Regularly checking and cleaning your tyres is an important job and one which will help you to increase the life of your tyres and improve driver safety. As well as improving the aesthetic of your vehicle, cleaning your tyres offers benefits including enhanced braking and better traction, so it is a task worth undertaking frequently.
Dirty tyres could be more damaging than they seem so it is important that you clean them regularly.
Tyres can be damaged by brake dust if they are not looked after which can lead to tyre and wheel damage and surface pitting. When the brake pads are in action, heat and pressure can cause them to break down, resulting in brake dust. Brake dust may then stick to the wheel and if they are not cleaned these particles will rust and corrode which leads to irreparable damage.
Cleaning your tyres also gives you an opportunity to find and remove any foreign bodies. This includes stones, grit or other debris, which may be on the tyre surface. Removing these foreign objects before they work into the casing of the tyre and cause real damage could save you from a potentially dangerous or expensive situation.
Cleaning your tyres properly is simple, affordable and can be easily undertaken at home. Take a look at our tips for the most effective way to wash your tyres and wheels:
When washing your car you should clean your tyres first with a separate bucket of water. This will help you to avoid spreading the dirt and grime your tyres collect to the paintwork of your vehicle. You should also use different brushes and sponges to the ones you use on the rest of the car body.
Make sure that you have a tyre brush, a microfiber cloth and a separate sponge to clean your tyres with. For those hard to reach places around your alloys you could use a soft paintbrush. You should also invest in a tyre specific cleaning solution, as this will help break down brake dust and you will be able to clean your tyres and wheels more easily.
Coat your tyres and wheels with your chosen tyre cleaning solution and allow it to rest for a time specified by the product packaging. Then scrub the dirt and grime from your tyres using a tyre brush. Make sure you get in to all the crevices of your tyre.
Using cold clean water you should rinse your tyres and wheels to make sure that you remove all of the cleaning product you have used. After rinsing, do not forget to dry your wheels with your clean microfiber cloth. If you do not, you risk allowing the wheels to rust which can lead to further damage.
Whilst cleaning your tyres, you should also visually inspect them for any signs of damage. You should be aware of finding the following damage:
Something as small as debris in the road or hitting a kerb can lead to cuts in your tyre sidewall. No matter how small the cut, you should have your tyre inspected by a specialist if you do find this damage. This is because cuts in your tyre sidewall can lead to serious damage and could be extremely dangerous.
Tyre bulges are caused by various factors such as driving on under inflated tyres, running over a pothole or driving with heavy loads. Bulges in the tyre can result in dangerous tyre failure and in many cases cannot be repaired, so you should have any you find looked at immediately.
Cracks in tyres are rare, as a tyre will usually have worn away before it has the chance to develop cracks. Cracks are a sign of aging, however, and can appear in tyres that are used infrequently and exposed to direct sunlight or salty air. Cracks indicate that it is time to have your tyres replaced.
Whilst inspecting your tyres you should also measure your tread depth and check your tyre pressures.