Those who go off-road but also like to spiff up their ride: What is your wheel and tire cleaning regimen?

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

The bristle brush thing with car wash solution doesn't seem to make a dent in the dirt on the sidewalls.

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[adrnln.JT]

For deep cleaning tires I'll use soft scrub and a stiff, short bristle brush (like what you'd use to clean tile etc). I do try and keep a good coat of wax on my wheels to make those easier to clean up.

Mequiars cleaner wax for rims
Mequiars tire gel for tires.

 

[Tommyd]

The bristle brush thing with car wash solution doesn't seem to make a dent in the dirt on the sidewalls.

Awesome from dollar tree! Spray it on your sidewalls and wait a few minutes. Then scrub and wash it off. Works good for me

 

[Camaroboi13]

I wash my wheels with the rest of my truck using a foam cannon and 2 bucket method, no difference there. My tires get hit with the pressure washer which gets most of the dirt off anyways, and I’ve never applied any dressings to any of my Jeeps… that’s sac religious

 

[antwon412]

Shiny tires are for mall crawlers!

 

[Lunentucker]

Oh great!
Another HOA violation.

I put Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions on everything last Spring.
This was after cleanup a few weeks ago using Meguires car wash.
The paint, the plastics, the wheels, everything still beads and shines just like it did 7 months ago.

The key to making cleaning go easier is to keep a barrier of protection between your finishes and the dirt.
Tires included.

 

[joeym7]

Hose, and then just use a semi stiff brush with soap, lil'elbows grease, rinse repeat for next 3...We get some serious mud around here, the tires are a lot easier to clean then the undercarriage.

Putting those finishing sprays on after cleaning is a double edge sword, it does look nice and shinny and (supposedly) is good for the tires, but they are great at helping the sand dust pile up on your tires sides.

 

[PlayfulBird]

Adam's Tire and Rubber cleaner
Or
Car Pro ReTyre (careful the new nozzle wastes too much product get your own)
You can actually watch it react

 

[JTR178]

Adam's wheel & tire cleaner + bristle brush on my drill is the only way I can get the film left behind from the mud. Turbo tip on the pressure washer won't get it off.

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

Hose, and then just use a semi stiff brush with soap, lil'elbows grease, rinse repeat for next 3...We get some serious mud around here

Either I'm too smart or lazy to commit to the effort this way requires. That or my mud can beat up your mud.
As said in the op, this isn't gettin' it and that's with about 5+ min committed to each tire. Looks great wet but as soon as it dries you can see the dirt which I don't want to cover with a tire shine.

 

[R0BSTR0SITY]

 

[PlayfulBird]

Hose, and then just use a semi stiff brush with soap, lil'elbows grease, rinse repeat for next 3...We get some serious mud around here, the tires are a lot easier to clean then the undercarriage.

Putting those finishing sprays on after cleaning is a double edge sword, it does look nice and shinny and (supposedly) is good for the tires, but they are great at helping the sand dust pile up on your tires sides.

Either I'm too smart or lazy to commit to the effort this way requires. That or my mud can beat up your mud.
As said in the op, this isn't gettin' it and that's with about 5+ min committed to each tire. Looks great wet but as soon as it dries you can see the dirt which I don't want to cover with a tire shine.

Not talking about a finishing spray.

The Rubber and Tire cleaners are put on before washing and penetrate the pores of the rubber. You spray, then brush it in, most have an indicator showing either brown or orange that it is chemically working and then gets washed off properly when you wash the car. There is no film remaining. There is stuff similar to ceracoat for example car pro pearl that will also darken the rubber but there will not be an adhesive sticky film. You first use the rubber cleaner, then wash off and let dry, then apply the other solution and then wash that off too. Then you can pay some atttention to your rims and wash the truck.
You would be amazed how much microscopic iron rust particles are even on your paint just by normal driving (call it Flugrost here). Spray the car and sit back and scream at what reacts and comes off

Even if you scrub eventually your tires will get a grey/brown moldy type look... because the stuff sits in the pores. Especially on rubbing the tires against obstacles it will sit on them fierce.

 

[Trout Safari]

I Dont care for a shine, but I do like black plastic items and rubber to look black when clean. I treat all those surfaces with 303 protectant.

 

[jac04]

I put Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions on everything last Spring.

I like the TW Hybrid stuff. I use the Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Pro Graphene Flex Wax on everything, including the tires.
I also use it in the wheel wells, and I spray a coat of it all over my shocks/suspension, frame & axles before winter.

For cleaning the tires, try Meguiar's non-acid wheel/tire cleaner and Ryobi drill brushes from Home Depot with a cordless drill or driver. For the brushes, I have a set of medium (yellow) and hard (gray). The wheel/tire cleaner can be purchased fairly economically by the gallon.

 

[Rahkmalla]

when i want to spiff up my ride i hit a trail and look for a big sloppy puddle. Gobi is the color of dried mud in my region so it's perfect

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