Tire shine and glass cleaner come in similarly shaped and sized spray bottles, which makes mixing them up – and accidentally using tire shine on your windshield – a lot easier (and much more frustrating) than most people think.
If you’ve ever had tire shine on your windshield and had a nightmare of a time getting it off, you’re in luck.
This detailed guide covers exactly how to remove tire shine from your windshield – using rubbing alcohol, degreasers, and more – with as little headache and hassle as possible.
Let’s jump right into it, shall we?
Contents
You’re not going to be able to get tire shine products off your windshield with just a little water and some elbow grease.
Unfortunately, the same chemical composition that breathes new life into old and faded tires also leaves a sticky, gooey mess on your windshield.
A sticky, gooey mess that isn’t just annoying to look at, either – but a mess that attracts dirt, dust, and gunk and does a number on your overall visibility.
You’ve got that right, tire shine on your windshield is a real safety hazard!
Getting rid of it, though, doesn’t have to because you a ton of frustration. In fact, with the tips and tricks we highlight in just a moment, you’ll be able to scrub away tire shine easily (no matter how tough it was to get rid of it before).
Best tire shine removal products safe to use on your windshieldRubbing Alcohol
Good old-fashioned rubbing alcohol is a perfect solution for removing tire shine caked on your windshield.
The alcohol will dissolve the tire shine chemicals, breaking them down and eliminating the adhesion they had with your windshield glass.
It doesn’t matter if the tire shine product was made from a water solvent formula or a silicone-based formula – rubbing alcohol works just as well either way.
You’ll probably need to use a little bit of elbow grease to lift the shine from the windshield completely, though. It’s not bad to have a steady supply of paper towels on hand, either.
Bathroom CleanerBathroom cleaner products (those designed to clean toilets, tubs, showers, etc.) also work well to break down the chemicals in tire shine products.
You don’t have to use a ton of cleaner to get rid of tire shine.
A couple of sprays across your windshield left to set up for a couple of minutes (maybe three or four). Then some swipes with a damp paper towel are usually more than enough to eliminate your tire shine trouble.
DegreaserDegreasers (a whole bunch of them sold in automotive parts stores worldwide) are a little heavy-duty for this kind of task. Still, they get the job done – and they get the job done quickly.
You do want to be a little careful with your use of degreaser products, though. This is not something that you want to have a lot of surface time with your paint (even if it’s been polished and waxed recently).
It’s probably a better idea to apply degreaser to a paper towel and then work on your windshield rather than spraying degreaser all over the place and trying to keep the overspray contained
Lacquer ThinnerLacquer thinner (and paint thinner, too) can remove even the most stubborn, stuck-on tire shine from your windshield in record time.
Like degreaser products, though, you have to be careful that you aren’t getting lacquer thinner or paint thinner on the painted parts of your vehicle.
You don’t even want them to have a lot of extended contact with the rubber gaskets around your windshield, the rubber on your windshield wipers, or any other rubber and plastic parts.
Apply lacquer thinner to a paper towel or microfiber cloth. You’ll get much better results than spraying it all over the windshield.
Closing ThoughtsAll in all, dealing with tire shine on your windshield – as well as all the gunk and dirt that it attracts, dropping your visibility and posing as a real safety issue – doesn’t have to be as frustrating for you as it might look on the surface.
Tire shine is a nightmare to try and clean from your windshield if you’re using regular soap and water.
Break out the big guns – products like rubbing alcohol, bathroom cleaner, degreaser agents and lacquer thinner – and you’ll find the tire shine comes off almost effortlessly.
No matter what you use to get rid of your tire shine, you must wash and clean your glass as soon as the job is done. You don’t want to leave too many of these solutions lingering on your windshield for any longer than necessary.
Use only as directed. Not for use on floors, vehicle controls (pedals, grips, steering wheels), bench or cycle seats, cycle tires, brake drums and other parts where slipperiness may be hazardous. Do not use on or near clear plastic surfaces, glass (may cause smearing), fabric, woven materials or paint.
Always read and follow precautions and usage directions before using cleaning products. Always store cleaning products out of reach of children.
It’s easy to make your tires look their best with Armor All® Extreme Tire Shine!
Armor All® Extreme Tire Shine Spray includes our “Shine-Shield” formula, delivering intense, mirrorlike shine and a rich, black look. Plus, it’s fortified with conditioners to protect and nourish your tires, preserving your tires’ natural beauty for the long term.
Use only as directed. Not for use on floors, vehicle controls (pedals, grips, steering wheels), bench or cycle seats, cycle tires, brake drums and other parts where slipperiness may be hazardous. Do not use on or near clear plastic surfaces, glass (may cause smearing), fabric, woven materials or paint.
Always read and follow precautions and usage directions before using cleaning products. Always store cleaning products out of reach of children.
Often bought together
This handy spray is easy-to-use and fast-acting. Follow the simple instructions below whenever your tires need to be rejuvenated:
Tips & Tricks
It’s not just about shine! Armor All® tire products help prevent ozone degradation, which can cause drying, cracking and fading.
For Best Results
Let stand 15 minutes. Repeat application for maximum shine.
While some Armor All products, such as , can be used on other household surfaces, we do not recommend using Armor All Tire Shine on fiberglass or patio furniture. These products are specially formulated to get the best out of your tires.
Both the spray and gel versions of Armor All Tire Shine are made up of water-based silicone emulsions.
Our Armor All Tire Shine spray takes just five minutes to dry on tires, although you should leave it for 15 if you decide to do a second application. This will give you maximum shine and rejuvenation.
The tricks of the trade
Exterior Tips
Knowing how to clean your car wheels and wash your tires the right way can make a big difference to the overall look of your vehicle.
Your tires pick up the most dirt while driving. Find out the right way clean your tires and wheels, including how to clean chrome wheels.
Exterior Tips
Plastic and rubber can be found all over a car’s exterior — the trim, molding, bumpers, even the brackets that hold wiper blades. We’ve got the tips you need on cleaning these items as well as how to clean black plastic trim on a car and washing a convertible’s canvas.
Exterior Tips
Even with vast improvement in the quality of automotive paint, you still need to protect your car’s thin clear coat finish from oxidation and environmental damage.
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You don't have to go to a car wash or a spare parts store to get your tires back to a deep black color.
You can get by with improvised means, and some of them are sure to be found in almost every home.
There are several ways to blacken tires that are safe and do not affect traction. In the absence of special means for restoring color, for example, shoe polish, glycerin, silicone oil, and even laundry soap and household chemicals are used. Each substance has its pros and cons, but it should be remembered that none of them fully possesses the qualities inherent in special solutions: neither long-term effect, nor protective properties, nor ease of use.
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Blackening tires with shoe polish or other shoe care product is the first thing that comes to mind. At the same time, the processing process itself is no different, only instead of a brush it is better to use a sponge so that splashes of shoe polish do not stain the body. We simply rub the sidewall of the washed and dried tire with shoe polish and let it dry.
To be honest, the result does not look very good, even when using the product with wax: there is neither shine nor color depth. The application process itself is also inconvenient - imagine what it would be like to process four wheels. The downside is that you have to wait for the shoe polish to dry completely before driving. Otherwise, road dust will quickly stick to the treated surface, reducing all the efforts made to nothing. Of course, there are also quick-drying paint creams, but their cost is such that it will still be cheaper to buy a special product for blackening tires.
Due to its consistency, glycerin creates a stunning jet-black shiny tire effect, and the degree of "greatness" can be adjusted by diluting the product with plain water. For one procedure, only one hundred grams of glycerin and the same amount of water are enough. We mix them, taking into account the fact that the less water in the composition, the more "fat" the effect will be.
But it’s better not to spare water, otherwise dust will stick to the tires, as in the case of wet shoe polish. The composition is applied with a simple sponge without rubbing. By the way, unpainted black plastic body parts can also be processed with this composition.
The advantage of this method is its low cost and the availability of glycerin in any pharmacy. The disadvantages overlap all the advantages: glycerin quickly ages rubber, causing it to crack. In addition, the composition is very well washed off with water - the very first rain or driving through a puddle will not leave a trace of glycerin. In dry weather, tires will only stay black for a couple of days.
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Blackening tires with silicone oil is not the cheapest way because it is not sold in small containers and you will have to buy an annual supply of funds right away. This method is the simplest, most efficient and less labor-intensive than the others.
It is better to use medium viscosity oil, which will also come in handy for treating tires before winter or summer storage - this is the only substance described that somehow protects rubber from cracking, drying out, ultraviolet radiation and moisture.
The effect after treatment with silicone oil is long-lasting and the tires look blacker than new. Silicone oil is also treated with door seals and trunk lids so that they do not freeze.
Laundry soap is perhaps the cheapest product suitable for blackening tires. It can be applied with a pre-soaped brush, or by dissolving a crumb of soap in water, apply the composition with a sponge. There is no need to rinse off the soap: when it dries, the rubber will acquire a beautiful and deep black tint. Like most artisanal methods, blackening tires with laundry soap has its drawbacks. Rubber because of it, as in the case of glycerin, ages faster and may begin to crack, so we do not recommend this method of blackening.
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Household chemicals are often used in car washes. This is a cheap, effective and harmless method for rubber and its adhesion to an expensive method, which can be offered as a bonus or "gift". It is mainly used for washing glasses, as well as dishes. The first is sprayed onto the sidewall of the tire and rubbed quickly, while the second is applied with a damp sponge. It is not necessary to wash off the compositions.
Also on the forums it is advised to blacken tires with drinks. More often than others, Coca-Cola is mentioned. But because of the sugar in the composition of the cola, it creates a sticky layer, on which dust quickly settles, and is easily washed off in the first puddle.
***
All of the listed products, of course, are inferior to the special compounds sold in auto chemical departments.
Their blackening effect is short-lived and does not look so beautiful. In addition, most of them can harm rubber by affecting its chemical composition and reducing its service life. Nevertheless, the described methods are in demand due to their availability and spontaneity, because most motorists do not need to blacken tires every day.
However, the safest alternatives to professional tire blackeners are silicone and household chemicals. The latter is usually also cheaper.
Photo: depositphotos.com
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Harmless car tire care spray preserves the structure of the tire without deforming the rubber and at the same time cleans its surface efficiently. SONAX tire cleaner gives tires the effect of wet rubber and saturates with black (blackening of rubber) not only new tires, but also already outdated tires.
In addition to cleaning, regular use of SONAX Tire Spray can also prevent premature cracking of tires. Also, the tool helps to prevent color fading or color change to white. The effect of wet black rubber after application of the spray will last for several weeks. The tool is suitable for all types of tires.
It is necessary to spray on the surface of the tires, which should be previously washed in a car wash or by hand. After that, it is necessary to evenly rub the spray into the surface of the tire using a dirt sponge to achieve a black gloss effect.
One tire cleaning spray is enough for 40 tires, that is, 10 times to clean 4 wheels. Thus, with regular use, 400 ml of spray should be enough for six months of continuous use.
We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with wheel care products to not only clean tires and give them the effect of wet rubber, but also in general, comprehensively, clean wheels from brake and road dust.
On this page you can buy SONAX 235300 price 1190 ₽. Product code: 235300, manufacturer SONAX, country of origin Germany. You can buy SONAX Xtreme Tire Gloss Spray (Germany) 400 ml in the SONAX online store with a 3% discount and with a guarantee that you are buying a 100% original product.
Here you can buy SONAX 235300 with delivery in Moscow, the Moscow region and throughout Russia. Buy Shine for tires SONAX Xtreme Tire Gloss Spray (Germany) 400 ml with fast delivery in Moscow.
