This is the dumbest thing I've read on Slowtwitch today.

“Vinegar.” I said again, patiently, “Vinegar.” I thought they are pulling some old Belgian joke, which would be fine, but I did not want to pass along the joke before I understood I alone bore the brunt of the joke. “Yes,” they said, “You must wipe the tires with vinegar, any cheap vinegar, to clean the sticky oils from the tread and “dry out” the surface of the natural rubbers.” I know that vinegar is an astringent that will dry oils from your skin so I let them continue. [..] OK, the mechanics and managers were all in on the joke but I needed one more check. That night at dinner I chose one of the younger Belgian riders who came from a cycling family and asked him the same questions. He said his father taught him the same story when he was 12. Vinegar.]

New tires pickup crap like crazy, so I try to clean them with a rag and whatever is handy. If nothing else your tires aren't throwing crap on a clean chain.

I don't think it is a magic solution to eliminate flats, but it probably helps avoid the odd one here and there. Nothing like gluing a piece of glass to your tire and seeing if it eventually works its way through the casing.

Useful for cleaning the tire surface before short track events (ex. Kilo). Worthless for rides on roads.

Yes added some salt too. Taste was awful though :)