How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

[Dean S.]

Any tricks out there? Mine are faded off white......Tried Westies but did not do the trick. My tires are the GoodYear Reatta 2's.

[Marlin F.]

Re: How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

I may be a little old-fashioned, but a garden hose, a can of chlorine bleach cleanser (Comet), and a stiff brush always does the trick for me!

[Matt L.]

Re: How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

try some 120 grit paper with whitewall cleaner. i've had to do that on some of those wide whitewalls the turn yellow.

[James N.]

Re: How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

Dean - There are several bleach products on the market that I would use, personally, before I take sandpaper to the tire. I kinda like the Comet suggestion, though I have never tried it myself. I've always used Westley's with good results. But if they are really old and stubbornly yellow, you may need to wet sand them ?? Good luck.

[Roger P.]

Re: How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

Dean,
Try scrubbing the whitewalls with a Brillo pad. Go over each tire a second or third time if necessary - and use some elbow grease! That's my trick and it always works giving me like-new white stripes to highlight my knock-offs .

Roger (50141)

[Jack M.]

Re: How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

Simple Green has worked well in the past...

[Keith M.]

Re: How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

I agree with the brillo pads and add comet cleanser. It will take 2 or more times to get them white again with a lot of elbow greese. Also once they are clean DO NOT APPLY TIRE DRESSING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The tire dressing is what is turning them brown.

[Chris B.]

Re: How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

CRC Brakeleen (CFC version in red can) on a white cloth used only on the stripe...

Also used some abasive and Westleys prior with less result.

[D S.]

Re: How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

This may or may not be related to your off-white whitewalls. When I used that "tire wet" on my tires it tended to bleed onto my white walls and left them with a tanish yellow tint. At first I couldn't figure out why they did that after every time I made the whitewalls white.

Scott Sims
Texas Chapter

[Lyndon S.]

Re: How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

Hot water and Dawn soap, then use WESTLEYS BLECHE-WHITE TIRE CLEANER

[Bruce S.]

Re: How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

I detail a few cars for people, so try this which has worked for me. First, apply Simple Green with a spray bottle (I use it full strength) to the tires and let set a few mins., then rinse with clean water. This will take off any contaminates on the tire. Second, reapply Simple Green to the white walls, and scrub them with a Scotch Brite pad... don't be afraid to scrub them hard, and rinse with water. If that doesn't get them clean of yellowing, take 400 wet/dry sand paper and go over the white walls, this should get rid of the yellowing without doing damage to them. Clean and rinse tires, white walls should be white again.

Avoid using any bleach on the tire, this is a very harsh cleaner that will shorten the life of your tire by causing cracking and drying out of the rubber.

[Glenn D.]

Re: How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

I have used both Simple Green and an SOS pad on my RWL's and they both work very well.

[John D.]

Re: How do I get my Whitewalls white again?

If all other suggestions fail, use laquer thinner, but be very careful. This will work, but will remove some of the surface.