Grab the best tire brushes for your next detailing job
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Dirt happens – the tough rubber that holds your car firmly planted to the road also holds on to dirt, grime, and brake dust. Cleaning your vehicle’s wheels and tires is not everyone’s idea of a good time and when you have a sub-par tire cleaning too, this can make the chore doubly annoying. You’re probably reading this guide because you’re tired of using microfiber cloth and other sub-par cleaning tools on your tires – they simply don’t get the job done. Your frustration is understandable; we’ve all been there. Luckily, our experts have curated a list of premium tire brushes just for you. Whether you’ve tried several brushes in the past without success, or this is your first time searching for a tire brush and you don’t want to get a dud, you’ll find some of the best ones on this list.
Here are the best tire brushes of 2022
Chemical Guys Tire Brush: Great Durability
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The eye-catching bright green bristles on the Chemical Guys tire brush offer users a scratch-free tire cleaning experience with soft synthetic bristles.
The bristles’ feathered ends ensure a gentle yet thorough cleaning of your tires. With this tire brush, you can now reach those hard-to-reach parts of the wheel more easily. The brush’s heavy-duty non-slip handle is not only long-lasting it also provides the perfect grip to ensure you are always in firm control of the brush during cleaning.
Key features
The handle is made from premium plastic
The bristles are chemical-resistant and feathered ends for thorough cleaning
The brush is fully synthetic
The handle is heavy-duty and offers a sturdy grip
The body is abrasion-resistant
Takavu Tire Brush: Great Versatility
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Who doesn’t like a tool that does more than just its primary job? Experience unparalleled versatility with Takavu’s tire brush. It does a perfect job of cleaning tires, and its rounded bristles mean you can also use it to clean bumpers, exhaust tips and vents.
The long brush head ensures the knuckles are far away from the thick of the action. A rubber cap covers the tip of the brush to prevent scratches when you push the brush between tight spaces.
Key features
Rubber guard shields the knuckle
The handle is made of polypropylene
The bristles are made of synthetic materials
Longer brush head
Brush Hero Tire Brush: Another Great Option
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Your car washing routine is bound to change for the better with Brush Hero.
With this tire brush, you’ll no longer need a bucket beside you to clean tires effectively because you connect the brush directly to a hose. This innovative design means you control the cleaning and the water flow with one hand because the brush rotates automatically too. The good thing is that these fantastic features are neither battery-powered nor electricity-powered. It includes a tough white brush for cleaning stubborn dirt and a soft black brush for cleaning sensitive surfaces.
Key features
Made with injection-molded plastic
It is water-powered
The brush spins slowly for efficient washing
It can be used on other car exteriors
Relentless Drive Tire Brush: Great Comfort Option
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The hand fatigue that comes with holding your brush for long periods when washing tires will be a thing of the past with this ergonomically-designed brush from Relentless Drive.
The brush comes in a contoured design that makes it easy to maneuver tight spaces without hurting your hands. Its head is dense, and the chemical-resistant bristles offer long-lasting use. You no longer have to worry about frequent slippage because of the brush’s non-slip, soft-touch ergonomic handle.
Key features
The bristles are made of nylon
Ergonomically-designed handle
The contoured head gets in hard-to-reach areas for more thorough cleaning
No-slip grip
Mothers Tire Brush: Another Great Option
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This list of the best brushes for cleaning tires will not be complete without a Mothers’ tire brush.
The bristles are sturdy enough to remove caked-on specks of dirt without causing damage to the tire or any other part of the vehicle. Thanks to the rubberized bumper that surrounds the head of the brush, you can reach tight corners with the brush without scratches. You can hang the brush after use with the hole at the base of the handle.
Key features
The grip is soft and ergonomic
The body is made of durable plastic
It is easy to store
Rubberized grip improves control
Tire brushes buying guide
They may be the lowest part of the car, but your vehicle is not fully-detailed until your wheels and tires are as spotless as the rest of it. Would you pair a crisp tuxedo with a sparkling wristwatch and a ratty-looking pair of shoes? A set of dirty tires on a freshly-detailed car has a similar effect, undoing an otherwise clean look.
At Autoblog, we like to help you make sound buying decisions. In this post, a review of the best tire brushes available in 2022, you’ll find tips on how to choose a tire brush to fit your needs, as well as, how to use it effectively.
What are the benefits of tire brushes?
The first thing to remember here is that buying a tire brush will not put a significant dent in your budget. If you have cold feet and feel unsure whether it is a worthwhile investment, take a look at these benefits.
Easy to use
This benefit is pretty straightforward. If you’ve ever tried cleaning tires with random rags or towels, you definitely understand how much you went through before ridding the tires of dirt. A quality tire brush makes cleaning a much more enjoyable experience. With a brush, you don’t have to twist and contour your hands in awkward ways to clean those hard-to-access corners; a tire brush is designed to do most of the hard work for you.
Cost-saving
Perhaps you’ve never been a fan of handling car care yourself, maybe because you think car detailing tools, like tire brushes, are a waste of money. But you don’t have to break the bank to put together an at-home car detailing kit with a few quality basic tools. If you do your own vehicle cleaning, you will end up saving trips to the car wash, money, and you may even find that you enjoy the process.
Versatility
The name should not deceive you. Tire brushes clean more than just tires. Depending on the shape and the toughness of the bristles, you can use a tire brush to clean AC vents, exhaust pipes, fenders, and bumpers.
How to choose a tire brush
Let’s look at some important factors to consider before buying a tire brush:
Size
Cars and their tires come in various sizes, so it is only logical for tire brushes to come in different sizes and shapes. A bigger tire brush gives faster and more efficient results since you’ll be able to cover more area while cleaning. However, a bigger brush is often heavier and could make you tired faster. A bigger brush also might not be as versatile as a smaller brush for tasks like getting into small spaces. Thus, you should consider what, and how, you’ll use the brush. If you only plan to buy one tire brush for your detailing kit perhaps you’ll want to aim to strike a size balance for the most versatile results.
Material
Tire brush material will affect its performance in many ways, so you’ll want to pay close attention to the materials of the brushes you’re cross-shopping. Although the focus is on getting the tires clean, you’ll likely come in contact with other parts of the car while at it. Thus, the parts of the brush most likely to come into contact with the car’s body should not be too hard. This is why you’ll find rubber protections around the edges of some brushes.
The bristle needs to be tough enough to clear off grime and dirt from the tire but gentle enough to ensure you don’t have to worry about scratching other parts of the car by mistake. It is strongly recommended that you avoid brushes with metal bristles because they are more likely to scratch your vehicle or rims instead of clean them. Thus, our list of the best tire brushes contains only brushes with soft bristles that do an excellent job at cleaning the tires. Although these bristles are not as stiff as metals bristles, they offer medium softness, and they are usually bacteria and heat-resistant.
Design
The design is the primary determinant of a brush’s flexibility and how easily you can maneuver around tight corners. Some tire brushes are easy to use in tight spaces because they’re made with bendable bodies and long bristles, while others have a slightly contoured design to aid with cleaning the hard-to-reach parts.
Grip
Even the most innovative tire brush needs a sturdy hand to hold it. You don’t want a brush that easily slips out of your hand upon the slightest contact with moisture. Therefore, you should look for a brush with an ergonomic handle that guarantees a firm grip. This is why you’ll find out that although the bodies of most tire brushes are made of plastic, they often have a rubberized grip.
Hand protection
As stated above, tire brushes are not hands-free tools; your hands will be in the thick of the action and need all the protection they can get. Brushes with long handles keep the hand at a reasonable distance, although some users complain that such brushes don’t give them as much control. However, some tire brushes come with a dedicated hand guard that conveniently shields the hand without sacrificing control.
How to use tire brushes effectively
Even the best tools may not give you the desired results if you don’t use them correctly. Check out these tips on effectively using tire brushes to clean your tires.
Make sure the tires have completely cooled off before you start cleaning
Gently rinse the tires with a brush and other cleaning tools on hand
Now, you can get down to business; scrub every part of the tire with a brush and soap
The intensity of your scrubbing depends on how dirty the tire is
For stuck-on grime, allow the soap to sit on the tire to loosen the dirt
Rinse off the soap once the tire is clean
Don’t forget to clean off the tire grime from the wheel as well
Rinse off the brush and allow it to dry before storing it
Tire brush FAQs
Q: Will a tire brush scratch my car?
A: This is a genuine concern. However, you can find tire brushes that get the job done without scratching your car. These brushes have soft bristles and protective materials to protect your car from scratches during use.
Q: How often should I brush my tires?
A: We recommend brushing your car tires at least once every two weeks (twice per month). However, you can choose to do it more frequently if your commute is really muddy.
Q: How much do tire brushes cost?
A: Tire brushes are inexpensive car detailing tools. You can get a quality tire brush that costs as little as $10. Brushes that cost under $10 have shorter handles and lack the added features you’ll find in those that are more expensive.
Q: Can I use a tire brush to detail my car’s interior?
A: Yes, you can; tire brushes are quite versatile. Although the interior part you can use them to detail depends on the design of the brush. You can use them for cleaning AC vents and car mats.
Q: How do I take care of my tire brush?
A: Ensure you rinse off the soap after each use and allow the water to completely drip off the bristles before storing. If not, a not-so-good smell may welcome you the next time you pick up the brush. You should always keep it in a cool and dry place.
