# White wall tires - how to put the white back in them



## rubblequeen

Hi, I've got some vintage white wall tires here that are in good condition but would like to brighten up the white, any ideas (I've tried scrubbing them)
Thanks


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## serg

Hi, Use toothpaste and toothbrush. Maybe this will help.

Serg


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## BrentP

I just cleaned up a pair of whitewall Allstates with Meguiar's Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner, and it worked very well.  Here's the link to product info.


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## dougfisk

I use Wesley's Bleche-White, an automotive whitewall cleaner.


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## schwinnbikebobb

I also use Wesley's Bleche-White and a brillo pad but never really happy with the result. If they look beige before you start then you can make them a brighter shade of beige but not white. Would like to find a way to make my beige walls white again but I don't think it's possible.


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## kngtmat

I used my turtle wax chrome polish but it mainly only got all the dirt off, it didn't get the rust stains or the black marks off it.


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## slick

Wessley's bleach white for me too. Scrub and scrub. The secret i've found is let it sit on there for awhile. BE CAREFUL of painted areas like rims or the fenders though. It will discolor them. Then you have to go back with rubbing compound and polish it and it might remove the discoloration. You can try laquer thinner but move fast because it does burn hot and will dry out the rubber. It will also melt the writing on the sidewall if you are using a lot of pressure. So the nice sharp edge block writing will have the corners rounded off. I found that out the hard way with a stubborn yellowed pair before.


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## Schweirdo

Believe it or not, white shoe polish you buy at Wal-Mart. be careful not to hit the black part though.


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## rubblequeen

Tried all the above , wife a bit p.d off when she came home early and found me using her tooth brush, made me buy her another even though I was sure her's would clean up OK.  That's women for you.

Eventually got them looking great only to find that the new fenders (correct ones for the bike) fouled the tyres so had to go and buy some smaller tyres. But the old ones look good hanging on the decorating step ladder.

But if I get the new ones dirty I'll know what to do again thanks everyone for your help.


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## Ozark Flyer

dougfisk said:


> I use Wesley's Bleche-White, an automotive whitewall cleaner.




X3 best I know of.


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## BrentP

After doing a good clean of my Allstates and removing all the scuffs, marks and dirt from the sidewalls, they still weren't the bright white everyone hopes to end up with.  I started looking around and experimenting to try to find something that would whiten them up further, and this is what I found.... Kiwi Sport Shoe Whitener.  It works on smooth leather, nylon and rubber (not recommended for vinyl) and lays down a flexible, non-chalky color film onto the sidewall.  It even has a built in applicator that is perfect for sidewalls.


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## silvercreek

I use Simple Green to clean the WW tire on my Harley. If they still look a little dingy I use Wesley's Bleach White.


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## BrentP

Here's the difference between a vintage white wall (background) that has been thoroughly cleaned with a specialized rubber/vinyl cleaner, and its sister tire which has been treated, after cleaning, with the Kiwi Sport Shoe Whitener I described in my previous post.


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