Tires. They’re your connection to the road, and keeping your tires clean is an important part of your car’s maintenance and upkeep. Beyond looking stylish and making your rims pop, a clean tire has better traction, wears down slower, gives you better gas mileage, and is generally safer since it can be difficult to spot damage if everything is caked in dirt. Spending a few extra minutes every now and then to make sure your tires are sparkly clean is an investment in your car’s safety, performance, and longevity. It also saves you money on fuel and replacements.
To ensure you can effectively clean your tires no matter what may be stuck on them, we’ve chosen some of the highest-rated tire cleaners on Amazon. Our favorite is the Adam’s Polishes tire cleaner, and you can keep scrolling to see other viable options as well.
The Adam’s Polishes Tire Cleaner is a product that you can’t really go wrong with. It claims to be able to effectively deal with brake dust, grime, and dirt from wheels and tires, while remaining gentle due on various rim materials, including painted, powder-coated, clear-coated, and chrome wheels due to its acid-free formula. User reviews confirm that all these statements are true. Additionally, it also requires minimal effort to use, with generally no brushing required for routine cleanings. For heavily soiled tires, a quick scrub with a brush might be necessary, but Adams’ formula significantly minimizes the elbow grease required.
In short, this is a reliable product from a reputable brand that is priced well and has no real cons, which is why it’s my pick as the overall best tire cleaner you can find online.
| Intended Tire Type | Safe for all tire types |
| Safe for Rims | Yes |
| Formulation | pH-balanced, acid-free formula |
This tire cleaning kit has all the essentials needed to make your wheels and tires look brand new. It includes a cleaning shampoo, tire spray wax, tire brush, detailing brush, and a car wash sponge.
The cleaning shampoo and tire shine can be used to remove dirt from plastic, rubber, and vinyl wheels and tires. The formula is non-acidic, silicone-free, pH-balanced, and provides ultra-UV protection to prevent tire damage, color fading, and breakage caused by sunlight. All in all, if you don’t want to shop around for individual cleaning and detailing products, this cleaning kit is a great choice.
| Intended Tire Type | Suitable for all tire types |
| Safe for Rims | Yes |
| Formulation | pH-balanced, silicone and acid-free formula |
Another hard-hitter, this tire cleaner by CAR GUYS comes in a concentrated gel form that’s meant to get rid of every bit of dirt and grime on your wheels. It’s especially good for cleaning up all the nooks and crannies of basketweave-style rims and leaves your wheels looking like they’re fresh from the factory. The formula is pH-neutral and is suitable for aluminum, alloy, chrome, painted, clear coated, blackwall, and whitewall surfaces.
This tire cleaner gel is incredibly efficient, but you can extend its lifespan even further by diluting it with water (if desired). In reviews, certain users report stretching a single bottle for months with weekly tire cleanings.
| Intended Tire Type | Suitable for all tire types |
| Safe for Rims | Not suitable for anodized or uncoated aluminum |
| Formulation | pH-balanced, acid-free formula |
This tire cleaner is about as effective as they come. It works pretty well to remove rust and discoloration on a variety of wheel materials and finishes, such as painted, clear-coated, color-coated, steel, modular, chrome, and factory-coated wheels and hubcaps.
Customers have noted that it’s especially suited for removing brake dust, and tough stains that won’t go away with regular car shampoo. It is worth noting that achieving a thorough cleaning might require a generous amount of product, potentially increasing the cost over time.
| Intended Tire Type | Suitable for all car tires |
| Safe for Rims | Not suitable for: polished or roughcast aluminum, billet or anodized wheels, and motorcycle wheels |
| Formulation | Non-acidic formula |
This tire cleaner is fortified with Black Magic’s proprietary Primascrub cleaning agent, which makes short work of soil, brake dust, grease, and grime, along with being particularly effective at cleaning white lettering. It has tons of great reviews across the internet, it’s versatile, and the one-gallon container is significantly easier on the wallet than other tire cleaning products.
The one-gallon quantity can be easily stretched out over a year or longer. All you’d need to do is pour some cleaner into a spray bottle, dilute with water as needed, and get to work.
| Intended Tire Type | Suitable for all tire types |
| Safe for Rims | No |
| Formulation | High pH, alkaline formula |
Every tire cleaner you’ll come across online will likely advertise extraordinary results, which makes buying the correct type of tire cleaner difficult, especially if you’re not much of a “car person” to begin with. To help you make better sense of things, keep reading.
First and foremost, you must consider the following before pulling the trigger on a new tire cleaner:
Your new tire cleaner should be compatible with your car’s wheels. Trust me, the last thing you’d want is to order something on a whim and end up damaging your tires. So, the way to go about this is to first assess what materials the wheels are made of.
A quick search on the web or a chat with the local mechanic should provide you with your answer. Once you know your wheel’s material, you must only buy cleaning products that are compatible and safe to use with it.
Here’s a breakdown of tire cleaner compatibility with different wheel materials:
Safe for most materials:
Use with caution (or avoid):
Always check the label:
It’s crucial to always read the product label before using any tire cleaner. Here’s what to look for:
As far as application goes, tire cleaners are fairly simple to use. They usually come in either foam, gel, or spray form. Whichever form you go for, make sure that it is easy to apply and rinse off. I recommend checking out the customer reviews that specifically talk about the convenience aspect of the tire cleaner’s application to get a better idea of things.
While the exact procedure of applying tire cleaners will vary from product, here is a general route that you’ll be following:
Before getting to the main event of the cleaning process, give your tires and wheels a good wash and scrub. This removes easily removable surface dust and grime, prepping them for a deeper clean from the tire cleaner. Use a brush with gentle bristles to dust away any dirt or brake dust from the tires. Some tire cleaning kits, like the PHILISN Tire Cleaner Kit, will come with such a brush, so they are worth keeping an eye out for if you don’t have one already.
With your tires washed and cool to the touch, apply the cleaner. Spray or wipe it directly onto the surface. For stubborn stains, a vigorous scrub with a soft brush might be necessary. If needed, reapply the cleaner and repeat the process until the grime is banished. Once your tires are sparkling clean, rinse them thoroughly with water and dry them completely with a cloth. Remember to wait at least 30 minutes before hitting the road to ensure the wheels are dry and the cleaner has set properly.
Tire cleaners typically range from $5 to $10 for basic options, with premium brands reaching $20 or more. But are they worth the investment? Absolutely, for some. Tire cleaners effectively remove stubborn brake dust and grime that car washes miss, leaving your wheels looking their best. They can even protect the finish and potentially extend tire life by preventing dirt buildup. While they do require some washing and scrubbing, the cost is minimal compared to professional cleaning. However, if you’re on a budget or aren’t too concerned about the appearance of your wheels, soap and water might suffice. Ultimately, the decision depends on how much you value clean, shiny wheels and potentially longer tire life.
Something you can put a price on, though, is your car’s resale value. So, if you’re in the market to sell, giving your wheels a good scrub with a high-quality tire cleaner before snapping some pictures to put up on Craigslist is a pretty good idea, because cleaner cars generally fetch higher prices.
The frequency of cleaning your car tires depends on several factors, including:
Here's a general guideline:
Also, make sure to inspect your tires for damage during each cleaning.
Tire cleaners work by breaking down and dissolving dirt, grime, and other contaminants that accumulate on your wheels and tires.
Tire cleaners are a cocktail of various ingredients that work together to tackle the grime on your wheels. Here's a breakdown of the main components:
Surfactants: These are the workhorses of tire cleaners. They act like microscopic detergents, attaching themselves to dirt and grime particles on one end and water molecules on the other. This creates a suspension, lifting the dirt away from the tire surface and allowing it to be rinsed off easily.
Solvents: Some cleaners include solvents for tougher jobs. Solvents dissolve stubborn substances like grease, oil, and tar buildup. However, they can be harsher on wheels and require more careful use to avoid damaging the finish.
Builders: Builders prevent the dislodged dirt and grime from settling back onto your tires. They act like tiny sponges, holding the dirt particles suspended in the water solution until it's rinsed away.
Acids/Alkalis (pH): The pH level of a tire cleaner determines its acidity or alkalinity. Most cleaners are formulated to be neutral (around a pH of 7) for maximum safety on various wheel materials. However, some situations might call for a different pH:
Additional Ingredients: Depending on the specific cleaner, you might find other components like:
Waiting about a minute or so is usually enough time for the formula to break down dirt. For stubborn grime, you might need to stretch it to a few minutes, but always follow the specific instructions on the label as it can vary greatly between different products.
It depends on the severity of the rust and the type of tire cleaner.
Light Rust: Some tire cleaners, especially those formulated with mild acids, can handle light surface rust on wheels.
Moderate to Heavy Rust: For these cases, a dedicated rust remover is a better option. Tire cleaners are generally not strong enough to tackle deeper rust.