Why You Should Never Pass Up Cleaning Your Tyre Walls

THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE BEST RESULTS FROM YOUR TYRE DRESSING

Tyres are particularly susceptible to the effects of road grime and UV radiation, causing browning and eventually surface cracking. This (apart from the appearance, of course) is one of the main reasons we use tyre dressings, to help create a barrier from the elements. You even have a choice of great dressings here at Auto Finesse - Satin is a layer-able, water-based cream that gives a natural matte finish, and nourishes your rubber from within. While Gloss is a quick, silicone-based 'spray and walk away' formula designed for a dripping-wet, show car look.

The thing about tyre dressings though, is that their appearance, durability and their effectiveness as a protective layer can be improved with one simple step - thoroughly cleansing your tyres during the wash stage. This will not only rid them of grime, but create the perfect surface for adhesion of your chosen dressing.

The good news is that cleaning is easy - here's the quick and simple method used by the pros...

Use a pressure washer to remove loose dirt from all wheel and tyre surfaces, pay particular attention to the sidewalls but don't neglect under the arches and the treads of your tyres, either. Doing this will ensure that the products you use later will get to work where they're most needed.

Clean the wheels following your usual method. We'd recommend a combination of Imperial Wheel Cleaner and Revolution Wheel Soap for the most common painted or powdercoated wheels, along with Iron Out Contaminant Remover where periodic, heavy-hitting decontamination is needed.

For more information on cleaning all types of wheels, from powdercoat to specialist finishes, check out our definitive guide to cleaning alloy wheels.

To break down the harshest grime and the reminisce of old dressings ingrained in your tyres use Tread Tyre Cleaner, this powerful cleaning agent will sanitise deep down, getting the job done fast. First liberally spray Tread over the sidewalls.

Now it's time to get scrubbing, and there's nothing better for this than our Rubber Scrubber Tyre Brush.

Load up your tyre brush with Tread, and bear in mind that the more effort you put in now, the fresher and cleaner the tyre will look afterwards. So, really work that Tread into the sidewall, avoiding contact between the Rubber Scrubber and the wheel. Keep spraying on Tread as you go to make sure you have enough fresh soapy solution to work in.

Now you can rinse away the grime and inspect the sidewall. If the tyres haven't been cleaned for an extended time, you may feel the need to repeat the process. Never forget, your tyres can never be too clean!

Drying your sidewalls is important to avoid the dilution of any dressings you apply, helping them to look better and last longer. Mopping up any excess water with an old microfibre work cloth is the ideal way… but only after you've washed and rinsed the rest of your car.!

The last job, as always, is to dress your tyres with the dressing of your choice - here we're using Gloss. This will not only give your rubber a dripping-wet, show car style finish, but offer a layer of protection against the elements and UV radiation, too.

Marvel at the results… we think this one speaks for itself.