I recently had 6 new tires mounted on my motorhome. The shop had alot of white ash/dust all over and it got all over my new tires, so I came home and tried to wash it off. I tried some soap and it didn't clean it off very well, so without 'thinking', I grabbed my Husky electric 1500 psi pressure washer, and washed the tires. Now, I didn't put it on the stream/bead or anything like that, but I did have it on the fan spray mode, and admittedly sprayed it around and around to get this dirt/ash off of the new tires. Now, I'm hearing that wasn't such a great idea. Now I'm concerned if I somehow ruined my tires. Does anyone use a small electric pressure washer? Did I ruin these new tires?

I recently had 6 new tires mounted on my motorhome. The shop had alot of white ash/dust all over and it got all over my new tires, so I came home and tried to wash it off. I tried some soap and it didn't clean it off very well, so without 'thinking', I grabbed my Husky electric 1500 psi pressure washer, and washed the tires. Now, I didn't put it on the stream/bead or anything like that, but I did have it on the fan spray mode, and admittedly sprayed it around and around to get this dirt/ash off of the new tires. Now, I'm hearing that wasn't such a great idea. Now I'm concerned if I somehow ruined my tires. Does anyone use a small electric pressure washer? Did I ruin these new tires? If you did not use chemicals that are detrimental to the tires, you should be good to go.

jmtandem wrote:I recently had 6 new tires mounted on my motorhome. The shop had alot of white ash/dust all over and it got all over my new tires, so I came home and tried to wash it off. I tried some soap and it didn't clean it off very well, so without 'thinking', I grabbed my Husky electric 1500 psi pressure washer, and washed the tires. Now, I didn't put it on the stream/bead or anything like that, but I did have it on the fan spray mode, and admittedly sprayed it around and around to get this dirt/ash off of the new tires. Now, I'm hearing that wasn't such a great idea. Now I'm concerned if I somehow ruined my tires. Does anyone use a small electric pressure washer? Did I ruin these new tires? If you did not use chemicals that are detrimental to the tires, you should be good to go.No, I just used the water hose connected to the electric pressure washer. I used plain soap and water

I wouldn't worry about it. Many drive through cars washes hit the tires with a pressure washer before you go through. 1500 psi is a rather low pressure all things considered.

So long as you were not using the cutting or chiseling tips, 1,500 psi on fan isn't going to cause any damage if it was in motion.

I've cleaned the wheels from one of my cars with a pressure washer for years. Some of the stream hits the tire. Never a hint of a problem from it.

Did I ruin my brand new tires with a pressure washer???

26 Replies

Tvov
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2018
Hmm. First I've heard of pressure washing tires being bad. I would think you would need a very high pressure and hold the nozzle close to cause any damage, if any. Now I want to try it on an old tire and see what happens!
RJsfishin
Explorer
Dec 23, 2018
A joke ? A 1500 lb on fan spray won't clean dirt off a sidewalk, don't know how it could hurt a tire,
I rented a 5000 lb one time, w/ the bullet tip it would drill holes in old cast iron. Now that could have been a little tuff on tires too :))
kmb1966
Explorer
Dec 23, 2018
wa8yxm wrote:
I am wondering who told you it was not such a good idea..

Ever drive in the rain? You did nothing worse than driving in the rain.

NOW.. If you take a high pressure washer and hold it say 1" from the tire and blast away.. YES. you can damage the tire.. Heck you can drill a hole in concrete (Done it just for fun) but if you are more than a foot away (And you would be in order to let the fan fan out) no worse than a rain storm. IN fact a rain storm can well be worse.

Was telling a friend of mine that has been in the tire business for about 30 years that I had to clean my tires with a pressure washer and he mentioned that it wasn't a good idea to use a pressure washer on tires, and then I came home and GOOGLED IT and found several articles about the possibility of damage to tires by pressure washing your tires. So then I became concerned.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Dec 23, 2018
I am wondering who told you it was not such a good idea..

Ever drive in the rain? You did nothing worse than driving in the rain.

NOW.. If you take a high pressure washer and hold it say 1" from the tire and blast away.. YES. you can damage the tire.. Heck you can drill a hole in concrete (Done it just for fun) but if you are more than a foot away (And you would be in order to let the fan fan out) no worse than a rain storm. IN fact a rain storm can well be worse.
CapriRacer
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2018
kmb1966 wrote:
I recently had 6 new tires mounted on my motorhome. The shop had alot of white ash/dust all over and it got all over my new tires, so I came home and tried to wash it off. I tried some soap and it didn't clean it off very well, so without 'thinking', I grabbed my Husky electric 1500 psi pressure washer, and washed the tires. Now, I didn't put it on the stream/bead or anything like that, but I did have it on the fan spray mode, and admittedly sprayed it around and around to get this dirt/ash off of the new tires. Now, I'm hearing that wasn't such a great idea. Now I'm concerned if I somehow ruined my tires. Does anyone use a small electric pressure washer? Did I ruin these new tires?

If you caused damage, it would be visible as a pebbly texture in the sidewall. - and it isn't so much that you caused damage as much as the appearance isn't as good as it was.

Next time, just avoid using the pressure washer closely held and pointed at less than a 45 degree angle to the tires. That would tend to peel off the outermost part of the rubber.
gbopp
Explorer
Dec 23, 2018
kmb1966 wrote:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a1705/4217528/

Clicky

I guess about all you can do now is scrap the tires and buy a new set.
Merry Christmas. :B
kmb1966
Explorer
Dec 23, 2018
Popular Mechanics article
gbopp wrote:
kmb1966 wrote:
Now, I'm hearing that wasn't such a great idea.

Where did you hear this information?
I've used my 3000 psi pressure washer on my tires many times. I didn't hold the tip close to the tires and I kept it moving. I've never had any problems.

What is the pressure at a DIY car wash? They even have a tire cleaning soap.
You didn't hurt anything.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a1705/4217528/
kmb1966
Explorer
Dec 23, 2018
Cummins12V98 wrote:
Look on the bright side, you may have only ruined 4 of the 6.

TRUE! DIDN'T GET TO THE INNER DUALS! GOOD POINT
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Dec 23, 2018
Look on the bright side, you may have only ruined 4 of the 6.
gbopp
Explorer
Dec 23, 2018
kmb1966 wrote:
Now, I'm hearing that wasn't such a great idea.

Where did you hear this information?
I've used my 3000 psi pressure washer on my tires many times. I didn't hold the tip close to the tires and I kept it moving. I've never had any problems.

What is the pressure at a DIY car wash? They even have a tire cleaning soap.
You didn't hurt anything.

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Did I ruin my brand new tires with a pressure washer???

26 Replies

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