How to Clean Tires With Household Products? – 7 Methods

Written by

Bruce Sonnier

FACT-CHECKED BY

Marcus Dutton

how to clean tires with household products

When tires are left uncleaned, not only are they unsightly, they can also get damaged. They also won’t be able to grip and balance well on the road. Thankfully, you don’t need to spend a lot to maintain their cleanliness, as long as you know how to clean tires with household products.

Just read the information below.

7 Methods to Clean Car Tires With Household Products

1. Degrease With Lemon Oil

clean-car-tires-naturally

What You Need:

  • Lemon Oil – Using lemon oil along with the other ingredients listed for this method would be the best way to clean tires with household products. Just the lemon oil itself makes an excellent ingredient for a tire cleaner, as it’s good at degreasing, can make tires shine, and even leaves a nice scent.
  • Dishwashing Soap – Dishwashing soap will also help in degreasing the tires.
  • Borax – Borax has cleaning properties that make it an excellent all-purpose cleaner that can also be used for tires.
  • Warm Water
  • Brush
  • Towels

Step 1: Prepare the Natural Tire Cleaner

In two gallons of warm water, pour in 30 ml of dishwashing soap and 50 ml of borax and mix them. Then, while continuously mixing them, pour in 15 ml of lemon oil.

Step 2: Clean the Tires With a Brush and Towel

Dip the brush into the cleaning solution and use it to clean the tires. Afterwards, dip a towel into the solution, wring out the excess moisture, and again clean the tires with it. Then use another dry towel to remove the cleanser from the tires.

2. Degrease Aluminum Wheels With Baking Soda and Dishwashing Soap

natural-tire-cleaner

What You Need:

  • Baking Soda
  • Dishwashing Soap
  • Warm Water
  • Sponge or Rag
  • Brush or Toothbrush: A brush could be used for cleaning tough-to-reach areas.
  • Towels: Towels are needed for drying.

Step 1: Prepare the Homemade Tire Cleaner

Mix a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with a gallon of warm water. Then dip the sponge in the mixture. Afterwards, sprinkle some baking soda on it.

Step 2: Clean With the Solution

Scrub the tires with the sponge using circular motions. Make sure you clean all surfaces. Scrub the dirt and grime off the tough-to-reach areas with a brush or toothbrush.

Step 3: Rinse and Dry the Tires

Rinse the tires with warm water starting from the top. Then dry them immediately with a towel.

3. Clean Tough Stains Off Wheels With Lemon Juice and Baking Soda

What You Need:

  • Lemon Juice
  • Baking Soda
  • Warm Water
  • Spray Bottle

A spray bottle would be needed for applying the cleaning solution onto the tires.

  • Towels

Towels would be needed for rubbing baking soda onto the tires and for wiping the tires dry.

Step 1: Prepare a Lemon Juice and Warm Water Mixture in the Spray Bottle

Pour a cup of warm water and two tablespoons of lemon juice into the spray bottle. Then shake the bottle well.

Step 2: Spray the Wheels and Rub Baking Soda on Them

Spray the lemon and warm water mixture all over the wheels. Then put ½ cup of baking on the wheels, and use a clean towel to remove dirt from them.

Step 3: Dry the Wheels

Dry the wheels using other towels.

4. Clean Rust Off Screws and Lug Nuts With Coca-Cola

homemade-tire-shine

What You Need:

  • Coca-Cola – The phosphoric acid and carbonation in Coca-Cola make it capable of removing tarnish from copper, chrome, and metal alloys. You may not know this, but Coca Cola can even be used to degrease pans.
  • White Vinegar – You can clean car tires naturally with white vinegar, as it’s an effective natural cleaner that can get rid of grime, grease, and dirt with its acetic acid.
  • Dishwashing Soap
  • Water – Cleaning tires with vinegar and dishwashing soap will also require mixing with some water.
  • Spray Bottle
  • Brush

Step 1: Prepare a DIY Tire Cleaner and Coke Spray

To create the DIY cleaner, mix a cup each of dishwashing soap and vinegar into a bucket of water. For the Coke spray, simply pour a cup of Coke into a spray bottle.

Step 2: Clean the Rust With Coke

Spray Coke on rusty surfaces. Leave it to sit to take effect. Then scrub out the rust with a brush.

Step 3: Clean the Tires With the Tire Cleaner

Clean the tires with the DIY tire cleaner. Rinse the tires well and dry them with towels.

5. Clean Rust Off Chrome Wheels With Vinegar and Water

homemade-tire-cleaner

What You Need:

  • White Vinegar
  • Water
  • Spray Bottle
  • Sponge

Step 1: Prepare the Cleaning Solution

In a spray bottle, pour in a one-to-one ratio of white vinegar and water and shake it well.

Step 2: Clean the Surface Contaminants With the Solution

Spray the vinegar and water solution onto the wheels and scrub them thoroughly with a sponge. If necessary, redo the cleaning until the wheels are completely clean.

6. Clean Rust Off Rims With Cream of Tartar Paste

What You Need:

  • Cream of Tartar
  • Cream of tartar is capable of removing rust.
  • Wheel Brush

Instructions:

Apply the cream of tartar paste onto the rusty rim. Then work the paste onto the surface with a wheel brush to remove the rust.

7. Lubricate, Protect, and Add Shine With Baby Oil

diy-tire-cleaner

What You Need:

  • Baby Oil – You can make a homemade tire shine with baby oil. This substance can also keep the tires clean for longer.
  • Dishwashing Soap – The addition of dishwashing soap in the mixture helps to clean the tires.
  • Water
  • Spray Bottle – The solution would be sprayed on the tires with a spray bottle.
  • Towels – Towels are required for wiping the tires clean.

Step 1: Prepare the Solution in a Spray Bottle

Pour ½ cup of water, three drops of dish soap, and a cup of baby oil into a spray bottle. Then shake the bottle well.

Step 2: Clean the Tires With the Solution and a Towel

Spray the solution on the tires. Then use a towel to wipe them clean.

Conclusion

Now that you know what to clean tires with and how to clean tires with household products, remember and complete the steps as often as needed to keep your tires in good condition and safe for driving.

If you have any opinions or questions about this article, you’re more than welcome to leave them in the comments. It would also be great if you shared this article to help spread these tire cleaning hacks.

Furthermore, if you want to clean car tires as a professional, don’t forget to read this guide. Moreover, some related posts about tires & wheel you can explore, such as:

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Author

Bruce-Sonnier

"As the content writer of Charmcitycirculator, I intend to bring just the best purchase options and straightforward answers to your problems. Other than what we put up on our website, we hope to hear more from you. "

– Bruce Sonnier