White Wall Cleaner

[aero3113]

What should I use, any suggestions?

[steveplym]

This is the stuff I used to use when I had whitewalls. Can buy it at most stores.

[Norm's Coupe]

This is what I've used since I began driving in 1960. Never failed to get the whitewalls clean. And, it's never ruined or scratched a whitewall yet.

[RobertKB]

I'm with Norm on this one. Love those things and they work great on stainless trim to clean and shine it.

[Captain Neon]

I'm with Steve. I have been using Westley's Bleche-White for over 20 years for all of my tyre cleaning needs. Works great on blackwall tyres too.

[Andydodge]

Guys, we don't have either of those products here in Oz, but I was wondering what exactly they are so I can chase up a comparable product here......the Westleys is a spray bleach? and the SOS is a powder?.......can some one advise me what these actually are........lol......thanks, andyd

[Plymouthy Adams]

B52 Cleaner..apply straight on with a spray bottle..let set just long enough to put the bottle down..swish the area with a 2 inch paint brush, rinse off..just that easy..

[PatS....]

I use a 50% solution of Zep Purple in a spray bottle and the pressure wand at the self serve car wash.

Takes two applications on really dirty whitewalls but they come out like new without scrubbing, as does the surrounding tire...the whole thing looks new.

Once a week after that keeps 'em like new.

I used to do the same thing with Fantastik, but they have watered it down so much I could pee on them and do more cleaning ;(

[Tony Cipponeri]

Andy, The SOS is a steel wool pad with soap in it. It can be used with the Westley Bleach too. Tony C

[Norm's Coupe]

Guys, we don't have either of those products here in Oz, but I was wondering what exactly they are so I can chase up a comparable product here......the Westleys is a spray bleach? and the SOS is a powder?.......can some one advise me what these actually are........lol......thanks, andyd

Andy,

Tony gave the description of the SOS pads. If you don't have SOS brand, Brillo pads are made the same way and will work just as well.

[claybill]

when tires come out of the mold they have a nice pressed surface. a steel wool type product will clean the tire BUT will also damage that surface and make it open (porous,absorbent) and will accept dirt more readily. i dont use steel wool unless there is a big nick or heavy dirt mark.

stick to the liquid cleaners and a good rub with a cloth. apply freely!

bill

[JIPJOBXX]

Get the wife to clean the tires!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The best way and you enjoy a beer at the same time.

[radioguy7]

I'm with Steve, Westleys is about the best stuff you can use, works every time and with hardly any effort.

I like to use SOS pads in the kitchen, they seem to work great on pots and pans.

[Norm's Coupe]

when tires come out of the mold they have a nice pressed surface. a steel wool type product will clean the tire BUT will also damage that surface and make it open (porous,absorbent) and will accept dirt more readily. i dont use steel wool unless there is a big nick or heavy dirt mark.

stick to the liquid cleaners and a good rub with a cloth. apply freely!

bill

Bill, I have never had that problem myself with the SOS or Brillo. They will not scratch if you use a fresh pad, and keep it fresh with lots of water in the pad. The secret to using them is to toss it as soon as the soap goes away. As RobertKB also pointed out, they work well on stainless too, and I'll also add that they work well on chrome part, without scratching. Again, the secret is to keep using fresh pads with lots of soap and water. I've cleaned stainless and chrome parts lots of times myself with them. You don't even need to polish the part afterward either.

As for the liquid cleaners, they all contain bleach or some form of butyl cleaner (like the Zep purple pressure washer material), or other harsh chemical. Also some may even be made from some sort of citrus cleaner. All of these products will also deteriorate rubber over time, especially the citrus cleaner if you don't get it all out of the rubber. Citrus cleaners will eat right through rubber, fast, if the residue gets into the rubber and stays there.

[BobT-47P15]

I use a spray liquid cleaner found at Dollar General Stores called "Mean Green".

2 or 3 bucks or so per bottle. It's a their copy of Simple Green cleaner.

That, plus a brillo soap pad, on the white. Just the spray and a brush on

the black portion of the tire......works for me.

They also make a wire type brush for whitewalls.....I occasionally use that

but not much.

[Andydodge]

Thanks for the info guys.........btw I mentioned that the best way to clean tyres was to get the wife to do them...........wack!............she has no sense of humour my wife.....wack!........yes dear, no dear, three bags full dear.....wack!........andyd

[RobertKB]

Get the wife to clean the tires!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The best way and you enjoy a beer at the same time.

I didn't think you could drink in hospital!?

[47heaven]

NO!!! Don't use this stuff! I did and now my whitewalls have little cracks all over them. Plus everytime I used it, it would make the white bleed a bit onto the black rubber, and I have expensive Firestones. Use the SOS pads and water.

This is the stuff I used to use when I had whitewalls. Can buy it at most stores.

[Young Ed]

If IF this wrecked your tires there was something wrong with them. I've been using this on white walls since I was old enough to operate the spray bottle. Never wrecked a tire.

[BobT-47P15]

Westleys will cause the white residue to run onto the black part of the

tire. I've used it in the past. Don't know that it would cause cracks, but

might make them more obvious if they were already there......could have

been age cracks......older tires.

I had some N O S Goodyear Double Eagle tires, about the best you could

buy in around 1959 or 60. They had been stored, in the paper wrappers,

for several years in a warehouse. Bought them from a friend in the 1970s.

After using them on my car for probably

15 to 20 years, the tread still looked like new, but the black was getting

age cracks and the white part got grainy. They llooked good after I got

done with the cleaner--- up until I replaced them simply due to age.

[47heaven]

I bought the tires in 2006 for $120/ea. So, I would assume that they are good tires. I forgot to also mention that after I spray a yellow goo appears. Is there something white out there that you can put on the whitewalls to fill in the cracks?

[PatS....]

I bought the tires in 2006 for $120/ea. So, I would assume that they are good tires. I forgot to also mention that after I spray a yellow goo appears. Is there something white out there that you can put on the whitewalls to fill in the cracks?

The concentrated Zep Purple mixed 50% in a spray bottle will take care of the yellow goo for you, and clean the whitewalls and the tires. Great stuff for tires. Cheap, too.

Works well for presoak before engine cleaning as well and a million other cleaning uses.

Home Depot carries it in gallon jugs...about $10

[BobT-47P15]

I bought the tires in 2006 for $120/ea. So, I would assume that they are good tires. ==QUOTE]

Well, they could have been sitting around for a few years before you got

them. New to you, but not really new. Therefore you might be getting

age cracks - in a supposedly new tire. What brand are they??

I bought some new Coker wide whites, their house brand, at a swap meet

from an area dealer. The problem with them, at least to me, was the

whitewall began developing brown bleed thru spots even before I put them

on the car. Just from sitting in my garage for several weeks. I didn't want

to fight the fight of scrubbing them all the time - so ultimately returned

them to the dealer, had him order me some Firestone brand whites....still

from Coker. Now, those have been just fine and dandy. No bleed thru,

and they clean up nicely. Of course, I had to ante up some additional

money for the better tires.

[dezeldoc]

409 works great and is cheap, other than that Wesleys.

[Norm's Coupe]

I bought some new Coker wide whites, their house brand, at a swap meet

from an area dealer. The problem with them, at least to me, was the

whitewall began developing brown bleed thru spots even before I put them

on the car. Just from sitting in my garage for several weeks. I didn't want

to fight the fight of scrubbing them all the time - so ultimately returned

them to the dealer, had him order me some Firestone brand whites....still

from Coker. Now, those have been just fine and dandy. No bleed thru,

and they clean up nicely. Of course, I had to ante up some additional

money for the better tires.

Bob,

I've had two sets of Coker wide whites. First the 16" tires, then the 15" when I stepped down the wheel size. I did have some oil from the rubber bleed through the first year or so on both sets. However, it comes off real easy. Then after that, you don't get the bleed through any longer. To my thinking, I like to see that because I know the tires have nice new fresh rubber.