Tyroola's Guide To Cleaning Your Tyres In Five Easy Steps

There's nothing worse than a dirty tyre.

Not only does it make your car look bad, but it can also cause even the most expensive tyres to degrade faster.

Tyres are often overlooked when cars are cleaned which is unfortunate because regular tyre cleaning will protect your tyre and ensure your safety.

In this post, we'll go over five easy steps to clean your tyres that will have them looking good as new in no time!

 

What will happen when you don't clean your tyres regularly?

Your car tyres pick up dirt and grime, which can build up over time, causing damage and shortening the life of both your tyre and wheel.

If left unwashed, brake dust residue can also remain on them, causing your wheels to pit and tyre tread to wear down faster.

Mud and other debris can also indirectly cause your car to hydroplane, skid on wet surfaces and lose traction on the road. When cleaned, your tyres can reliably grip whatever driving surface you are on so you stay safe and in control.

 

Five Steps to Clean Tyres

Before washing and scrubbing, examine each tyre, especially if you are cleaning 4x4 or light truck tyres with heavier load ratings. Look for any road debris like stones, rocks, leaves, and more stuck on the tyre tread. Cleaning is the perfect time to remove them to save your tyres.

 

1. Gather supplies

Prepare everything you need to clean your tyres. These include a sponge, bucket, tyre brush and your tyre cleaning product of choice.

You can also make an inexpensive tyre cleaning solution by pouring a capful of dishwashing soap into a bucket filled with water. Dishwashing soap is excellent for removing tough grime from tyres.

 

2. Wash your tyres out

Start washing your tyres one at a time. If you're using a bucket, ensure each tyre gets a fresh bucket of water. This way, you know that each tyre will be cleaned and not made dirty again by soiled wash water.

Rinse each tyre out by blasting the visible dirt off, such as mud and more with water or via a pressure washer. Go over the wheel rim and wheel wells too. Make sure you get all the brake dust out, which usually accumulates and solidifies on top of the tyre.

With all the debris gone, apply your tyre cleaner and let it sit there for its recommended length of time to loosen any dirt or grime.

 

3. Scrub your tyre and rims

Scrub all the dirt, grime and debris on your tyres with a bristled brush. To avoid scratches, you can also use a special softer wheel brush for your rims. Take note, you might have to work a bit harder if you used a water based solution to clean the tyres.

Go over the tyre surface to ensure you didn't miss any spots. Once done, rinse everything out thoroughly, so you don't leave any tyre cleaning solution behind.

 

4. Dry your tyres

Use a clean microfiber cloth to dry your tyres and wheels to avoid spots and streaking. There should be no dirt on the cloth at this point, and your tyres should be squeaky clean.

 

5. Dress your tyres

Protect, style and polish your tyres when completely dry by applying a coat of wax, tyre black or tyre dressing. They will add a protective barrier from future damage and make your tyres look good with a shiny, glossy finish.

 

Is it better to get professional tyre cleaning services?

It depends on the level of cleaning that you need. If you only need a basic clean, then DIY tyre cleaning should be enough. However, if you need a more thorough clean of much built-up dirt and grime, it would be better to have a professional tyre cleaning service do the job for you.

 

Our thoughts:

Cleaning your tyres is a crucial part of maintenance no matter what type of tyres - be they all-season, highway or mud-terrain and even budget tyres - you drive.

Regularly wash and maintain them; after all, they are vital in moving your car forward. Check out our other guides (on wheel balancing, wheel alignment, tyre pressure and more) if you liked what you learned in this one.

Also, visit Tyroola.com.au for all your new car tyre needs! We have the biggest brands available at cheap tyre prices you'll find online. We also offer buy now, pay later options via Afterpay, Zip pay, Latitude pay and Paypal Pay in 4.