What is tire dressing made of?

Answer 1

All dressings used to be solvent-based. Solvent-based products are clear, sometimes blue tinted, and sticky. They are popular with people who want a high-gloss or wet look to the tire. Most tire dressing products on the shelf at your local auto parts store will be solvent-based. These products are not environmentally friendly and can be difficult to work with because of their stickiness. A common concern with solvent-based tire dressing is slinggetting on the paint of the car. Sling occurs when a car is in motion and tire dressing flies off the tire, usually landing on the rocker panels or rear fenders. Solvent-based products can leave a mark on paint jobs and some manufacturers sell products to remove tire dressing from paint; but it should be removed promptly before it dries or sets. Because solvent-based tire dressing is sticky, it attracts dust and dirt and can have a tendency to gum up where overspray or excessive application builds. It's important to clean tires before applying a new coat of tire dressing, and you might find solvent-based dressings more trouble to clean off than water-based dressings. Water-based tire dressing is milky white, slippery instead of sticky, and environmentally friendly. Many water-based dressings incorporate UV filters, helping to preserve the tires' own built-in sunblock (carbon black) that becomes depleted over time. Protecting the rubber from UV damage can theoretically help to keep sidewalls supple. Water-based tire dressing is known for its nice, matte or satin shine. Some manufacturers suggest layering the application to build a glossier look, if desired. While proper application should prevent sling, water-based dressing won't harm the paint job. Since this dressing isn't sticky it doesn't attract dust or dirt and won't gum up, making cleaning between applications a snap. Conveniently, water-based tire dressing can also be applied to rubber bumpers, vinyl, window stripping and other trim making it more versatile than its solvent-based cousin http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-tire-dressing.htm