[v12]

Yup. Thats what I usually do. Scrub it with detergent almost 2wice a month. I used the "Insecticide" once and the shine did last for 2 weeks.

I've also used STP. Its the best. But its expensive. And takes a lot for the Qualis. Thats why I rserve it only for my bike.

Will try the glycerine stuff next time. Thanks for the tip.

Hey Team-Fiat, i've tried shoe polsih alsoo [dont ask me what i havent tried for tyres ]. But it makes the rubber very sticky.

[filcord]

a good scrub with detergent and a soft nylon brush should be folowed by Armor-all or Stp applied with a small piece of cotton waste. Don't get the stuff on the tread though, you will lose traction. This has worked for me for the last 15 years.

Please do not use kerosene, diesel, insecticide (which has a kero base), wax polish,,etc. They will destroy the integrity of the tyre rubber, and you could lose a tyre at high-speed. If you have alloys, wash with gentle soap solution and a soft cloth, never with a detergent and brush. wipe dry with a soft cloth and apply Armor-all/STP sparingly.

[navdeep]

From the above conversion, What would be the best but cheap way to keep your black and/or shining.

Although I have not tried shoe polish but it does not sound like a good idea

All you team-bhp moderators/gurus please respond and then this topic can be closed.

[goandude]

Thanks Rudra, the glycerine thing really worked. the tyres now have a wet, black, shine on them. really cheap alternative to all the polish/ sprays etc

[rapidsnail]

Hey, The Glycerine does work wonders. I cleaned the tires on my UVA today with Rin. They left them to Dry. The appeared dull black with light powder (which possibly was due to hard water in our area). Then i applied the mixture (1 part water+1 part glycerine) to the tyres with a toothbrush.

They shine like brand new.

Cost (Rs 10 for glycerine and my old Oral-B toothbrush (with deep reach neck)). The left over mixture was carefully applied to side mirrors and my old maruti's mudguards.

[animdas]

I bought a Cyclo Foam Away Tire Shine from spar before I dug out these amazing information from team-bhp. Unbelievable chunk of advises! Keep it up, team!

Now... Since I did not have time to read the entire information before the Sunday came, I just applied the foam on the side walls. But how do we clean the Alloys & Tread. Can I apply the cheap Glycering & Water combo on tread? What about the Alloys?

Also, I am seeing lot of dust on the alloys. Is it because of the disc brakes? Can I apply detergent or no?

Please guys, enlighten me

[aargee]

Relative of mine gave me this product that was gifted to them from Dubai. I used it on my WagonR & RX tires & the result was really excellent. I'm planning to use it regularly. Any idea on the price of it in India or are there better products?

[aargee]

Believe me guys, I really got one, here's a pic to convince.


I'm really expecting a feedback; I like this product as it takes only one step to clean the tires, no wiping required too. I like to use this product further, however not sure where it could be found & what would be its cost. If it costs like bomb, then I like to get an economical alternative & pls suggest me some of them like one step cleaner.

This one, I guess will last long only for 10-13 cleans before the canister becomes empty.

[cyclops]

Originally Posted by aargee

Believe me guys, I really got one, here's a pic to convince.
Attachment 417006

I'm really expecting a feedback; I like this product as it takes only one step to clean the tires, no wiping required too. I like to use this product further, however not sure where it could be found & what would be its cost. If it costs like bomb, then I like to get an economical alternative & pls suggest me some of them like one step cleaner.

This one, I guess will last long only for 10-13 cleans before the canister becomes empty.

Yes its a great product. Even I use it regularly, and yes its available in India. The dashboard (and vinyl) polish is also amazing..

This can should be available for around 150 - 250 bucks, depending on the importer. I bought the last one from hypercity. I recently saw a post in classifieds from a member who is a dealer for STP and ArmorAll, contact him for details..

[calm_cruiser]

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

V12.
Mix 60 ml of glycerine in a mug of water and apply them evenly on the side wall with cotton waste. Any left over, put them on the tread also. Don't drive for few hours. Let it settle in and dry.
Result? Rubbers will stay soft as new (well almost). Maximum depth in black. You'll never get it so cheap. It is harmless.

I'll try this for sure the next time the car needs washing - Thank you @Rudra. Appreciate the advice.

One question though - where do I get the glycerine from ?

[Mark 5]

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

V12.
Use nothing on your tyre. Only on Sunday (probably you get some time) wash and scrub the s**t of your tyre with normal detergent. A bar soap like Rin or such. Wash the tyres clean.
Mix 60 ml of glycerine in a mug of water and apply them evenly on the side wall with cotton waste. Any left over, put them on the tread also. Don't drive for few hours. Let it settle in and dry.
Result? Rubbers will stay soft as new (well almost). Maximum depth in black. You'll never get it so cheap. It is harmless.
Got the tip from Dunlop R&D guys long back when It was a respected company and we used to be the ad agency.
Rudra.
Option #2: Use STP's Son of a Gun.

Tried the option no. 1 for my i20 today afternoon and here are the results:

Firstly I must I say that I was amazed (and satisfied) with the results.

Here's what I did:

> Mixed some detergent powder (1/2 tsp) in a approx. 500 ml water. (Solution 1)

> Mixed 45 ml glycerine in 90 ml water (1:2 ratio, you can take any but it becomes more oily like if you increase the percentage of glycerine) (Solution 2)

> Using solution 1 and soft cotton cloth I scrubbed all 4 feet (read tyres) of my love (of course my i20!)

> Allowed her feet to dry completely. (approximately 10 minutes)

> Gave her a complete pedicure. (read applying the sidewalls of her tyres with solution 2 with another soft cotton cloth)

> Allowed the solution to dry (takes about 2 hrs)

> Presto! see the results for yourself in the pictures!

Other points:

> This solution (no. 2) can be used to shine dashboard and interior door trim plastics as well (atleast it did work for i20's dark brown plastics).

> A word of caution! DO NOT let the cloth dabbed with the solution 2 touch any of the glass else you'll have a tough time removing the oil-in-water like smudge! (The smudge does go without any damage but you'll need to rub a clean cloth on it umpteen times, Ask me!)

> Another I discovered is that this solution can be used to shine leather seat covers as well!
Believe it does leave a subtle shine after application (but you should let it dry for approximately 1/2 hr to 45 mins.) and the covers feel as good as new! (No pics on this account as I forgot to click them, my bad!)
However some may not like it as it does leave a faint oil-in-water feel to touch after the application, but not much.

> In case of application on seat covers and dashboard plastics, if you find that the application is looking thick on some areas; give a nice good rub on the entire seat cover or dashboard using the same cloth... it will spread evenly. The trick is the more you rub the cloth the better it shines. (But be sure to give unidirectional strokes of the cloth)

Benefits:

> Cheap. (100 g bottle of glycerine i.e. approximately 90 ml costs just Rs. 45/- + 90 ml H2O)

> Easy to prepare. (no hard to calculate ratios, just use simple 1:2 ratio that I used)

> You can boast this great DIY to your friends, colleagues relatives etc.

Lets hope that seeing the tyres, my watchman wont dare to touch that dirty rag of cloth to clean them!

P.S: Can anyone suggest me how to shine the entire body of the car using a cheap DIY technique or some sprays/solutions (name + pricing)?
I have heard that adding a few drops of kerosene in washing water helps to shine the car, but does it really work?

[innerkarma]

Thank U man. It really works. i applied 90 % without h20.

[sushil_n79]

Originally Posted by Mark 5

Tried the option no. 1?

HI everyone

I was looking for some thing which can make my tyres look good at the same time give it that supple black look and prevent it from hardening. I chanced upon this thread and the results are awesome. I never knew that the DIY explained was so easy. Thanks to Mark 5 for making it so simple for all of us. I liked the detailed explanation which was really helpful for out of touch auto buffs like me who like to do DIY but lack guidance and time to experiment something of which i am unsure of. This was simply superb

the total cost was Rs45/-. The best part was the left over solution was used in dash, and door panel plastic to give it that shining look. will have to wait and see if it attracts dust. I am still left with 1/2 bottle of glycerin.

I shall post the pictures tomorrow.

Regards

Sushil Narayanan