The reason most tire dressings sling all over the paint, car, road, kitty cat walking across the street, the neighbor's dog (which can be good if the dog constantly uses your yard as his toilet), girl scout selling cookies, etc is because of miss application on a dirty tire.
Like anything in the detailing world, proper prep is key to getting the best possible results. Unfortunately most people (think high volume detail shops and the average person washing their car once a season) will never take the time to properly prep the tire and clean it. Products aimed to these markets (most consumer and volume tire dressings) are pretty thick in silicone and are designed to create a wet thick shine that covers up all the dirt and grime on the tire. Some of this stuff creates a layer of goop so thick you can actually make a dent it with your fingernail.
The truth is the cleaning tires can be messy, and depending on the amount and type of dressings previously used, it can be time consuming.
Start with fresh, clean rubber. Use a dedicated tire cleaner such as Eimann Fabrik's Tire Cleaner. In general a tire brush such as Meguiar's Versa Angle Tire Brush will work well to clean the the tire, but with some real nasty old dressings (try removing Black Magic for example) you might need a stiff wire bristle brush. Wet the tire, spray with tire cleaner, and scrub. Then wash off with pressure.
Once the rubber is clean, use your favorite tire dressing and apply thinly. All to often tire dressings are over applied in the famous mentality that if a little is good, more is better. Apply thin and if you need more coverage apply a second coat later. By applying the dressing to fresh rubber and giving a surface to bond to you will greatly limit an sling, which is non-bonded excessive dressing.
