DIY Tire Shine Formula: How I Made a Quick Solvent-Based Tire Dressing After Running Out of Armor All Tire Shine
- Terry Clayton
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
If you are looking for an easy DIY tire shine recipe, this is probably one of the simplest and cheapest tire dressing formulas you can make at home. I recently ran out of Armor All Extreme Tire Shine, so instead of running to the store, I made a quick solvent-based tire shine in the lab using mineral spirits and silicone oil.
The funny part? This stuff is so simple that you do not need a fancy chemical plant, expensive equipment, or a Ph.D. in chemistry to make it. You just need a couple of ingredients, a mixing container, and the willingness to try something new.
The original solvent-based tire shines are basically just silicone oil dissolved into a hydrocarbon solvent. That is why they go on wet, dry quickly, and give that dark glossy look that makes your tires look brand new.
The easiest tire shine formula I have found is:
80% odorless mineral spirits
20% 1000 cSt silicone oil
For a 1liter batch:
- 800 grams odorless mineral spirits
- 200 grams silicone oil
If you want a little more durability and a slightly thicker wet look, you can also try:
- 75% odorless mineral spirits
- 20% 1000 cSt silicone oil
- 5% high-viscosity silicone oil (12,500 cSt or higher)
For a 1 liter batch:
- 750 grams odorless mineral spirits
- 200 grams 1000 cSt silicone oil
- 50 grams 12,500 cSt silicone oil
Mixing Instructions:
1. Pour the mineral spirits into a clean mixing container.
2. Slowly add the silicone oil while stirring.
3. Continue mixing until fully uniform.
4. Transfer to a spray bottle or squeeze bottle.
5. Apply lightly to clean tires and let dry for 10–15 minutes before driving.
That's it! No heating, no pH adjustment, no high shear mixer, and no ingredients with strange names.
You can see me make it here:
This DIY tire dressing gives a strong wet gloss, darkens the tire nicely, and lasts several days to about a week depending on weather. If you overapply it, you may get some sling, so it is best to wipe off excess product before driving.
Ingredients you can buy on Amazon:
- Odorless mineral spirits: https://amzn.to/4cwJGSV
- 1000 cSt silicone oil: https://amzn.to/498x9CV
- 12,500 cSt silicone oil: https://amzn.to/4eFpWOi
- Spray bottles: https://amzn.to/4mS5xrp
- Steel Beaker: https://amzn.to/4u3wk6w
- Nitrile gloves: https://amzn.to/4cMFlKn
- Small digital scale: https://amzn.to/4sWPV7x
Commercial Tire Shine
Professional tire shine products like Armor All Extreme Tire Shine are usually more advanced than this. Water-based tire dressings are more popular because they are safer, lower odor, easier to use, and less likely to sling or harm rubber over time. They also meet modern VOC and retail safety requirements better than solvent-based formulas.
They often use multiple silicone types, adhesion promoters, surfactants, emulsifiers, preservatives, fragrance, and sometimes acrylics or waxes to reduce sling and improve durability.
Commercial tire shine products are actually water-based silicone emulsions. These are safer, lower odor, easier to spray, and usually leave a less greasy finish. They are also much more complicated to formulate properly.
Now if you REALLY want to make a commercial Tire Shine, I can help you there too. This is one of many products I have developed for industry. You can find that in my formulation library here:
If you want to see how other detailing and chemistry products are made, check out some of my other posts on coatings, cleaners, thermal paper chemistry, conductive inks, and specialty formulations. I have a habit of reverse engineering products when I run out of them, which is either a useful skill or a personality flaw depending on who you ask.
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