I remember being young and hearing stores about how old timers used to put Coca-Cola on their tires to make them shine. There’s nothing like having a set of nice shiny tires to complement a clean car. With that said, what is the best product to use on your tires?

We not that the most popular brand of dressing utilize on tires is Armor-All. The famous can spray that can go all foamy and leave a wet-like shine.

Here’is the truth, tire dressings that are contained in aerosol cans are not good for your tires. Yes, you heard me correctly. If the tire dressing is contained in an aerosol can, it’ll cause more harm instead of being good for your tires, Moreover, petroleum- based tire dressing is absolutely not good for your tires.

This is because some of the chemicals used to properly contain the solution in an aerosol can have a negative effect on your tires. What they do is to cause your tires to become brown after some time, and  racks appear too. Ultimately, tire performance dips and replacement cost for tires increases. Petroleum is not a good idea when it comes to your tires.

Also, spraying on tire dressing frequently causes overspray to get on your fenders and wheels, which is  not good. On top of it all, if you drive your car too soon after application, the dressing will sling onto the paint of your car.

Ok ok, so now that we know the ill effects of tire spray and certain dressings, what is the best solution?

The best thing for dressing your tires is a water-based gel.

Water-based tire gel can be applied with a cloth or sponge applicator. The good thing is that it does not turn your tires brown or cause them to crack over time because it is not petroleum based but based in water.

I will not bore you with the tiny details but a great over the counter non-petroleum-based tire gel that you could purchase is Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Gel. It’s really great stuff that I am sure you will love. It also lasts a long time when you do two light coats. We use Optimum Opti-Bond on tires and absolutely love it!

What are some of your favorite products or tips when using tire dressing?