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# Why do tires leave marks on floors, and how to prevent it.

Those black marks on a garage floor or against a wall are usually just the rubber compound doing what rubber compounds do: transferring a thin layer of material (and sometimes plasticizers or oils within the compound) onto a hard, smooth surface under pressure or friction, especially if the tire is warm, new, or leaned against something for a long time.

A few things make it more likely:
* **Leaning a bike against a wall or laying a tire against flooring for extended periods** — sustained contact pressure transfers more material than rolling contact does
* **Newer tires** — some surface compounds and mold-release residue are more prone to marking before they've worn in
* **Soft, light-colored, or porous flooring** — vinyl, some sealed concrete, and light-colored surfaces show marks more readily than darker or textured ones

It's a cosmetic issue, not a sign anything is wrong with the tire. If it's a problem for your flooring, a simple fix is to store the bike on a stand, hook, or floor mat rather than leaning a tire directly against the surface you're worried about. Most marks can be cleaned off hard flooring with a standard household cleaner or a bit of rubbing alcohol; test a small area first on anything delicate.

For those concerned with tire marks on floors (wheelchair users, cycling indoors, kids bikes, etc) we have two solutions:
1. [Black 'N' Roll](https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike-tires/?order=featured&p=1&page=1&properties=6160838adf2c4667960aff3d9d985a41) - Special rubber compound that leaves no unsightly marks on indoor floors and lasts much longer than a conventional grey wheelchair tire compound. It will not leave unsightly skid marks on floors.
2. [Grey Rubber Compound (GRC)](https://www.schwalbetires.com/wheelchair-tires/?order=featured&p=1&page=1&properties=bf50537ba02b42a0b6cce4901885b577) - Wheelchair specific rubber compound that does not leave marks on the floor