# Cleaning brown tyres



## aidanmcg33 (Apr 25, 2015)

The tyres on my car are quite brown and I've scrubbed them all evening with little effect using this brush - http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheel...al-resistant-stiffy-brush-blue/prod_1508.html

I've ordered some Gtechniq T1 which I was going to apply next week but I'm not sure if I should apply it until I get the tyres fully cleaned.

Will the current condition matter or can I apply the T1 as is? If I need to get the tyres cleaned up before applying, what should I use?










Thanks


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

Wouldn't an APC cleaner or G101 get this out?


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## svended (Oct 7, 2011)

A stiff nylon brush and some Surfex degreaser. It may take a few goes if they are really bad. 
You can apply T1 but you'll still see a subtle brown tinge.


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## packard (Jun 8, 2009)

Did you pressure washe them as well or not ?


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## aidanmcg33 (Apr 25, 2015)

Thanks for the suggestions. Haven't power washed them just hosed and scrubbed them using the same meguiars gold class that was in the wash bucket. 
Looked up these APCs but they are all over £20 is there anything that would do the same job but doesn't cost as much or is it the case of you get what you pay for?

Don't want to apply the T1 if the brown is still going to be there. Is there anything that can be applied to the tyres to make it easier to get this off the next time?


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## Jag 63 (Nov 21, 2014)

Try using "Flash" APC what you use indoors.


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

Good scrub with an apc will sort it


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## aidanmcg33 (Apr 25, 2015)

Thanks everyone. What about protecting the wheels going forward. Will T1 do the job or do I need anything else?


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## gerz1873 (May 15, 2010)

Star drops is a good cheap degreaser but Surfex HD is excellent doing the same job


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## James_R (Jun 28, 2007)

aidanmcg33 said:


> Thanks everyone. What about protecting the wheels going forward. Will T1 do the job or do I need anything else?


Protecting the tyres ?? Or wheels

For tyres...
Gtechniq T1 will last a few weeks, then re apply

Unless you want to get something like Gyeon Q2 Tire or CarPro PERL
Bit more long lasting products perhaps, but if you've got T1, use it up.

Wheels...
Gtechniq C5 - brilliant sealant.


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## DeanoLfc (Apr 5, 2015)

Bilt Hamber - Surfex HD 1 Litre £6.95 on Cyc


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## svended (Oct 7, 2011)

As said above and previously. Surfex is great and can do diluted down quite a bit for purpose. Its a very cost effective degreaser and great around the home in the litchen and cleaning UPVC.


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

I use britemax grime out, personally it's the best degreaser I've ever used

However as I said earlier, any apc should do it


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## Metblackrat (May 1, 2012)

TARDIS would bring them up a treat and leave a grease free surface for T1. This is a tip i nicked from the guys at Polished Blis.


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

aidanmcg33 said:


> .......Looked up these APCs but they are all over £20 is there anything that would do the same job but doesn't cost as much or is it the case of you get what you pay for?.........


Firstly, I agree with all the others, a decent APC will make the job much easier. Secondly, whilst £20 sounds like a lot of money for a cleaner, they are really useful product to own not only for tyres but also interior trim and in fact most things on a car can be cleaned with a APC. As for the £20, the most expensive APC I can think of is the Optimum Power Clean but even this can be bought for just over £11 for 500ml. Surfex HD is a great product but so are many of the other APC's from the popular brands.

One thing I would say about buying a car APC over a domestic cleaner is the car product would be designed to remove the type of dirt found on a car whereas a domestic cleaner focuses on the type of dirt found within a house. Also, a car cleaner will be tested and shown to be safe on car surfaces, this will not be the case with a domestic cleaner. This is not to say all domestic cleaners will be unsafe but rather the outcomes will not be known by the manufacture. I know Optimum Power Clean is safe on leather, fabric and painted and unpainted car surfaces and would assume the same for other brands


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## Rayaan (Jun 1, 2014)

I just clean my tyres with my wheel cleaner. Never fails


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## silverfox830 (Apr 4, 2014)

Brown tires are the result of tire bleed which is the result of using harsh solvent based chemicals to clean them. They're being damaged and telling you so. Only used water based tire specific cleaners, not APCs or industrial or household cleaning chemicals.


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## rottenapple (Jun 12, 2014)

silverfox830 said:


> Brown tires are the result of tire bleed which is the result of using harsh solvent based chemicals to clean them. They're being damaged and telling you so. Only used water based tire specific cleaners, not APCs or industrial or household cleaning chemicals.


No its not its the result of blooming and not damage by chemicals, cleaning with apc is fine and will not damage rubber.


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

The view of Mike Phillips is

"Modern rubber formulas used by tire manufactures contain an ingredient called Antiozonant. An antiozonant is a chemical that tire manufacturers add to the tire rubber to help prevent rubber degradation (cracking, splitting, oxidizing, and overall deterioration) due to the rubber's interaction with ozone (an odorless gas that is part of the air we breathe).

Quite interesting is the fact that tire rubber is designed to constantly work the antiozonant to the outside of the tire as it rolls - in this way, the outside surface of the tire is continually replenished with fresh antiozonant.

This process provides the positive result of ozone protection, but the negative result of tire browning - once the antiozonant gets exposed to the ozone in the air, it turns brown due to oxidation. The technical term for this effect is blooming.

The next time you are in a parking lot, observe the tires on the vehicles you pass - most likely you will see a brownish film on the surface of the tires.

Every time you drive your car, the antiozonant migrates its way to the outside of the tires.

One thing you might be aware of is the fact that vehicles that sit for extended periods of time (months or years) often have tires that show evidence of cracking and drying (dry rot). This cracking occurs due to the fact that there is no opportunity for the tires' antiozonant to migrate to the surface to provide protection." http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...-there-point-cleaning-tires-3.html#post871503

The Optimum view is

"This is a great technical subject you have brought up since tire can age prematurely and cause rubber to crack due to improper maintenance. Rubber used in tire is based on polymerizing isoprene which forms a polyunsaturated polymer. The unsaturation will react with ozone and breaks down causing cracking. As you said, tire manufacturers add ozone scavengers and UV blockers when they formulate tires to prevent UV and ozone degradation. As tire rotates, these protectants will come to surface continuously over the life of tire which is referred to as churning or blooming.

The browning of tire is due to the UV and ozone blockers on the surface. Solvent based tire dressings and aggressive cleaners will leach out ozone blockers and UV absorbers and bring them to the surface causing excessive browning as you mentioned, This will cause a reduction of these protectants in the tire which will cause premature aging and cracking of tire. This is why tire manufacturers recommend against solvent based dressings. Both Optimum Tire Shine and Opti-Bond Tire Gel are water based, contain ozone and UV blockers, and are free of any solvents. Power Clean also is a mild cleaner that does not cause leaching or premature aging of tires." http://www.autopia.org/forums/optim...on-dr-damaging-tires-cleaning-opc-doesnt.html


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## Demetrios72 (Jun 27, 2011)

Kimo said:


> Good scrub with an apc will sort it


This :thumb:

Autosmrt G101
BiltHamber Surfex HD


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## aidanmcg33 (Apr 25, 2015)

Getting some Autosmart G101 this weekend so will let you know how it goes. 

Thanks everyone!


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

The brush can just be picked up from say asda even doing one thats shaped/curved for doing tyre walls.

But certainly those tyres would get best bond with some more cleaning.

*Some tyre cleaning....In this instance Bilt Hamber Surfex HD *



















The brush would just be dipped in the bucket and rubbed round the tyre wall this done twice and rinsed off with water from watering can and left to air dry.

*Water from 1 Tyre been done...*










*50/50 degreased and not...*










*De-Greased...*










*Water after 2 Tyres done...* Time to change water me thinks...:lol:


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## aidanmcg33 (Apr 25, 2015)

The G101 was a great job. Massive difference as soon as I put it on. Needed to go around it twice to get all the brown but hopefully now I know the issue, I should be able to keep on top of it.

Thanks everyone!


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## RaceGlazer (Jan 10, 2007)

When I first resold Race Glaze products (later taking over the company) we had a product called Tyre Cleanse.
It very easily got rid of brown marks on black tyres and was wicked on whitewall tyres. 
I found that almost everyone buying it used it for whitewalls, so I renamed it Whitewall Cleaner. But is is still great at removing browning off black tyres.

http://www.raceglaze.co.uk/car-care-exterior/rimwax/race-glaze-whitewall-tyre-cleaner/


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