Tire cleaner is an essential inclusion in any car detailing kit because tires are important (surprise!). We probably don’t have to tell you how important your tires are to the well-being and longevity of your car, but we’re going to do it anyway because it’s a public safety concern.
Tires that are not regularly cared for run the risk of a puncture and potentially dangerous blowout. For the good of your car, and even those riding in the car next to yours, it’s important to take your tire and wheel care seriously.
The best tire cleaner for cars, trucks and everything else with wheels is going to be the one that removes the most stubborn traces of road dirt and contaminants while sealing and protecting the tire from harmful ultraviolet rays.
Tire and wheel cleaner products that contain a combination of solvents, sealers and conditioners will be the most effective at producing a squeaky-clean wheel free of contaminants and restored to a wet, deep black finish. Here are our favorites.
Black Magic Bleche-Wite Tire Cleaner is the number one best selling product of its kind in America because few cleaning agents are more effective at removing grime and dirt deposits than its trademarked PRIMASCRUB formula.
PRIMASCRUB contains powerful cleaning agents that dissolve contaminants on contact and eat away at the dust and grime that cling to white walls and white lettering.
Black Magic Bleche-Wite is so powerful all it takes is a few sprays from the easy-to-use spray bottle to wipe away stubborn road dirt and brake dust.
Black Magic Bleche-Wite Tire Cleaner can be used with tire shine and tire wet products but works well all on its own. It’s also completely biodegradable and safe for use on all wheels and tires, even antique white walls.
What’s more, Black Magic Bleche-Wite is more affordable than the competition, which means you can provide your tires with a professional level clean for a fraction of the price.
The Diablo Gel Wheel & Rim Cleaner from Chemical Guys hardly needs a flashy name to grab everyone’s attention. We guess that consumers tend to pay attention when a product contains the word “Diablo.”
The Chemical Guys Diablo Gel Wheel & Rim Cleaner is a pH-neutral wheel cleaner designed to be highly effective against sticky road dirt and stubborn brake dust.
The fast-acting formula breaks down the molecular bonds that allow dirt and grime to cling to your tires, enabling you to simply spray Chemical Guys Diablo Gel Wheel & Rim Cleaner on and wipe away dirt, dust, and other contaminants.
What distinguishes Chemical Guys Diablo Gel Wheel & Rim Cleaner from other products, however, is the way it lifts contaminants away from the surface of the tire.
The tire cleaning gel clings to the tire surface so it can seep into the small cracks and crevices of your tire to lift and remove the contaminants other products left behind and leave a spotless, wet shine.
Chemical Guys Diablo Gel Wheel & Rim Cleaner is safe for use on all wheel and tire types including carbon fiber and aluminum rims.
CarGuys Premium Wheel & Tire Cleaner is the most sold brand on Amazon, and car owners can’t stop raving about it.
CarGuys Premium is the wheel cleaner for the serious car enthusiast who is looking to restore a factory shine to their wheels.
CarGuys Premium includes a highly concentrated, non-toxic and pH-balanced formula that is designed to dissolve road dirt and grease with one simple application.
The fast-acting formula is safe for use on every type of wheel and tire surface, biodegradable and acid-free, so you can feel confident with its effect on your wheel and feel safe that you won’t hurt the environment.
The CarGuys Premium Cleaner also comes with a 100% money back guarantee should you not be totally satisfied with the product.
More shine is exactly what you get out of your tires when dressing them with Stoner Car Care More Shine Tire Dressing.
Stoner Car Care More Shine Tire Dressing is a fast and easy way to get the most out of your tires. The aerosol spray is easily applied and wiped away to leave only a spotless, shining tire surface.
The special formula included in Stoner Car Care More Shine Tire Dressing is designed to last longer and clean deeper than the rest of the wheel cleaners on the market today. The quick-acting formula digs deep into the tire’s surface to lift contaminants and restore faded tires to their factory shine.
Additionally, Stoner Car Care More Shine Tire Dressing is an aerosol which means it doesn’t drip or run when applied, unlike messy foams and soaps.
Griot’s Garage Long-Lasting Tire Dressing is the wheel cleaner that auto-detailing professionals use on their wheels and tires because it provides professional results for a fraction of the cost of an auto detail.
Griot’s Garage Long-Lasting Tire Dressing is truly impressive because it enables car owners to choose the finish they want to leave on their tire; high gloss or satin.
To adjust the finish simply apply and wipe away for a satin finish or apply extra coats to leave your tires shining like they just rolled off the factory floor. Regardless of the level of shine you choose for your tires, Griot’s Garage Long-Lasting Tire Dressing won’t leave streaks or greasy residue.
Griot’s Garage Long-Lasting Tire Dressing is specially designed to prevent slinging and to stay on the tire no matter the terrain or weather conditions.
We like Griot’s Garage Long-Lasting Tire Dressing because it includes a powerful rubber protectant that repels water and stays cleaner longer than the rest of the competition.
Griot’s Garage Long-Lasting Tire Dressing even works amazing on rubber bumpers and plastic exterior components.
Meguiar’s has been in the car care industry for decades, and they have certainly earned their reputation for producing high-quality wheel cleaners.
Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Dressing is designed with endurance in mind. Special polymers cling to the tire surface, preventing sling off and enabling a long-lasting high gloss shine that will stick around for weeks on end.
Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Dressing applies via an easy-to-use aerosol applicator that provides greater control and accuracy than standard spray bottle applicators.
The aerosol applicator is trigger-operated and sprays a thin layer of Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Dressing that drys to the touch to prevent any running or slinging.
Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Dressing cleans and shines as well as it protects. The advanced cleaning agents called macro polymers and copolymers leave tires looking rich and black without the messy residue or greasy streaking.
Macro polymers and copolymers provide long-lasting protection, restore tires to their factory shine, and prevent tire browning and fading.
The best feature of Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Dressing is that it is affordable. Well, that and the fact it smells like grapes.
Like Meguiar’s, Mothers has been revolutionizing the car industry for decades. Where the two auto care supergiants diverge, however, is in the application of their products.
Mothers Foam Wheel & Tire Cleaner is a foam cleaning agent that, unlike thin aerosols, goes on heavy to seep into the microcracks and crevasses of the tire surface.
Mothers Foam is non-acidic, environmentally safe, and designed to restore wheels to their factory finish by dissolving grime and lifting it from the surface of the tire to be wiped away. The spot-free formula is applied via a convenient spray bottle and requires zero hand drying.
Though Mothers Foam Cleaner is not safe for use on motorcycles, polished or roughcast aluminum, or billet or anodized wheels, it will provide an exceptional, high gloss shine on chrome, clear-coated or color-coated, steel, modular, chrome, or factory-finished wheels and hubcaps.
Sonax Tire Gloss Gel is the dual-action cleaner that is leaving hundreds of satisfied car enthusiasts in its wake. Evey application of Sonax Tire Gloss Gel lasts several weeks, which means that your wheels will have a rich black satin luster for longer.
Sonax Tire Gloss Gel is designed to restore rubber and leave a long-lasting semi-gloss finish.
The fast-acting formula includes rubber conditioners that penetrate deep into the tire surface to release stubborn contaminants and dissolve road dirt.
Additionally, Sonax Tire Gloss Gel includes silicone cleaning agents that amplify your tire’s brilliant shine and protect it from weather and harmful ultraviolet rays that can fade a tire’s factory finish.
Sonax Tire Gloss Gel also includes a special sponge for easy application and a more thorough clean than a spray-on applicator.
Armor All Extreme Wheel & Tire Cleaner is designed to dissolve grease and road dirt with one simple application.
The powerful cleaning agents included in the Armor All Extreme’s triple-action formula are engineered to cling to the tire’s surface and eat away at sticky road dirt deposits and brake dust to leave a factory clean finish.
The triple-action formula quickly foams up to lift away stubborn contaminants, blankets the tire in a thick application of cleaning agents that seep into the small nooks and crannies of the tire to dissolve dirt, road grime, and brake dust.
Armor All Extreme Cleaner is applied via a convenient spray bottle and is an affordable replacement for expensive professional cleaners.
Though Armor All Extreme Cleaner is safe for use on most wheels and tires, we recommend that you double check with the manufacturer to be sure it won’t damage your rims.
TriNova Tire Shine Spray is the long-lasting solution that cleans and also protects! TriNova Tire Shine Spray is designed to not only clean dirt from wheels and tires but repel it and prevent it from clinging to the tire surface.
TriNova Tire Shine Spray protects from the elements and the terrain by clinging to the surface of the tire for longer than competing brands.
It includes powerful protectants that fight tire aging and restore tires to a like-new factory finish. TriNova Tire Shine Spray leaves no spots or stains on the tire finish and even prevents damaging road salt from fading your tires.
TriNova Tire Shine Spray enables you to control the shine and gloss of your tires. Simply apply more TriNova Tire Shine Spray and leave it on the tire surface for longer to provide a long-lasting high gloss shine. For low shine simply apply less and remove it sooner.
TriNova Tire Shine Spray provides a dark and reflective finish with advanced coating protection, which means you can say goodbye to faded, cracked and dusty tires.
Tire Cleaner Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Product For The Job
Cleaning your tires is an important part of the car detailing process. When tires are properly detailed using wheel and tire cleaning products, they are not only cleaner but appear to be wet.
Car enthusiasts covet the wet tire look because it conceals unsightly cracks and fading within the surface of the tire that develops from regular use and exposure to damaging ultraviolet sunlight.
What is tire cleaner?
Most products consist of a combination of cleaning agents and solvents that are designed to sink into the surface of the tire, remove dirt and dissolve brake dust and grime.
Tire, wheels, and rim care products are found everywhere you buy your automotive cleaning products, but that is no indication of quality.
Why use tire cleaner?
Every car owner should use specific tire-friendly cleaning product because it is the easiest and most effective way to increase and maintain the strength, durability, and longevity of your tires.
Tires are worn down with regular use, but even tires that have never driven a mile can lose structural integrity. In fact, the majority of tire manufacturers recommend a full tire replacement every five to six years, regardless of mileage.
Wheel cleaner can have a significant effect on your tires, but no amount of product will restore a tire that is damaged beyond the point of no return. If you’re not sure a tire can be saved, the experts recommend replacing your tires when the depth of the tread is worn below 4/32 inches.
What determines whether a tire cleaner is high quality?
Professional grade products will generally include rubber conditioners, sealants, and protectants that restore the tire to its factory state, then seal and protect it to provide a lasting finish.
Even the best cleaning products are fairly simple, you spray them on and wipe away contaminants. No scrubbing required! You can even make your own if you have the right ingredients.
How to Make Tire Cleaner?
To make homemade solution, combine the following ingredients and stir.
Isopropyl Alcohol
Water
Dish soap
Warm water
Castor Oil
Once the ingredients are combined, use a sponge, rag or microfiber cloth to apply your homemade solution to the surface of the tire.
Since homemade cleaning solutions lack any powerful cleaning agents or solvents, you may need to apply a little elbow grease to achieve the desired effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will tire cleaner damage by wheels?
Generally all wheel cleaners are safe to use on wheels and tires. Tires themselves are very durable and you don’t have to worry much about damaging or discoloring them.
Wheels are also very durable, but the finish on your particular set may be slightly more susceptible to harm from unknown cleaning agents. So avoid any damage to the finish of the wheel, try a test spot with the wheel and tire cleaner you are using in a spot that isn’t visible from the front of the wheel. Inside the rim is recommended. If this spot doesn’t experience any change to the finish, then you are good to go!
I am a Chicago-born writer with a thirst for everything automotive. I live by a simple rule; travel far, work hard and never stop writing.
If I am not writing away, you can find me wrenching on my 1989 Ram Charger or wrecking something with wheels.
