Ya' ever seen a waxed car, son?

Use this stuff:
Black Magic Car Care Products - Black Magic Tire Wet Works great stays on the tire.

And I can't find it but its an aplicator at Advanced Auto. Its not so much a sponge as its an applicator with black foam and it got a yellow foam handle made specifically for tire applications as the black foam is curved to fit the sidewall of the tire.
A sponge will consume to much product. The black foam is stiffer than a sponge. There really cheap.
Plus the foam edge is very firm so you can use it to detail all the rubber moulding around the fornt & rear window.
I use 2. One for window rubber. One for tire. Different products.

 

You probably knew this, but a used toothbrush makes a very handy detailing tool. For something like getting the wax off little crevices in emblems and such, it's perfect. They're so cheap you could splurge on a second one just for the tires.

 

I used a toothbrush in the military to detail the spit shine on my dress shoes. I never thought a toothbrush would come back to haunt me and my Prius

 

You inspired me to pick up a bottle off Meguiar's cleaner wax, some touch up paint and 2000 grit sandpaper.

MostOf my car except the front end, is in great condition. A few idiots that don't know how to park have left their mark on the rear bumper cover and my front fender. A bit of wet sanding fixed the rear end quite nicely. I'll tackle the front end tomorrow. I'll take a before and after pic. It's a really bad series of scratches so wish me luck.

 

I generally don't like spray on tire shines because I've found that they sling onto the car and they leave overspray all over the car, windows, etc.

I prefer to apply tire shine with applicator pads, small foam applicator pads work fine. What I use honestly is good ol Armor All, but experiment some and see what you like. Appying with an applicator and letting them dry will give you a nice even shine.

 

I use an old battery powered one with a soft old brush for tight places on the wheels but not on the paint for fear of scratching.

 

It is due to applying too much then not wiping off the extra material. The spray versions tend to be less viscous so may sling off easier.

 

I bet if you looked at your glass with a bright light you'd see overspray. By the very nature of an aerosol can overspray is inevitable.

If you read the instructions of most of those products, they say to spray and walk away...so you can't really blame people for spraying and walking away.

I bought one of those "Set it...and Forget it!" Ronco rotisseries one time. When I opened it there was a big red notice that said "Set it...and forget it!" is simply a marketing slogan, Ronco in no way reccomends or implies that this appliance be used without supervision"...obviously...someone set it and forgot it and burned the whole damn place down...

 

Some people really enjoy the wet look.

 

I don't think I've ever wiped off the tires after using the tire shine stuff. Granted, I usually don't drive off anytime soon after using it, either. I haven't used it in awhile though, always seems like over the course of a year or two, the tires look worse before applying than they had. It never crossed my mind, although, it says spray and walk away as mentioned.