Cleaning Tires: Where Do I Even Start?

[paulmaglev]

Due to a large haul of Lego pieces I acquired from a friend, I took a look back at my collection of loose Lego parts to make some room for them.  The problem is that I have an overabundance of tires which are very dirty.  What should I do to clean them?  If my childhood memories are correct, just washing or rinsing them in water alone was never enough; when left to dry, dust re-adhered to the tires in larger quantities -especially when dried off with a napkin.  What must be done to get them looking and feeling like new?

[bonox]

soak in a bucket with dishwashing soap, scrub with toothbrush if you need to move tough dirt. Rinse when done and dry in the sun. Old ones will probably never look like new, but close enough. You'll never get gloss back again.

[paulmaglev]

Thank you.  Luckily, they did not experience much use, so many will maintain that new glossy sheen.