How to Clean the Tires on Your Car

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Clean the Tires on Your Car

Does your idea of cleaning your car's tires involve a quick slosh of a soapy sponge followed by a quick hosing-off? You might want to consider a more thorough cleaning that is highly beneficial for you and your tires. Not only does it make the tires look nice, a good wash job allows you to keep regular watch on wear-and-tear. This helps prevent unexpected blow-outs from worn or damaged tires.

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Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Tire dressing
Pre-treatment
Garden hose
Soft towel
Soft brush
Car soap

Step 1

Wet the tires using a garden hose and water. If there is a lot of tar, road debris or film from brake fluid on them, you may wish to spray them with a pre-treatment product prior to beginning the washing step.
Step 2

Use a soft brush and car soap to scrub the tires briskly, using a circular motion to loosen any dried-on dirt. A brush that is too firm could scratch the rims or hub caps on your car.
Step 3

Rinse with clean water. If the tires still look dirty, repeat the previous steps.
Step 4

Dry the tires with a soft towel.
Step 5

Spray on a tire dressing which is available in any hardware or discount store with an automotive section. This will act like a protectant much like wax does for the car body, helping to keep the tires in better shape.

Tips & Warnings

For white wall tires, use a S.O.S. pad or some other kind of cleaning pad.
Should you find a nail or screw imbedded in the tread of the tires, do not remove it. Take your car to a mechanic or tire store to make sure there is not a hole in it.

Comments

JoyNmyHeart said

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on 11/16/2008 Thanks for the advice. I love a clean car!

DarrenBlake said

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on 8/30/2008 This is a great article. Using something like Napa tire soap can get rid of the browning on your tires that other soaps wont remove - also good for Trailer Tires.

-Darren

www.TrailerTireStore.com