How To Clean and Apply Tire Shine The Right Way

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Tires are an imperative part of your car to keep clean and keep you safe. This is why tire shine is important and how it helps your car’s appearance. Tire shine is also important to apply the right way. The wrong way can lead to damage to your car in unexpected ways.

Most people haven’t heard of tire shine / dressing before so we’ll explain what it is. Tire dressing is a substance that is put on the tires to make them look clean and new. It is very easy to use. We will go over the steps to use it properly. 

Start by purchasing some tire cleaning and dressing solution (You may want to check our best tire shine reviews). 

First, use the tire clean solution to get the car tires nice and clean. This is very important. We need to washout all kinds of debris and dust from tires. These pollutants work their way into the pores of the rubber causing a grey, dirty tire.

Clean Car Tires The Right Way: Washing Tire
Clean Car Tires The Right Way: Mixing Tire Clean Solution
Clean Car Tires The Right Way: Apply Tire Clean Solution

Then, dry off the tires. Try and get as much water off the tires as possible. Some shine solution might be okay to put on wet tires, but having them dry as possible will help it be on there better.

Important

It is imperative that you read the product instructions since application varies from product to product on how you are supposed to apply it. You have to be careful because if it is a solvent-based product, you need protective gloves before you use it. If the product is in a spray can, you also need to be careful since it can get into the brakes and cause them to malfunction, potentially.

After the product is applied, you now have to let it sit. It is imperative that you read the directions and see what that time is. We all know how hard it is to wait, but if you drive now, all your hard work will not show how well you are taking care of your tires. After the allotted time, you can dab with a sponge some excess product off your tires, so it does not invite other debris to cling to the now clean tire. 

Now you are done! You can enjoy those new tires that look like they were just bought, even if they weren’t. 

Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us if they weren’t!

Additional Note

The most tire cleaning solutions are inexpensive or you can even make it yourself with a few specialized ingredients you can readily purchase separately. This is, of course, depending on how much you need. A quart of cleaning solution should be all you need for a regular-sized car for multiple uses. However, for multiple cars, you might need a little more than that, especially if you use it regularly. If you are interested in making your own tire shine, please check our tutorial here.