Living in Florida means you get a lot of hot, humid, sunny weather with frequent rains. Naturally, this type of weather takes a toll on your car. You may have noticed a layer of brown covering your ordinarily black tires when your car has been out of the garage for long periods of time. We see this phenomenon frequently in our detailing service. That’s tire blooming. We explain what it is and how to clean and protect your tires below.
The Nature of Tire Blooming
This phenomenon of tires turning brown is known as ‘tire blooming’. What happens is that over time, the rubber of your car’s tires begins to degrade. The ozone present in the atmosphere can speed up the process of degradation, resulting in cracking and splitting of the tire surface.
To prevent this kind of damage, a chemical known as antiozonant is added to the rubber used to make tires. The ozone in the air reacts with antiozonant, resulting in a brown layer of oxidization on the surface of the tire.
Preventing Tire Blooming
The presence of the brown layer on tire surfaces can give an unwashed appearance to a vehicle, which is why most car owners try to remove the effects of tire blooming as quickly as possible, using the following means:
Washing
In cases where too much oxidation has not yet occurred, a simple car wash soap can be used to remove the brown layer. Be careful not to use a cleaner that is too harsh, since that might make the situation worse.
Protectants
You can make use of tire protectants to remove the effects of tire blooming, or even completely avoid it. The main types of tire protectants on the market are water-based or solvent-based.
In order for the protectant to work well, you need to make sure it is applied properly to the tire. First, use a rubber cleaner or degreaser to clean the tire thoroughly.
Then, coat the tire with dressing and leave it be for several minutes. Once the dressing has cured, remove any excess solution with a clean pad. You can add as many coatings of the protectant as needed, as long as you make sure the old layer dries before putting on a new one.
Make sure to use the above-mentioned methods to ensure Florida’s weather does not take a toll on your car’s tires. When having your car detailed, make sure they include tire dressing which will restore the black appearance of your tires. At Details Matter our vehicle maintenance packages include dressing your tires and wheel wells to ensure a clean appearance. Contact us today in our Melbourne, FL location for professional auto detailing services.