Last updated on January 10th, 2024 at 07:06 pm
Nobody likes to drive their car with old rotten, and dry tires, everybody likes a glossing, fresh, and bright tire for their car, However, it is not possible because after a few months, a new tire loses its shine.
Even though the tire may lost its shine, stored for years or not driven more regularly, and is still good to drive, replacing the tire just to get the shine back won’t be an economical decision ever.
That is when Tire Shine came into play. The tire shiner brings back the bright new color of the rubber, which makes the tires just as they were new.
Enthusiast drivers like me, always keep it on their vehicle and keep using it as the tire loses the shine. The main and usually only purpose of a shiner is to bring back the rubbery shine and nothing else.
There are other benefits related to it, and also some cons of using Shine as well, which we will discuss further in this article.
So, if you are interested in becoming a frequent user of Tire Shines, then read this complete article, in which we will try to explain everything about them, their advantages, myths, real impacts, how to use them, and many more.
Keep reading if you want to find out whether this shining thing will be a proper thing for your vehicle tires or if you should avoid it.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Tire Shine
Types of tire shine
Spays
Out of all other types of shiners, the tire sprays are the most common, efficient, and easy to use. Just like any kind of spray, the tire sprays do not require any hand work to do, just spray it on tires, and rub them with a scrub or not, and the shine will come back in just 10-15 minutes.
Gels
The tire shinning gels are different in use and in shine as well; unlike tire sprays, these tire gels are versatile to use; with tires, they can also clean vinyl, rubber, and other kind of leather of the car. They are somewhat hard to use as they require handy work, time of soaking, and rubbing on every inch of the tire with a hand. However, the shine on the gel is better than on sprays.
Foams
This kind of tire shine is similar to sprays, requiring the same effort and the same time to soak, and the price range is also somewhat the same. The difference is only of preference; those who find it more compatible with foam use foam, and those who like gel use gel; however, the tire gel is a more common option out of these two.
Benefits of using tire shine
The first and foremost benefit of using shiners is that they bring a glossy shine to tires. With that, some of the shine is UV protectant, which might not be as noticeable, but they do protect tires from getting damaged. As the tire rubber stays moisturized, the chances of puncture and rust also reduce due to the frequent usage of shiners.
Impacts of tire shine
Even though they are good for the purpose of bringing attractiveness to tires, there are some cons of using tire shine as well Which include the tire slipping due to low traction, especially with small-size tires. The wet shine sometimes makes the tire lose grip, which is why it is always recommended to apply the tire after your journey rather than before you head somewhere.
There is no big impact of using shines, just with proper care, it will show a greater result.
Usability of tire shine
Cleaning tires
The most common purpose of tire shine is obviously to clean the tire and bring the shine on tires; however, with cleaning tires, there are some other ways to utilize it.
Tire shine is great for cleaning the car’s tire, especially if you drive in sand or muddy situations. Spray, gel, or foam does not matter, just put it on top of the rubber and use it to get the new clean tires back.
Vinyl and leather
Some tire shines, usually gels, are multi-purpose to use on tires, vinyl of the car, and leather of the seats and other interior parts of the car. With new tires, with their multipurpose shine, you can clean the interior of the vehicle as well.
Rims, wheel, covers
With that, some spays and gels are also capable of cleaning the tire rims, wheels, and wheel covers, just like bringing the shine back on tires, they also improve the brightness of the rims and wheels. You have to be extra careful about that because some of them are designed to apply on rims, and others are not. If you apply the shine on rims that are not meant to be applied, they can damage the tire rims and wheels as well.
How to apply tire shine
Process
Applying the process of tire shine is pray is easiest; just spay 5-6 times on each tire in a way that it covers the whole tire, then use a scrub or let it dry on its own; after five minutes of soaking, you will get the brand new look on your tires.
Applying gel and foam is similar, First, take the applicator or scrub and put some gel over it, then rub it across all parts of the tire to apply it properly, then let it soak for 10-15 minutes. If the level of shine has not yet been achieved, then do the same possess until you get your desired look.
Tools require
As such, there are no tool requirements other than the applicator and scrub. The piece of cloth and water will help you stay clean, but they are not required to achieve greater results. Other than that, all the necessary tools are given to the product you buy.
Cost of tire shine
The sprays are cheaper in price compared to gels, and gels last longer than a bottle of spray. The price of sprays starts from $5 to $10, and the price of gel and foams starts around $15 to $20. The most common brands are Maguire and Chemical Guys, which usually every driver uses for cleaning purposes.
Should you use tire shine?
As for this environment, dusty weather, and pollution, tire shines are a must-use if you care about your tire’s looks. Because one trip, even in a city, makes tires look dirty and makes them look like decade-old tires.
Also, it is a cheap and affordable way to clean your tires and achieve the new tire looks properly, so in any case, other than a worn tire, it is always a good option to apply shiners regularly.
The point of not using tire shine on a worn tire is that as they have already lost their tread, which makes them lose grip more often, after applying tire shine, there is a chance they might lose grip more often than without shine.
Do they damage
There are many myths around that tire shines damaged wheels, rims, and other parts of tires. However, this is not the case anymore. Nowadays, they are made with non-petroleum and water-resistant ingredients, which are safe to use and stay longer on tires.
Back when these shiners were not so popular and lacked advancement, they damaged the rim if it dropped on it; still, if you use petroleum-based shine, which is brighter than normal shine, however, they cause rotten marks on rims and wheels.
As long as you are using a good brand of tire shine, your tires, rims, and wheels will keep shining without any damage for a longer period.
Conclusion
Tire sprays and gel are great resources to achieve a brighter look on tires and bring back the old glossy look of the rubber. They are more frequently used with all-season and have more durable tires, which have not yet worn but lost the shine.
If you want to use tire shine on your tires, just buy it from Amazon or other retail stores, whatever you like. There are different scales of brightness; if you like the glossy shine, then buy the one that delivers it otherwise go with the opposite, which brings the real look of rubber,
We hope you have understood the process of tire shine and decided whether you should go with it or not. Still, if you have questions, you may leave them in the comment section, and we will try to answer them as soon as we can.