If you run seasonal tyres, storing the off-season set correctly keeps them safe to use next year. The enemies are heat, sunlight, damp and contamination, all of which perish rubber. Get the conditions and position right and a stored set will be as good as when it came off. Get it wrong and you can ruin a perfectly good set.
Why storage matters
Tyres age even when they're not used, and bad storage speeds it up, see tyre age. A set left in sunlight, near a heat source, or in contact with oil can crack and perish over a single off-season, so they're no longer safe even though the tread is untouched. Condition is one of the three tyre-safety basics alongside air and tread in TyreSafe's ACT check, and poor storage attacks it directly. Good storage protects the investment in a second set.
The right conditions
Aim for cool, dry, dark and clean. A garage or shed away from direct sunlight is ideal. Keep tyres away from heat sources, and above all away from oils, fuels and solvents, which attack rubber. Give them a clean before storage to remove brake dust and road grime, and let them dry fully so damp doesn't sit against them.
On wheels vs off wheels
The best position depends on whether the tyres are on wheels:
- On wheels (a complete set): stack them flat on top of each other, or hang them. Keep them inflated to roughly the normal pressure.
- Off wheels (tyres only): store them upright, standing in a row, not stacked, which can distort them over time.
Label before you store
Before they go away, mark each tyre with the position it came off (front-left, and so on) using chalk or a label. That lets you refit them in a sensible rotation next season so wear stays even, and it makes the swap quicker. A quick condition and pressure check before refitting is worth doing too.
Preparing a set for storage, step by step
Ten minutes of preparation is what separates a set that comes out of storage ready to fit from one that comes out perished or flat-spotted. Do these in order on the day the tyres come off:
- Wash them. Warm water and a mild car shampoo, a soft brush for the tread grooves. Skip tyre dressings and solvent-based cleaners, which can dry the rubber out over months.
- Dry them fully. Damp trapped inside a bag or between stacked tyres encourages corrosion on the wheel and mould on the rubber.
- Inspect each one. Look for cuts, cracking in the sidewall, embedded stones or nails, and measure the tread. A tyre that is nearly worn out is not worth storing.
- Mark the position (FL, FR, RL, RR) with a tyre crayon or chalk on the sidewall, and note the tread depth beside it.
- Bag them if you can. An opaque bag with the air squeezed out keeps light and ozone off the rubber. Large refuse sacks do the job; purpose-made tyre bags are neater.
- Check the pressure if they are on wheels. Leave them at normal running pressure unless your tyre maker advises otherwise, and check again before refitting.
Keep the wheel bolts, centre caps and any TPMS service kits with the set so nothing goes missing between seasons.
Where to store them: garage, shed, flat or tyre hotel
The best place is wherever stays coolest and darkest with the least temperature swing, which for most UK homes is a garage floor or an internal cupboard. A quick comparison:
| Location | Verdict | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Integral or brick garage | Good | Keep tyres off a damp concrete floor on a pallet or board, away from the car's exhaust and any fuel cans |
| Wooden shed | Acceptable | Big summer temperature swings and damp; bag the tyres and keep them off the floor |
| Inside the house | Good | Bagged tyres under a bed or in a cupboard are fine; keep them away from radiators and boilers |
| Balcony or outdoors under a cover | Poor | Sunlight, rain and freeze-thaw cycles do the most damage in the shortest time |
| Tyre hotel (paid storage) | Good | Offered by some dealers and fitters; check what the fee includes and whether the set is insured while stored |
If you have no space at all, ask the fitter who swaps your tyres whether they offer storage. It is common for dealers of cars that come with a winter wheel option to run a tyre hotel, and the swap and storage are often bundled together.
Wherever they go, keep them out of the path of electric motors and welding equipment. Both produce ozone, which attacks rubber and is a known cause of surface cracking.
Pressure, bags and covers
Tyres on wheels should be stored inflated, and the bag matters more than most people think. Rubber contains oils and anti-ageing compounds that migrate to the surface and evaporate over time. Sealing the tyre in a bag with the air squeezed out slows that loss, which is why bagged tyres tend to come out looking and feeling fresher than bare ones.
For a set on wheels, normal running pressure is fine for a single off-season and keeps the bead seated. Some tyre makers suggest dropping the pressure a little for long-term storage; follow their guidance if it is given. Whatever you choose, pressures will have dropped by spring, so reinflate to the door-placard figure before fitting.
For tyres off wheels, there is no pressure to manage but there is shape to protect. Stand them upright and, if they are there for more than a couple of months, rotate each one a quarter turn now and then so the same patch of tread is not carrying the weight all season.
Fabric or vinyl tyre totes with handles are worth the small cost if you carry the set up and down stairs. They keep grime off the car interior and stop the tyres rolling around in the boot.
Checks before refitting next season
Before a stored set goes back on the car, check tread, age, condition and pressure, then have the wheels balanced. Storage does not reset the clock, and a set that was marginal in spring may be illegal by autumn.
- Tread: the legal minimum is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, and driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition can bring a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban and 3 penalty points, see GOV.UK. Winter and all-season tyres lose most of their snow and slush ability well before that, so many drivers replace them earlier.
- Age: tyre makers commonly advise inspection from around five years and replacement by around ten, whatever the tread.
- Cracking and flat spots: fine cracks in the sidewall or between tread blocks mean the rubber has hardened. A mild flat spot from standing usually rolls out in the first few miles; one that does not is a reason to replace.
- Pressure: set to the handbook figure cold, on the day they go on.
- Balance and TPMS: a stored wheel can lose a stick-on weight, so balancing after refitting is worth it. If the second set has its own sensors, the car may need a relearn.
We can swap them
We fit and swap seasonal tyres at your home or work from our one base at Brent Cross, NW2, so you don't have to lug them about. If you are further out, call and we will tell you whether we can take the job.
