How to Apply Tire Shine – Best Way
Tire shine application is a small detail that makes your exterior detailing complete and your car look new! I use tire shine every second wash of my car to keep tires shiny. Today I will share all steps so you will know how to apply tire shine and make tires shine like new, and also we will discuss homemade tire shine.
Why should you apply tire shine?
Despite common thoughts applying tire shine is not just for the show cars or for a better look. Tire shine will definitely make every car look better and complete its style even with old tires. After using our best way to clean wheels, tire dressings are a great way to protect your tires from dirt, grime, and what is more important UV lights. When dirt and grime are only making you wash your tires more often, UV light can literally ruin your tires. Your tires can be ruined within 1 month in direct sunlight. So don’t be lazy and spend extra 5 minutes protecting your tires, eventually, it will save you money.
Homemade tire shine – is it good or bad?
Some people are thinking that it’s not necessary to waste money on car care products that can be used only on tires and try to create their own or replace them with other chemicals. I won’t argue, maybe there is a good way to make homemade tire shine, but considering that the average price for a good tire shine is around $10, getting all the ingredients for homemade tire shine can get much higher. Don’t forget that nobody can guarantee you the safety of your own health, playing a chemical engineer at home, and nobody runs a long run test to see how these mixtures actually affect your tires. For me, buying a $10 tire shine product that I will use at least for 6 months doesn’t compete with spending time and money on creating homemade tire dressings.
How to apply Tire Shine – Tools Check-list
- Hard bristle brush that can effectively scrub the tire’s surface and remove contaminants. Find the best alloy wheel cleaning brush set in our recent post, it’s more affordable than you can imagine!
- Tire shine applicator, but you also can use a microfiber towel.
- Nitrile gloves to protect your hands.
How to apply Tire Shine – Car Care Products Check-list
1. The Best Tire Cleaner
If you are cleaning your tires for the first time or they are so dirty that the sidewall of your tire has turned yellow, use tire cleaners. Usually, it’s enough to brush them well after applying wheel cleaner on rims and tires and covering the whole car with foam.
2. Tire dressing
There are tons of tire dressings on the market, so feel free to pick any, except too cheap and brands that you don’t trust. I will show you which I enjoyed the most.
List of the best new tire shines for 2023.
3 easy steps to make your tires shine
1. Wash your tires with a brush
Apply enough cleaner on your tires and brush them well. Avoid using a hard-bristle brush on your rims cause it might leave scratches. Rinse with water. Best brushes for wheel cleaning find our recommended list.
2. Let your tires dry
If it’s warm, give the tires some time to get dry while you can clean the next tire. Also, you can use air blasters or exterior microfiber towels if drying takes too much time.
3. Tire shine application
Depending on what tire shine you are using, (read instructions on tire shine bottle) apply it on the applicator or spray it directly on the tires. IMPORTANT! Avoid getting tire dressing on your brakes or tire tread, it can cause a high increase in your braking distance! For a better shine or to remove extras (for gel tire dressings), let it dry for 10-15 minutes and wipe it off with a microfiber towel or pad.
Now it’s time to take a step back and shine!
