr Clean. Put it in a pump spray bottle. cut 50% with tap water. Spray it on your tires. Wait about 5 minutes and rinse off with a garden hose. Let dry. Thank me while you admire your new looking tires.
     
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  10. Oct 11, 2015 at 5:32 PM
    #10
    Abragus

    Abragus Well-Known Member

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    I just bought some Armor All Tire Foam Protectant in an aerosol can today at walmart. It was $3.50 at Walmart and made my wife's tires look pretty good with little effort. Just sprayed it on and let it sit while I waxed the doors. Wiped off the excess with a dirty microfiber cloth and the tires look better than they did when they were new!
    I looked around at other products, but this was the only one that mentioned being "good" for the tires with conditioners and whatever. I really want these tires to last for a while so I'm hoping to avoid dry rot by keeping them clean with this stuff.
     
  11. Oct 14, 2015 at 7:01 PM
    #11
    Capt Jrod

    Capt Jrod Well-Known Member

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    I just use simple green. Go buy a $10 handheld pump up weed sprayer at Wally World in the lawn and garden section. Mix it 50/50 and let it soak. Scrub them up. Beware or the "wheel cleaners" they are really hard on calipers and the flex lines. I keep a decent coat of wax on the rims. Helps the brake dust come off. Simple green isn't as harsh on the stuff you clean. For really bad stuff, por15 makes some stuff called marine clean. It's pretty nasty, but it really works. I dilute it 10/1 with water. Purple power is good, but again, pretty harsh. Sometimes good old dawn dish soap is the ticket. If you know it's gonna get muddy, spray everything down with wd-40 first. Really helps for clean up. We do it with quads.
     
  12. Oct 14, 2015 at 7:04 PM
    #12
    ace96

    ace96 Well-Known Member

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    I would use caution with some of those cleaners as they tend to dry the rubber out. Usually avoid dawn like the plague due to it being tough on plastic and rubber.
     
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  13. Oct 15, 2015 at 2:02 AM
    #13
    hoenah808

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    i use simple green diluted down..turns really brown when aggitated so it mist be working lol
     
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  14. Oct 15, 2015 at 2:40 AM
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    DrFunker

    DrFunker Well-Known Member

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    soap & water with a stiff brush, then once dry wipe some 303 on them.
     
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  15. Oct 15, 2015 at 2:51 AM
    #15
    Bluegrass Taco

    Bluegrass Taco Politically incorrect low tech redneck

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    Just thought I'd mention the fact I cannot STAND the oily, wet look of ArmorAll on tires. Back in the day, before Armor All became "fashionable", "cool dudes" used to rub their tires down with brake fluid to get the same look. 2 blocks down the street and you'd have 15 lbs of road dirt stuck to your tires....and brake fluid flung all over your fender wells. Personally, I like the "natural rubber" look of a CLEAN dry tire.
     
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  16. Oct 15, 2015 at 3:16 AM
    #16
    thewarriordinghy

    thewarriordinghy General Lee's Titan

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    My coworker swears by awesome cleaner at dollar general... I'm going to try it
     
  17. May 11, 2016 at 4:08 PM
    #17
    iK0NiK

    iK0NiK [OP] Insert custom title here.

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    Thread revival and review time!

    I ended up trying the Armor All tire cleaner mentioned by @Abragus above and so far have been pleasantly surprised with the result.

    image.jpg

    Link to product: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Armor-All-Tire-Foam/16641223

    The can claims that its their lowest level shine product and it cleans/protects the tires. It's pretty cheap at $3.50 per can and you can get it almost anywhere.

    I wanted to wait until I'd gone through an entire can of the stuff before I commented on it. So far I have to say it does the trick and has cut the tire cleaning time in half.

    To get the best results, you do still have to clean the tire before applying this product. Blast off the loose mud and dirt with a hose, then take a scrub brush armed with dishwashing liquid or comet to the tires to get the bulk of the caked in dirt off of the sidewalls and side lugs. Rinse the tire, then apply the tire foam. Two loops around the tire provides enough coverage for the sidewalls and tread. Once I have all 4 tires sprayed, I let it sit for about 15-20 minutes while I dry the truck off. The longer the better, it won't hurt anything. It basically changes from a white foam to a glossy slickness. Now the key to this stuff: wipe off the tires with a rag. If you don't the tires are a slick, wet mess and this stuff will sling down the side of the vehicle. When you wipe the tires down to remove the excess you really see how much dirt comes off and how clean the tires look after.

    After you wipe the tires down they may still look slick/wet but the remainder will dry and leave you with a brand new looking tire.
     
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  18. May 11, 2016 at 4:14 PM
    #18
    digitaLbraVo

    digitaLbraVo Derka Derka

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    Covered in stickers and chrome stick-ons for extra horse torques and foot powers. Icon sticker gets me tons of travel, dozens of milimeters.
    @iK0NiK I use http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-05924-Foaming-Wheel-Cleaner/dp/B0007RDVH0 I fell in love with it the first time I saw it hit the tire and brown shit immediately begin melting off the rubber. It's a bit more expensive than the armor all you've mentioned, but, has no pre-cleaning cycle. I typically hit my tires twice just because I love that jet black look.

    I've also tried the similar product from Turtle Wax. It does not have the same melting brown crap that comes off, but, it seems to do a pretty good job and the spray bottle is definitely a better feel than the Mother's one.
     
  19. May 11, 2016 at 9:00 PM
    #19
    Beers

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    Usually for me I can keep them clean with the previously mentioned grey/blue tire brush and some car soap. If the tires are really bad from some off-road trips, the easiest method may be to go to a self-wash car wash bay and use the high pressure soap to scrub the tires. You do not need to get real close to the tires for it to be effective. Be sure to stay back from the wheels. For additional cleaning you can spray the tires down with a cleaner like Simple Green first to loosen the dirt up.

    If you have the white letters out it will take more time and scrubbing to get those clean.
     
  20. Jun 5, 2016 at 11:52 PM
    #20
    300AACTaco

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