Cleaning White Letters on Tires

Posted By: moparmike1

Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 11:42 AM

Hi,

I bought a set of reproduction Polyglas raised white letter tires last year and the white letters were nice and bright. I removed the tires and rims for the winter and have been sitting in my garage since this past weekend. No exposure to sun, painting, etc., just sat in the corner of the garage.

Now the white letters have taken on a light yellow/brown appearance. What would anyone suggest using to clean the letters to bring them back to white. I have tried dishwashing soap and car wash soap but neither helped.

Thanks,

Mike.

Posted By: Paul_B

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 11:56 AM

I've always used Westley's Bleche-Wite. You can find it at pretty much any place that sells car cleaning stuff.

Posted By: 1st_charger

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 11:56 AM

I found by accident that armoral wheel cleaner, for aluminum and mag wheels, the stuff you just squirt on and let sit for 10 minutes and then hose off actually brightens up white letters very good. I just squirt it on and let it set for 2 minutes and then scrub the tire and rinse it off.

Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 12:21 PM

westlys tire bleach...good stuff!

the westleys spay silacone for tires is good stuff also and goes with the bleaching

makes them look like they are armrall down,but the dirt will not stick to the tire

drive on a dirt road,wipe tire with a dry cloth and looks good

wont see that with the armrall

I used to take a red permenant marker and color the out line white letters, like redline tires

,did blue to match the car paint,yellow like nascar rubber also

they make a white oil/chalk stick for dressing up white letters in the parts store too,thats good if they have been scuffed on a curb

Posted By: cogen80

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 12:31 PM

Quote:

I've always used Westley's Bleche-Wite. You can find it at pretty much any place that sells car cleaning stuff.

that stuff is the best. spray it on and use a soft scrub brush in them and they come out clean as hell.

Posted By: patrick

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 12:36 PM

Quote:

I've always used Westley's Bleche-Wite. You can find it at pretty much any place that sells car cleaning stuff.

works awesome. I've had tires grimed up so bad you couldn't tell they were whitewalls clean up and look like new with it.

Posted By: RedFish

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 01:01 PM

Quote:

they make a white oil/chalk stick for dressing up white letters in the parts store too,thats good

Back in the day, this is what we used.

Posted By: 469runner

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 01:25 PM

After staining the paint on my wheels with the Westleys, bad stuff; I now use Eagle One Tire and Wheel cleaner. Works great and is safe for the paint. Will never use Westleys again.

Posted By: mopars4ever

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 01:44 PM

Spray nine cleaner has worked the best for me. If all else fails and you can`t get them clean try a little lacquer thinner on a rag and only wipe the white letter carefully. Mike

Posted By: Neil

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 01:52 PM

Comet or Ajax and a nylon brush.

Posted By: closer9

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 02:05 PM

I just take it to the car wash, and use the high pressure soap. Spray it from just a few inches away, and they always come clean. I used to use Wesley's till I saw what it did to clear coat...

Posted By: CJK440

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 02:13 PM

If worse comes to worse, get some wet/dry paper and a block and sand them down a bit.

Posted By: 318 Stroker

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 02:30 PM

I've used SOS pads for years now. They work great!

Posted By: basketcase

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 03:50 PM

back in the early '70s, I remember Dad using a wire brush to clean the double whitewalls

Posted By: Pntastar69

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 04:06 PM

Go blackwall and forget about them

Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 04:28 PM

Here's another vote for Westley's. Never had a problem staining paint, but I scrub and rinse while it's still wet. It does have bleach in it and can stain paint, and aluminum, too, if you let it dry before rinsing, especially in hot sunlight.

For really stubborn dirt/stains, I scrub with 0000-grade steel wool; otherwise, a soft-bristle scrub brush works fine.

Posted By: b54406barrel

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 04:59 PM

I use an inexpensive, foam spray called 'tuff stuff'. It's in a red & yellow can & about every store in the world carries it. Works pretty well & doesn't run all over when you spray it on.

Posted By: Aero426

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 05:43 PM

Westleys. Never a problem in 25 years.

Posted By: DUFFMAN

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 05:46 PM

I also use Westley's. I use Spray-Nine for other things and always have it around the house though. Maybe I'll try that next time just to cut down on the amount of different cleaning products that I keep around the house.

Posted By: GTXKen

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 06:10 PM

Westley's kicks [Edited by Moparts - Keep it clean]. I use it to clean thos plastic patio chairs, the cooler, the garage door...

Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 06:21 PM

simple green has worked for me also

but mostly the boat gets it

and dig those white walls

Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 07:21 PM

Quote:

I've always used Westley's Bleche-Wite. You can find it at pretty much any place that sells car cleaning stuff.

Great stuff

Posted By: Finoke

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 07:55 PM

Quote:

I've used SOS pads for years now. They work great!

Cheap and effective, thats what I always used!

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/25/08 08:17 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I've used SOS pads for years now. They work great!

Cheap and effective, thats what I always used!

I used to too!
But now I get some degreaser from work that we get from SC Johnson. Called J Shop, I think. It's a alkaline based degreaser. Can't use it on alunimun or painted surfaces but it the best stuff I've ever used. Spray it on,presuure wash it off. White walls are white and the black is black.(very clean) Been using it for about 15 years now. Stripped waxed floors with it, cleaned stainless restarant equipment, do my oily fuel trucks, grills. I could go on and on. We get it in 55 gal drums. Never have to touch a surface with it as long as you have a pressure washer to rinse. Have to use common sense where to use it though, it's powerful stuff, alkiline based I believe.We use it as a pre treatment on really oily cloths sometimes with diesel fuel on them.

BTW I don't steal it from work, I own the company.

Posted By: njmopar

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/26/08 01:00 AM

Westley's Bleche-Wite + a wire tire brush (brass bristles). Perfect.
Just get all that bleche wite off before it dries on things. It will stain.

Posted By: LemonTwiist

Re: Cleaning White Letters on Tires - 06/26/08 01:33 AM

I use rubbing alcohol and a clean old sock. Dip you finger covered sock in the bottle and wipe each letter, works wonders