Washing your car is not just about improving its appearance it’s also a form of car maintenance, too. But, as with any task, doing it wrong can cause damage, as can going too far to make your vehicle look shiny. Speaking of shine, detailing often involves giving your car’s tires a good shine.
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But is car tire shining something you should do yourself?
Is Car Tire Shining Good or Bad?
Often called ‘tire dressing,’ tire shine is a term that describes a variety of chemicals meant to improve a tire’s appearance. In other words, it makes the tire look shiny and new. Plus, as experts explain, some products can protect your car tires from things like UV light, salt, and air pollution. These contaminants can cause them to brown, crack, and even rot.
However, if you’re storing your tires long-term, the general advice is to avoid polishing or dressing them. And some tire shine products, if used improperly, can damage “the tires in the long run,” another expert reports.
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The key is in the tire shine formulation, another expert says. Although solvent-based cleaners keep your tires shinier for longer, they also dry them out. Water-based dressings, while not as ‘durable,’ are far kinder to the tire compounds. They also don’t leave a film. In short, if applied properly, a water-based tire shine product can benefit your tires.
How Should a Car Tire Be Shined?
Shining your car tires is a fairly straightforward process. The key is making sure you apply and wash off the dressing properly. First, before you start shining, make sure the tires and wheels have been thoroughly cleaned. That means thoroughly scrubbing the wheel and tire surface to remove dirt, brake dust, and other dirt. Be careful not to use an overly stiff brush, as that can cause further damage. And make sure the tire is cool before you start shining it.
The next step depends on what kind of tire dressing you’re using. If you want to avoid overspray with a spray-based shine product, apply it via a microfiber towel. Gel-based tire dressings, though, require a dedicated applicator, such as a pad, towel, or brush.
Regardless, after it’s applied, give it a few minutes to dry. Then, wipe away any excess with a dedicated microfiber towel or cloth. And, if your car tire still isn’t shiny enough, give it an extra coat. After the last coat, wait for at least 30 minutes before driving the car.
What To Know Before Shining Your Car
The drying-and-waiting steps are crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it prevents ‘tire sling,’ which is when tire shine gets scattered everywhere due to tire rotation causing your sparkly-clean car to get dirty again. Incidentally, this is another reason to use water-based dressing, they’re less susceptible to tire slings.
Secondly, waiting for the dressing to dry cuts down on another potential downside of shining your tires. Specifically, one that can happen if the product ends up somewhere besides the tire sidewalls.
If tire shine gets on the tire treads, it interferes with the tire’s ability to grip the road. This is why, generally speaking, you don’t see dressing applied to motorcycle tires.
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