Ground Vehicles: Don’t Use Tire Shine Products

Photo by Staff Sgt. Adriana Diaz-Brown
 

Operators, we warned you about using tire shine products in our story on Page 15 of PS 791 (Oct 18). Sure, you want your ride to sparkle; however, using tire shine products to get that sparkle isn’t authorized. That’s because tire shine totally contradicts camouflage.
        
Think about it. What good is a vehicle’s camouflaged paint scheme if reflections from the shiny tires can be seen miles away? Even worse, tire shine products don’t protect tires and may even degrade rubber. Certain tire shine products contain petrochemicals and silicones that can break down the rubber and the protective substances in the tires.
 

        
Seriously, if you want your tires to look good and more importantly to last longer, then here’s what you need to do.

1. Always keep vehicle tires properly inflated.
2. Drive vehicles regularly to exercise the tires, which helps prevent them from aging and cracking.
3. Wash the tires using only mild soap and water with a cloth or soft bristle brush.
4. Never use chemical cleaners, especially petroleum-based cleaners. That’s because they strip protective substances from tires and contribute to cracking.
5. Limit the use of pressure washers and avoid steam cleaners. Both can damage tires.