I used to use Armor All on my tires until my father-in-law told me how bad it is for my tires. Is that true and what makes it so bad? – Marcus M.
This has been a subject of much discussion, debate and perhaps even some controversy amongst detailing enthusiasts, and to be honest, it seems like a case of mistaken identity. The short answer is: Armor All is not harmful to your tires. The long answer is, well, long.
The misconception that many people have about Armor All is that they believe the silicone contained in the various formulations is “bad.” Many people tend to inaccurately cast all silicone products into a single group and then regard them as “bad” for their vehicles. Truth be told, there are thousands of silicone variations, and most are relatively harmless. Vehicle painters generally don’t like silicone oils because these “nonfunctional” silicone oils can interfere with paint’s ability to bond to a car properly.
According to various industry experts, Armor All recently (within the past few years) changed their formula, and the change addressed some potential concern that people may have had with earlier versions. Armor All has several variations and formulas, some of which are water-based, some of which appear to contain solvents. As a general rule of thumb, we prefer water-based dressings to solvent-based dressings, but that’s our preference. The milky-white Armor All products are fine by us, as they’re water-based and appear to contain a quality, functional silicone (or siloxane).
If you’re happy with the look of the Armor All products on your tires, keep using it – there shouldn’t be anything to worry about…oh, and by the way – we rated it #1 in our Tire Dressings section.