Most of us want our cars to look great, as we see them as a reflection of ourselves. We wax the hood, vacuum the interior, and make the dashboard and steering wheel shine, but are we paying enough attention to the cleanliness of the car’s tires?
Having a clean car with dirty tires sticks out like a pair of dusty shoes on a man wearing an expensive suit. Luckily, there are ways to make sure your tires are shiny and sparkling and look as good as the rest of the car.
Cleaning Your Tires at the Carwash
Giving your tires extra attention while washing the rest of your car is a great way to hit two birds with one stone. First of all, you will want to start off with the tires, as they tend to be the dirtiest part of the car. That way you won’t splatter mud and dirt on your newly cleaned vehicle.
Use a separate sponge and bucket to focus on the tires and rims, getting them looking like new again. It is very important that you do not use the same bucket as the one you use for the rest of the car, as the dirt on the tires also contains traces of brake dust from the pads that would create small scratches in the car’s paint.
Using a Special Tire Cleaner
If you feel that just washing them won’t do the trick, there are plenty of special products specifically designed to clean tires. Just remember that they won’t have a good effect on your vehicle’s paint, so do your best to avoid the tire cleaner touching the car’s body.
When you apply the cleaner, allow it to sit for a few minutes so it can soak in and remove all the residual dirt particles. After that, just use a brush to scrub the tires a little, and follow up by rinsing them with a hose. If you feel they would still need a little bit more cleaning, feel free to repeat the whole process.
Applying Tire Dressing
After cleaning your tires, if you want to add an extra shine and protect them from the sun’s harmful UV rays, you need to apply tire dressing. They come with different levels of shine and are split into two major varieties: solvent based and water based. While the solvent-based dressing does a good job, it may cause premature hardening of the tire, so usually, the most effective ones are the water-based solvents.
Applying it is fairly easy, using a sprayer or a special dressing applicator. Just remember to dilute it based on the instructions so you will get the exact desired level of shine. Then, just spray it onto your tires and watch them bloom.
When cleaning our vehicles we must remember not to neglect any part. Just like a good set of tires can dramatically improve a car’s power and handling, a clean set of tires has the same effect on a car’s appearance.
Image via Flickr by krystian_o/Under use by CC BY 2.0
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