Non-Bleach Tire Cleaner?

[JasonA]

I've used Westley's Bleche White tire cleaner for ever, but it just dawned on me that perhaps IT is the reason my tires aren't generally BLACK black...it's actually bleaching the carbon black into a dark grey. I read that on an auto care website the other day (that bleaches can actually discolor tires).

Does anyone have a tire cleaner that they specifically know is NOT bleach-based? I don't have whitewalls, but have found Bleche White to be a great rubber cleaner anyway, but I'd like to use something else if I know it'll be better to my black tires. I don't know about the products like Simple Green and Purple Power...if they have bleach or not. Otherwise, it's hard to find a dedicated rubber cleaner on the shelves BESIDES the Westley's product.

Thanks in advance.

[GreenMachine]

I use something called "Awesome" its a general purpose cleaner and seems to get all the gunk and make a great clean base for the Meguiars tire shine I then apply.

This product can be found at Family Dollar and Dollar Tree stores, its only a buck:

http://www.lastotallyawesome.com/

Saw it on the local news segment that tests the As Seen on TV type products.

They do have a whole line of car care products but those I haven't used, just the regular clear bottle with the kinda yellow colored liquid.

You can use it strait on tires, but there is index for mixing it with water for other stuff. I usually get the tire nice and soaked in it, doing each tire, then going around the car with the hose and spray the tire until I don't see any of the suds from it coming off. Tires look great like that, like they were just purchased. Then I decide if I'm in a tire shine or no shine mood

[JimD]

I use a 25% solution of Zep industrial purple cleaner & degreaser concentrate that I mix up in a spray bottle. Does a great job on tires and wheels as well as lots of other items.

Wear gloves.

[Bill K]

I have never found anything that cleans whitewalls as good as Bleach White. About any tire shine will get the black look back.

[tjtjwdad]

I've used Westley's Bleche White tire cleaner for ever, but it just dawned on me that perhaps IT is the reason my tires aren't generally BLACK black...it's actually bleaching the carbon black into a dark grey. I read that on an auto care website the other day (that bleaches can actually discolor tires).

Does anyone have a tire cleaner that they specifically know is NOT bleach-based? I don't have whitewalls, but have found Bleche White to be a great rubber cleaner anyway, but I'd like to use something else if I know it'll be better to my black tires. I don't know about the products like Simple Green and Purple Power...if they have bleach or not. Otherwise, it's hard to find a dedicated rubber cleaner on the shelves BESIDES the Westley's product.

Thanks in advance.

Never tried that stuff on my STS because I'm afraid of what it would do to the chrome wheels. I can say for a fact it will stain "some" aluminum wheels. For the STS I just use the chrome wheel cleaner on the tires and it cleans them right up. When I gets warmer I'll apply the stuff that blackens and shines the black wall.

Hope this hekps!

[JasonA]

Thanks guys. I should have said that I don't want to use tire dressing, so I'm looking for a cleaner that I can use that won't discolor, so I don't have to use the dressing. I started using Westley's back when I had my '84 Cutlass, which had white letter tires. Did great on those, and works fine on the blackwalls too, but I believe it's discoloring them a little bit.

The Westley's hasn't seemed to hurt the chrome. I've been using it on my '97 ever since I got it in 2001 (and about 75k miles ago).

Yesterday, I bought some Turtle Wax F21 wheel cleaner, and it said it was safe for tires as well. Seemed to do okay...I sure used a lot of it, and I think it'll be rather expensive in the long run. I may go back to what I was using before I found the Westley's...Purple Power, which is available for cheap in economy sizes.

Thanks again,

[JasonA]

Follow-up reply:

This is the MSDS for Purple Power:

http://www.clean-rite.com/images/43msd.pdf

It seems that the active cleansing agent (or at least the only hazardous substance) is Ethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether. That doesn't seem to be a bleach; the bleaches I'm used to are things like sodium peroxide, sodium hydroxide, etc. For example, Greased Lightning contains sodium hydroxide. But I don't know if that product (Purple Power) is necessarily save for tires either. I used it for years on my Cutlass before I found Westley's, but who knows...

Clean-Rite also has a specific tire cleaner, but I haven't found it yet. I know Advance Auto sells the Purple Power, so maybe I'll see if they carry their tire cleaner too.

[rek]

I use Simple Green, undiluted. I get it at Home Depot.

I spray it on the tire only, hit it with the tire brush, then give it a light rinse. THEN, I use the "Run-Off", to clean the wheels. Once again, on the rubber, light rinse, again on the rubber, final rinse. I'm done when the "Suds" look white, as in no more dirt left. No tire dressing for me.

[JasonA]

Rek, thanks for that. The MSDS for Simple Green:

http://www.simplegreen.com/pdfs/06_msds_si...n_&_pad.pdf

Shows that it uses the same active ingredient as the Purple Power. I think I'll try one of these products on the tires.

[mmarinov]

Shows that it uses the same active ingredient as the Purple Power. I think I'll try one of these products on the tires.

FWIW, I've used Purple Power (1/2 diluted) for years with no problems. My usual routine is:

1. Soap the wheels/tires first with car wash soap pre-mixed in a bucket by hand

2. Scrub tires with wire brush (white walls - use PP spray on tires before scrubbing)

3. Spray off with soap cycle from car wash

4. Wash car with soap by hand

5. Spray PP again on wheels/tires, let it sit whilst you complete the next step

6. Rinse and dry, etc. etc.

The PP with wire scrub brush seems to work quite well with no discoloration. I've never used anything with bleach (especially with chrome wheels). I can attest to the dangers of using caustic chemicals on aluminum/chrome wheels. Never use undiluted chemicals on wheels, especially if they're at operating temperature. Well, unless you want to pay an unscheduled visit to cardio-doc

MM

[JasonA]

Small update:

After over a week without a bath (but not much use, as the car was at the dealer), I washed the '01 today. I used the Turtle Wax F21 wheel/tire cleaner on the tires and I just didn't think I was getting good results. You can tell when you're REALLY cleaning something...the brush has some "friction" on the material and you work up a good lather. With the F21 stuff, my nylon bristle brush was gliding along the tires like they were oiled. And there was NO lather. After I rinsed, there were a lot of water spots on the tires, and the rinse water looked clean.

Reluctantly, I broke out the Westley's Bleche White, and tried it. Just going on the tire, it was sudsy and the suds started turning brown. Scrubbing the tire, the brush was much more effective, and the solution on the tire after scrubbing was FILTHY. The rinse water was very dirty.

When I bought the car, they had a thick layer of junk on the tires. Don't know what it was, but it was thick like motor oil (probably repeated applications of some tire gel). It's so embedded in the tires, that I kept getting "flinging" marks on the body, even after I "washed" them and didn't reapply anything.

So I think that F21 stuff's going in the trash and I'll start using Purple Power again.

[ted tcb]

Jason, funny you say that about flinging crap onto your rocker panels.

I had forgotten, but everytime I dressed the tires on my white pearl STS, I had a spray pattern behind my front tires on my lower fender.

The pearl white is gorgeous, but not very forgiving.

It makes sense in your climate ... with the brutal winter we're enduring up here, I can't imagine the spring cleaning necessary on a pearl white body.

The worst offender for flinging particles back on the paint was ArmourAll

Gel ... it was literally gross, I would spray the car by simply backing down the driveway.

[rek]

I have had that "Sludge" Build-up on a couple of cars. My "Cure" was to remove the wheels, lay them down, and give them a good soak with SG.

Lather-Rinse-Repeat. Since I could get to the "Backside", same treatment....as well as brake dust removal. Followed by a heavy session

of the lowly ranked NuFinish "Wax". Since you have the wheels off, now is the time to "Sterilize" the wheel wells, AND brake components.

Might as well give it a lube job, since you're in there. Before you know it, hours will have passed, BUT it will look RIGHT.... So "Right" in fact, that you may now notice how "Dirty" the Tail Pipes/Mufflers/Tips are.

Grab a Green pot scrubber (like fine ScotchBrite), some SG (or PP), and have at it. Don't forget the INSIDES of the tips....(worth at least an additional .035 MPG). NuFinish all that "Clean Work", and you'll be ready

to Wash the car , the next day.....LOL

[STYES]

The cheapest whitewall cleaner out there is charcoal lighter fluid! Squirt it on a paper towel and wipe the whitewall. It is that simple. Trust me and try it. The generic type actually works better than the name brand stuff, and it is cheaper as well.

[JasonA]

You're kidding right? Lighter fluid is petroleum. It won't touch my tires, whitewall or not (not in my case). That's like washing your tires with gasoline. Yeah, it'll clean 'em, but...