Most commercial tyre shine products use chemicals that can dry your tyres and aren't pleasant to breathe when you apply the solution. Making your own tyre shine is economical and you know exactly what ingredients are going onto your car and into your garage or drive. Shining tyres not only makes your whole car look polished, but it protects the tyres from drying.

  • Most commercial tyre shine products use chemicals that can dry your tyres and aren't pleasant to breathe when you apply the solution.

Mix the washing-up liquid and washing powder or borax in a large bucket with 9 litres (2 gallons) of warm water. Borax works just as well as washing powder for shining tyres.

Add the lemon oil to the bucket of cleaning solution. You can find lemon oil at health food shops and supermarkets. Lemon oil removes grease from the tyres and conditions the rubber.

Scrub the tyres with your tyre shine solution and a stiff-bristled brush. You should see some suds form, but not many. Scrub the tyres, wheel rims and hub caps. Be sure to scrub the tyre shine solution into as much of the tyre and wheel area as possible, including the tread.

Rinse each tyre with clean water immediately after you scrub it.

Dry and buff each tyre with a clean towel.

TIP

Use shine solution on your tyres after you have cleaned the rest of your car so you do not dirty or dull the tyres by rinsing the car's dirt over them.

WARNING

Be careful not to splash any of the tyre shine solution into your eyes or mouth and keep the solution away from children and pets.