Tire shine is often overlooked when detailing a car, or just washing it in your driveway. It is a specialized product that does one thing very well. A high gloss tire shine will do its job fantastically every time.
You can pay $250 for a great car detail that will make your car look new for months through rain and sun. But you may get the car back with those same faded looking tires. Those cars coming off the wash line that look a cut above are complete wit ha great looking tire shine.
There are many products, and you may even find useful products in your home cabinets. But if you are serious about it then you will want the best and longest lasting tire shin products. Most products are the same, but there are a few that will give you the best performance without cost too much. So, what is the best tire shine?
Is Tire Shine Good For Tires?
Applying tire shine to your tires is good practice. It will make them look brand new and showroom quality. You can buy $40 tires and apply some tire shine to them to make them look amazing with in a few minutes. It really is a cheap and easy way to great improve the appearance of your vehicle.
Some products also claim they reduce UV wear and drying out which can lead to tire rot. There isn’t a lot of evidence either way so these claims should be taken wit ha grain of salt. But aesthetically the results are undeniable.
But what about dealers and car detailers? Their tires are always incredibly shiny. What kind of tire shine do dealerships use? Detailers and auto dealerships use Lane’s Super Blue Tire Shine (On Amazon). It is a high gloss shine that does not last as lone as others, but it will give you an almost mirror finish.
Which Tire Shine Lasts Longest?
The tire shine that lasts the longest is generally known as Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Gel. This stuff lasts a long time (on Amazon.com). There are other similar gel type tire product but this one has staying power. It is a thicker gel that goes on smooth and last for weeks. It lasts thru sun and rain.
Meguiar’s is a silicone based gel. It is thicker than most gels because it is designed to spread on the tire and leave a thicker base that will wear slower. It may last up to a month at times. It really does last that long. You can apply Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Gel with a sponge adn wipe it clean until you get the incredible shine it promises.
Meguiar’s is owned by 3M products so their technology is definitely worth the money. 3M has a long history of providing excellent consumer products that are designed for ease of use and reliability.
What Can I Use To Shine Tires? Homemade Remedies?
DIY Tip #1: Rummage Through Your Home Cabinets
You can search for items already in your bathroom cabinets or garage for some easy DIY tire shine. One way is to add the following into a spray bottle:
- 1/2 cup water
- 3-5 drops of baby oil
- 3-5 drops of shampoo
Add all three ingredients to a spray bottle and use apply directly to the tire until you get the desired shine. This is of course going to say that your tires are already clean. If you are using the shine to clean your tires you will be wasting a lot of tire shine and elbow grease.
With a clean tire this can get your tires looking like a shiny rap videos H2 tires shining brighter than the medallions on the rappers chain or the booty grease on models we all love to see.
Pro tip: Use a microfiber towel
There are many tire shine applicators (There are plenty to choose from on Amazon) that perform mostly well and in similar fashion.
Shining tires with a microfiber towel is ideal. It holds a lot of cleaner and it can spread very well. Also you won’t have a lot of dust and specks left on your tire from cotton towels that shed bits. A microfiber towel will leave a clean look for your tires. Exactly what you are going for.
DIY Tip #2: Use WD-40 As A Tire Shine
You can use WD-40 as a tire cleaner and tire shine. WD-40 is a petroleum based product that is used for variety of uses. It is safe for use on most metals, rubber, plastics, and more. You can clean and shine your tires with WD-40 in one go.
Now don’t expect long lasting performance with WD-40. It is a very general use product that is mostly used for loosening stuck metal products and squeaky household appliances and doors. It won’t last nearly as long as the other products listed here, but if you want to impress that date you have tonight, then go ahead and spray some WD-40 on your tires for a last minute touch up.
I would skip WD-40 for your motorcycle. Unless you are careful about applying it (or any tire shine, really) to your sidewalls that don’t meet the tire tread, I would forget about it all together. It can severely reduce traction and it could cause an accident on a turn.
The best tire shine will give you the shiniest tires and will turn heads more than a fresh paint job. Almost no vehicles on the road have tire shine. It is always overlooked and when you see it it on a car you can’t help but look and stare.
Tire shine is an easy way to greatly improve the look of your vehicle and the best tire shine lasts for weeks and weeks. Pick up a bottle and spend 20 minutes making your tires look like a million bucks. You will be glad you did.
