Whitening dirty kid's bicycle tyres?

[carbalanche]

Technically not Good Housekeeping but thought this was the best place to ask. I have a child's bike (bought for a 3 year old girl). It was hardly used and I want to sell it but the white tyres are really grubby. Only went out a couple of times so don't know how it got quite so bad.

I tried scrubbing it with detergent and then some detergent mixed into a paste with bicarb but it didn't shift. The dirt seems to have been absorbed into the rubber/plastic itself. Is there a product out there that could clean it? I wondered about painting something on like trainer whitener. It's in really good nick otherwise but I don't think anyone would want to give it to a child as a present with such dirty looking wheels (it's a vision in pink otherwise!)

I would use trainer whitener,but I suppose you'd have to be very careful or it could look a mess.

What about that Detol mould and mildew spray? I know it brings the sealant round my bath up a treat. Best do a patch test though.

I suspect that oily dirt has soaked into the plastic and stained it. Maybe engine oil or tar.

You can actually get tins of Whitewall Tyre Paint from motorists shops but it tales quite a few coats and may look odd if the tyre itself is a yellowish cream colour plastic rather than rubber.

My DMum swore by Sainsbury's cheap general purpose floor cleaner for dirty trainers. It did seem to get the rubber edges cleaner than wasbing up liquid.

Have you tried cif cream? It works on white trainers.

Thanks all. Will try and get some trainer whitener (I think I've already tried Cif!) - the Whitewall Tyre Paint sounds an option too. Off to the shops for me I think.