# Brown Tires? How to remove the brown staining color on tires also called blooming



## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

*Brown Tires? How to remove the brown staining color on tires also called blooming*

*Extreme Browning of the tires and white lettering*










*Backstory…*
In a previous detailing project where I removed the water spots and holograms from a 1968 Chevelle after this car was caught in a rainstorm. It now time to revisit this car to see if the brown discoloration on the tire sidewalls can be removed and a bright white color restored to the lettering to give this detailing project a _completed look_.

_Here's the original write-up for the water spot removal._

*1968 Chevelle - Remove water spots and holograms - detailed by Mike Phillips with 3D Products*









Note the tiny water spots were _etched_ into the paint. They would not wash off or wipe off. I point this out to make everyone think. What substance could have been in the rain that was so corrosive it etched into urethane paint? The urethane paint on this restored Chevelle is the same type of paint resin used on modern cars like the car in your garage or driveway and this modern paint technology is fairly stout in and of itself. Makes you think... _what's in the rainwater?_

At the time I was doing the paint correction on this Chevelle, I was unable to tackle the wheels and tires and told the owner I would tackle this aspect of the detail at a later date. Fast forward to the present, the owner dropped the car off at 3D Garage here in sunny Stuart, Florida and below are the pictures showing the before and after results.

*What kind of tire dressing is on these tires?*
The first time I saw the tires on this car I could see right away the white letters were horribly stained brown. I would even say *severely* stained brown. I asked the owner what they used for a tire dressing? The owner said he had not used any tire dressing on the tires and what I was seeing is the way the tires were when he purchased the car.

Knowing the brand of tire dressing would not change anything I was going to do to try and remove the staining - it's just that if I could have found out what the product was - I would vow to never use it myself. From what I could see, the tire dressing took the normal browning residue that happens _naturally_ on the sidewall of tires and enabled it to migrate into the white rubber that makes-up the lettering. Thus the browning effect was not ON the lettering - it was IN the lettering. This would prove to make restoring the lettering to 100% factory original difficult because the brown coloring had permeated into and throughout the rubber.

*Tire Browning*
Tire browning - also called _tire blooming_ is a natural byproduct of the chemistry used to create tires. Rubber manufacturers include an ingredient in the rubber formula called _antiozonate_. Antiozonate protects the rubber from ozone found naturally in the air around us. The antiozonate migrates out of the tire when the tire is rotating at high speeds to protect the tire sidewall from degradation like cracking and dry rot. When the antiozonate meets naturally occurring ozone in the air it causes the antiozonate to turn brown.

This is actually a visual indicator that the formula for making tire rubber is working as it's doing what it's intended to do. The downside however is when we look at the car and see our tires have turned brown it doesn't look good as tires should look black, not brown. This is where tire cleaners and tire dressings come into play.

We use a tire cleaner to remove not only the browning or blooming effect but to also remove road grime and previously applied tire dressings. Then after cleaning the tires (and also washing and drying the car), later we apply a tire dressing. The tire dressing picks up where the tire cleaner leaves off and creates a uniform, deep dark black shine. This deep, dark black shine or _sheen_ is the desired preference for how car enthusiasts expect tires to look after detailing their car.

*On to the task at hand…*
I've been detailing cars for longer than I like to admit. Let's just say… a long time. Over this course of time there's pretty much nothing I have not come across and found a way to undo the damage and restore the surface or component to a factory new appearance _or better_. Not so with the lettering on the BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires on this Chevelle.

I was able to get them what I consider very good, but not perfect. The problem is, and this is just my theory based upon experience, the tire dressing used by the previous owner acted as a carrier-agent enabling the brown staining on the surface to migrate into and penetrate the white lettering on the tire sidewall. This permanently stained the lettering to some degree.

I even tried machine sanding the lettering at one point, but it didn't improve the results I was able to achieve using the 3D Yellow Degreaser and this is because the brown staining is throughout the matrix of white rubber used to make the lettering. Abrading the surface didn't uncover fresh white rubber, it simply exposed more of the stained rubber. This is where experience kicks in. Experience has taught me that as much as we would all like to do our best and fix every issue we come across - sometimes it's physically not possible.

*Teaching moment*
Now days, when I detail cars or teach car detailing, I have found there are no problems, only solutions to existing situations. Everything is a teaching moment. If a problem cannot be fully solved or fixed, the lesson to be learned is that not every problem can be solved or fixed. It's not a negative or a positive - it's just the way it is. When detailing cars as a business, you must learn hard fact of life and more important, you must be able to educate your customers, so they understand the root cause of any problem like this. Such is the case with the lettering on these tires.

*Very good - but not perfect*
By scrubbing with a great tire cleaner I was able to get them very good, but I wasn't able to get them perfect. It's out of my control because the brown staining is permeated throughout the white rubber. Of course, the problem can be fixed by purchasing brand new tires and that is an option. In this example however, the owner understood the issue and was more than happy that I was able to get the lettering to a brighter white, which then complimented the overall appearance of this iconic muscle car from the late 1960s. And because these tires still have lots of tread life and because this is a Garage Queen normally only driven to local car shows, these tires will likely last as long as the owner owns the car.

*3D Yellow Degreaser*

3D Yellow Degreaser is a powerful but also very safe cleaner and degreaser for all wheels, tires, and the wheel well area. Non-toxic and acid-free, this degreaser can be safely used to clean any surface in the wheel area.

3D Yellow Degreaser easily, dissolves and breaks the bond between oily brake dust and your car's rims. Excels at the more difficult cleaning jobs including removing older, previously applied greasy, silicone-based tire dressings.

3D Yellow Degreaser is versatile in that it can be used for all types of heavy-duty cleaning jobs including degreasing and cleaning engine compartments, door, hood, trunk and hatchback jambs, exterior plastic trim and cladding, running boards, etc.

*Letting the pictures do the talking*
Below are the products and tools I used to scrub the tires and also clean the wheels on this iconic 1968 Chevelle. I think you'll agree, the after results look so much better than where the tires started out.










*Here you can see the letters are brown in color - they're supposed to be white in color.*



















*How to remove tire browning or blooming*

*Step 1:* Spray 3D Yellow Degreaser onto tire sidewall. Allow the product to penetrate and work for approximately 30 to 45 seconds.










*Step 2:* Agitate the degreaser with a tire cleaning brush.




























*Step 3:* Rinse with a strong blast of water.










*Here's the results for just one half of the tire.*


























*Repeat this process to the other 3 tires and wheels.*



























































































*How to protect your car's tires*

*3D SPEED DRESSING*
SPEED DRESSING is a wipe-on, wipe-off a thick rich lotion-like formula that penetrates & rejuvenates dull, lifeless looking tires to create a deep, dark black shine with a non-greasy, non-oily finish. UV inhibitors help prevent tires from fading, weathering and drying out. This water-based formula dries to the touch while leaving behind a water-proof surface that holds up to rain, snow and repeated washing. Application is fast and easy and dressing will not sling off onto lower body panels. For a matte appearance, simply wipe tire with a clean microfiber towel after allowing dressing to penetrate for 30 to 45 seconds.

Here's the passenger side, rear tire after cleaning and drying. The browning has been removed and the tire is now clean but looks dull and lifeless. Next we'll bring back the shine with 3D SPEED DRESSING.










*Step 1:* Apply some SPEED DRESSING to the face of a clean applicator pad and then massage over the tire sidewall working the dressing into the pores of the rubber.





































After thoroughly massaging the SPEED DRESSING over and into the tire sidewall, remove any excess using a clean wheel and tire microfiber towel to remove any leftover product.

*Here's the final results…*










*Continue around the car applying, massaging the 3D SPEED DRESSING to the rest of the tires.*




































































































*Properly cleaning and dressing your car's tires not only protects the tires from UV rays, fading and aging, it also add the finishing touch to your car's appearance.*
































































*Now this looks tight and right…*










*All products available on 3DProducts.com

3D Yellow Degreaser*
3D Yellow Degreaser is a powerful but also very safe cleaner and degreaser for all wheels, tires, and the wheel well area. Non-toxic and acid-free, this degreaser can be safely used to clean any surface in the wheel area. Dissolves and breaks the bond between oily brake dust and your car's rims. Excels at the more difficult cleaning jobs including removing older, previously applied greasy, silicone-based tire dressings

*3D SPEED DRESSING*
3D SPEED DRESSING is a high gloss, high shine formula that is water-based, while offering the long-lasting features of most solvent and oil-based dressings - but without the mess.

*Red Foam Applicator Pad - 3-Pack*
Most foam applicator pads are thin, flimsy, and difficult to grip. The 3D Red Foam Applicator pads are thick, soft density foam that are easy to grip and thus easy to move over flat surfaces or curved surfaces. These applicators have a tapered edge that works well to reach into tight spaces for full and uniform application of any liquid products like waxes, sealants, leather, vinyl, and tire dressings.

*Black Microfiber Towels - Wheels & Tires*

*Pro Detailer Tip - Microfiber Color Coding System*
In the professional car detailing world, seasoned pros know to use a color-coding system for their towels. The reason why this is important is because when you use a color-coding system you are dedicating specific colors of towels for specific products and function.

The color-code for towels to use for your wheels and tires is black. By only using black microfiber towels for wheels and tires you can avoid wiping your car's exterior body panels, (paint), plastic or chrome surfaces with towels that could potentially be contaminated with brake dust.

Door jambs, hood jambs, trunk lid jambs and hatchback jambs also tend to get an accumulation of more gritty types of dirt, rainwater and other grimy soiling. Reserve your black microfiber towels for these areas and limit any risk for accidental swirls and scratches for your car's exterior body panels.


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