# Best practice for tyre cleaning & dressing?



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

OK, I need to learn how to do my tyres properly 

I've found a tyre dressing I like (Z16) and now need to learn how best to prep and maintain them? Given I guess its all in the prep, I have a few questions that I need some answers to please:

1. best way to deep clean tyres ahead of dressing - remove old products and clean - chemicals & brushes etc?

2. how do you maintain them during the weekly wash? Do they need a clean each week before reapplying dressing?


I am thinking a strong APC/Surfex wash will clean the tyres initially, but given my wheels are sealed I dont want strong cleaners all over the wheels which will decay my wheel sealant.

Thanks


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## Dave^ (Mar 22, 2007)

i'm in pretty much the same boat, having just started using pb's wheel sealant.....

washed my wheels and tyres with 'normal' car shampoo yesterday, they sprayed the tyres with megs apc (roughly 4:1) and i was shocked as to how much cack came off!!!


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## 3dr (Mar 1, 2008)

i find AS smartwheels cleans the tyres very well, but it's a cleaner so i guess it'll ruin your protection........ i'm guessing the best way would be to start from scratch and clean the tyres along with your wheels, then protect both using specific products for each, then just use a weak shampoo mixture like you would on your paintwork/wheels anyway?


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

any recommended process anyone?


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Once a month:

Clean using APC 4:1, and a stiff bristle brush. Rinse the tyre, apply APC, then give the whole tyre, wall and road contact area a damn good scrub. Repeat rinse.

Apply tyre dressing at least monthly, or as often as you wish depending on the kind of finish you like.

At each wash: 

Clean as you would Paintwork with just a shampoo solution and a washmitt/brush, avoid scrubbing them like crazy, just get the majority of the dirt off. Re-dress as necessary, or leave them if you prefer.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

thanks Gaz :thumb:

do you find APC at 4:1 will remove wheel sealants? I'm thinking it will have quite a significant effect, but I guess a monthly wipe over of a new sealant on the outer areas wouldnt be too much effort 

Guessing a water based dressing is only going to last 1-2 washes max, so applying every wash or every other wash would be ideal. Dont think I'll bother in winter but during the better weather it seems like a good plan.


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Depending on what sealant is on the wheels/how much you apply to the wheel by accident. Although it will have an affect on it, if your careful you shouldn't get it on the wheel.


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## Lespaul (May 23, 2006)

I tend to pre-soak my alloys, tyres and wheel arches with a 10-1 mix of megs APC every wash, then pressure wash off and wash with a normal car shampoo before pre-soaking the bodywork, seems to work fine, leaves the tyres nice and clean ready to be dressed and the poorboys wheel sealant seems to last a good 4 to 6 weeks :thumb:

Darren


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

Use your Surfex HD like you would on the wheels 5-10% strength is all it would need, since you're mechanically scrubbing the tyre wall - doubt much would remain after that, even at that low strength.
There are some dedicated tyre brushes available should you need to get something with stiffer bristles than you may already have.


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## Neil_S (Oct 26, 2005)

Surfex for me too, 10:1, I tend to use a bit of sponge and squirt the surfex on that as to avoid getting it on the alloy surface and possibly degrade the coating.


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## npinks (Feb 25, 2008)

does PS21 red gel take off PB Alloy wheel sealent?


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## Dream Machines (Mar 13, 2006)

*tyre care*

My process has been

Use Driven multi surface cleaner - spray on and use compressed air then scrub with a brush and foam pad

Then Advantage soft n supple to condition and the tyre gel to protect

A good tyre brush and any cleaner will work well, just don't use them again for two to four weeks or your protection will be gone


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

I just scrub the tyres using Meguars APC at 10:1 dilution and this cleans them up very nicely... regularity of this depends on what my car is doing, and after this I will reapply the tyre dressing... with Z16, generally two coats of it.

I tend not to use a mechanical action washing the tyres, but rather just hose them off with foam - scrubbing I find can remove tyre dressing and leave you with an ever blackening mitt/sponge.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Dave KG said:


> I just scrub the tyres using Meguars APC at 10:1 dilution and this cleans them up very nicely... regularity of this depends on what my car is doing, and after this I will reapply the tyre dressing... with Z16, generally two coats of it.
> 
> I tend not to use a mechanical action washing the tyres, but rather just hose them off with foam - scrubbing I find can remove tyre dressing and leave you with an ever blackening mitt/sponge.


how do you find z16 lasts Dave? You seem to get less life out of a lot of products than most, so interested to hear your experiences?


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## 111r (Apr 28, 2008)

z16 gives me at least a couple of weeks looking new.

A small dish washing brush works really well for cleaning the tires with a little APC or weak degreaser.


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## Chris_4536 (Sep 20, 2006)

For deep cleaning;

Apply smartwheels at 1-3










Agitate with a Harris Detail Brush (Homebase - £3.99 :thumb










Allow the foam to penertrate the grime for a few minutes










..then hose off :thumb:


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## Chris_4536 (Sep 20, 2006)

npinks said:


> does PS21 red gel take off PB Alloy wheel sealent?


Yes it will do :thumb:


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## Stew (Jul 9, 2007)

I find the blackfire tyre dressing to be really good. It's really quite shiney (I like that though it's no to everyones taste) and it doesn't seem to brown like others. It can also survive puddles and rain! It out performs any other tyre dressing I've used. I haven't used them all though!


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## 111r (Apr 28, 2008)

I'll see your Harris brush and I'll raise you an Addis..










or the left one here.









probably a quid or less and the stiff bristles are perfect for giving the tyre a good scrub.


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## Chris_4536 (Sep 20, 2006)

Perfect for tyres, perhaps.
My current brush is ideal for me. Use it on the wheel face, and then a quick (gentle) srcub round the tyre.
Just let the Smartwheels do the work :thumb:


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

used AS Smart Wheels at 1:4 today on some minging tyres on a customer car, and worked with a SV wheel brush and it did a good job :thumb:

think I'll use the weak Surfex mix and a washing up brush for weekly washing on mine in future though


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## 3dr (Mar 1, 2008)

Bigpikle said:


> Best practice for tyre cleaning & dressing? any recommended process anyone?


i usually find it best to get dressed first mate, before going out to clean my tyres HTH :thumb:


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## ALANSHR (Jun 29, 2007)

I usually wash my car 3 times a month as normally I have to miss a clean as something else comes up.

In this wash cycle I will simpy wash the wheels and tyres with the wash soap of choice (I use either Megs Shampoo plus or Z wash) using microfibre washmitt and brushes for front to back clean and then once a month i will seal wheel with PB wheel sealant and tyres with Blackfire long lasting tyre gel, this seems to work well over a period with little hard cleaning ever being necessary. I dont find that by only cleaning the tyres in this way that I get any adverse reaction from the reapplication of the tyre sealant.

Once a year, I take the wheels of and use megs wheel brightener or menz 7.5 gel on wheel and apc on tyres as these are a bit more agressive and then seal as above.


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## swiftshine (Apr 17, 2008)

I like to give my tyres a good scrub before I'm re-applying dressing, as Gaz said, about once a month. I use a dish washing brush (cheapo from ASDA, if it goes black, bin it) and get away with APC at 10:1 which shouldn't harm wheel sealant too much. Besides, it barely touches the wheel anyway as I spray onto just the tyres and agitate immediately and rinse off. Tyres look great once dry and even better after tyre gel goes on:thumb:

Feel free once you have done your tyres to post lots of gratuitous pics of you MG cause I love that car:argie:


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## 3dr (Mar 1, 2008)

i use AS SW @5:1 applied by garden sprayer all over the wheel and tyre and use a harder brush to agitate the tyre than i do with the wheels, then rinse off, the **** that comes off is amazing!


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