Is Tire Shine Bad For Tires? Mystery Solved!

Tire shine is not bad for your tire itself. However, if you apply the tire shine incorrectly, it can damage your tire. Choose a high-quality product and you will get the maximum benefit from the tire shine. Also, you must clean the tire thoroughly before applying the tire shine. Let the product on the tire dry properly before you start driving the car. Finally, don’t leave your car in direct sunlight for too long. 

Whether is tire shine bad for tires or not highly depends on how you use it. Read this article and get complete guidelines about the application and maintenance of tire shine. 

Is Tire Shine Bad For Tires?

No, tire shine isn’t technically bad for your tire. They will provide a nice shine to your car tire and will protect them from dirt and debris. However, if you don’t use them in the correct way, they can damage your tire.

How To Apply Tire Shine Effectively? 

Follow the steps below to apply the tire shine effectively. 

Step 1: Choosing The Right Product 

If you want to benefit from the tire shine, you must choose good products. Low-quality tire shine is bad for your tires. 

For example, low-quality spray tire shines make the tires dry prematurely. 

The tire coating shines are already made of aggressive formula. So, if the product is of low quality, that can crack the tire faster. If you previously experienced a crack in the tire after using tire shine, you might have chosen the wrong product. 

Here are some good tire shines you can check out. 

  1. Chemical Guys Tire Shine Spray: The high-quality material of this spray provides an extra glossy shine to the tire without making the tire slippery. 
  2. Golden Shine Tire Gel: This amazing tire shine has SPF-40 in it which will protect your car tires from UV-ray. 
  3. Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Gel: The consistent formula of this gel tire shine helps you apply it in the tire evenly with less effort.  
  4. Griot’s Garage Shine Tire: This tire coating makes the tire look extra dark and shiny and the coating lasts for a long time. 

Step 2: Cleaning the Tires

This is another important step before applying tire shine to your tires. If you don’t clean your tire properly before applying the tire shine, contaminants, debris, and dirt will get trapped inside the coating. 

It will damage the tire and make the tire look brownish. Also, if the tire is not clean, the product will not spread evenly over the tire surface.

To clean the tires properly, follow the steps below: 

  1. Rinse the car tire with clean water to wash off the loose debris and dirt. 
  2. Take some water and detergent in a bucket and mix them properly. For one gallon of water, only a tablespoon of detergent is enough.  
  3. Take a sponge, dip it in the detergent-mixed water, and scrub the tire properly. To clean the lug nuts area and stubborn dirt, you can use a stiff-bristled brush. 
  4. Rinse the tire again with clean water. 

After cleaning, let the tire dry properly before going to the next step. 

Step 3: Applying The Product

Different types of tire shine require different application processes. Here are those processes. 

Spray-Type Tire Shine Application

To apply tire shine spray, shake the tire shine bottle well. After that, spray 2 to 5 sprays of shiner onto a microfiber pad. Rub the pad to the tire, making sure to cover the entire tire area. If you need to apply another coating, wait for 5 to 10 minutes and go for it. 

Gel-Type Tire Shine Application

Squeeze a thin strip of the tire shine into an applicator pad and wipe it on the tire. Make sure to clean away the excess amount of tire shine with a microfiber cloth. If you want to apply a second coating, wait for 5 minutes after applying the first coat, then proceed with the 2nd one. 

Coat-Type Tire Shine Application

Follow the same process as the gel-type tire shine. But, for this type of tire shine, remember to apply only a little layer of coating.

Step 4: Curing The Shine

Make sure the shine dries properly once you have finished applying. Use a blow dryer to dry the tire shine faster. Don’t drive the car before the tire shine dries properly. 

That’s how you apply the tire shine correctly. 

Tips To Make Tire Shine Effective

If you want to get proper benefits from the tire shine and want to prevent it from damaging your tire, follow the tips below. 

  1. You should never apply the tire shine under direct sunlight.  Choose a dry and cool place for this application procedure. 
  2. Immediately wipe off if the shine goes anywhere except the tire, especially when using the coat-type tire shines. 
  3. Don’t over-apply the product at a time. If needed, apply 2-3 coats after the recommended interval. 
  4. You should always check and abide by the instructions given in the tire shine you are using. 
  5. Don’t leave your car out in the sunlight for a long time. It will cause the tire to crack. 

If you follow these tips carefully, tire shine will not be bad for your tires. 

FAQs

How Long Does Tire Shine Last? 

Spray-type tire shines last around 3-4 weeks and you have to re-apply them often. While the tire shine coatings may last around 6 months to one year. However, the duration is highly dependent on the tire shine’s quality. 

Does Tire Shine Last In Rain?

Yes, tire shine lasts in rain. They are usually made of silicon and petroleum-based materials. So they are water-proof in nature which doesn’t require reapplication if the tire gets contact with water. 

Does Vaseline Work On Tires?

No, you should never use Vaseline on your tires even though they provide an immediate shine to them. Vaseline destroys the rubber of the tire and makes the tire more slippery. It will also attract more debris and dirt as usual. Use tire shine instead. 

Conclusion 

Here is the answer to your question “is tire shine bad for tires or not. Hopefully, after reading this article your donut will be cleared. Maintenance of the tire is necessary and proper use of the tire shine can be a good maintenance step. 

That’s all I had to say. Hope you have a great day!

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William Baldwin

This Is William Baldwin, The Founder & Managing Editor of this website. Me and my team share automotive tips, tricks, and news

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Talha

Talha Atta

Talha Atta, a Mechanical Engineer and experienced technical content writer and editor at Autoglobes.com with a passion for the automotive industry.