What do you use to clean door vinyl and interior vinyl? *DELETED*

[Guest BJM]

Post deleted by 3Jakes

[Dave@Moon]

I've never found anything that beats Tuff Stuff by STP. It works well dry as directed, and can be damp sponged to remove heavy soiling. You can buy in practically any store, even grocery stores often have it.

Best of all, it's primarily a fabric cleaner, and is pretty much harmless to interior fabric. You can clean the vinyl trim, carpet, seat fabric, and headliner all out of the same can. (I'd be careful where two different colors are next to each other, however.)

I usually follow it up with low-gloss Armour-All, but whatever dressing you prefer is fine.

[Guest John Chapman]

Post deleted by John Chapman

[74455]

I heard the same warning about Armor-All from the owner of an Interior and convertible roof place which reupolstered my headrests. He recommended the 303 products, I have used the vinyl cleaner (worked great, when I first bought my car, it really cleaned up the seats and door panels) and the protectant. I also use it on the convertible top. I highly recommend these products.

[Dave@Moon]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I would heartily recommend against using Armor All on anything you want to last. The way Armorall works is that it acutally strips the top layer of elastomers out of the vinyl or plastic so that the emulsified plasticizers in Armor All can bond. The problem is that the Armor All replacements, while looking good, quickly deteriorate, leaving the original surface in even worse shape. Armor All will damage plexiglass and some paint finishes, and is particularly harmful to chromed plastic trim. </div></div>

We've all <span style="font-style: italic">heard</span> the same things, but I've yet to see anything like a reliable test or study to show that any of it is true. If you do an online search you will find an almost endless series of this rumor being repeated on every automotive forum in existence, <span style="font-weight: bold">and nothing else.</span> Even the annecdotal stories don't jive, epinions.com has one where an '88 Camry dash was ruined in 10 years, Corvette forum has one where an '87 Firebird dash has been perfectly preserved by the stuff for 15.

The story behind the rumor makes perfect sense, and it <span style="font-style: italic">may</span> be true. Plasticizers can't be made to evaporate (plastic cracks because UV light breaks them down into other compounds), but they could be stripped by the application cloth. However I think it's much more likely a sales spiel being repeated as fact. (At one point on Yahoo {armor-all plasticizers search} I found the exact same forum entry word-for-word on seven different forums in row.)

If anyone has reference to a real neutral test, please post it here.

I rarely use any dressing these days. Clean vinyl that is kept out of the sun really doesn't need dressing. If you do want to use one pick a low-gloss dressing that best duplicates the original finish of the vinyl, especially for dash use. High gloss dressing can be a visibility issue while driving.

[Guest John Chapman]

Post deleted by John Chapman

[Dave@Moon]

I don't like to argue. I like facts, and I dislike the repetion of misleading information. For instance:

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> In any event, Armor All is cited a number of times for causing damage to Plexiglas gauge faces and damage to CDs when used as a cleaner/playback enhancer (causes fogging and/or spotting). If it will do that to hard plastic, it's doing something similar to your vinyl upholstery. </div></div>

Hard plastics don't have plasticizers. Introducing them via a dressing could do just about anything.

[Guest John Chapman]

Post deleted by John Chapman

[Dave@Moon]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> you spend a lot of time at it... </div></div>

<span style="font-style: italic">I</span> do? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Pure LDPE: McDonalds tray.

Pure HDPE: milk carton.

Pure PET: mylar. (2-liter bottles are almost pure PET, with a lowered melting point achieved using small amounts of the co-polymer CDHM)

Pure Polycarbonate: compact disc. (Not recommended for Armor-All use. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />)

As far as I know (and can tell from the available--i.e. non-proprietary--information) true plasticizers are almost never used with any of these types of plastics. They are often blended with other co-polymers to achieve desired characteristics, however, for instance ldpe-based plastic wraps and the aforementioned 2 liter bottles.

In fact the plastics industry has had to constantly fight the urban legend that plasticizers leach into food from plastic containers. Aside from a few (very rare and cheap) uses of PVC, no plasticizers are found in food containers or wrap.

Pure PVC (a.k.a. <span style="font-weight: bold">uPVC</span> which stands for <span style="font-weight: bold">unplasticized Polyvinylchloride</span>): plumbing, gutters and downspouts, window frames, non-phenolic (flexible) phonograph records.

Among the many chemical plants I used to inspect were several plastics plants. They all had the book.

[Guest John Chapman]

Post deleted by John Chapman

[Dave@Moon]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><yawn...> wondering how this deteriorated to a dissertaion on fast food wrappers and soda bottles...I don't get it...or what they have to do with the original subject.

Cheers,

JMC </div></div>

Just don't Armor-All your plumbing. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

(<span style="font-style: italic">In case you didn't know, virtually all the deformable plastic surfaces in your car are <span style="font-style: italic">plasticized</span> PVC. Now, re-read the posts.</span>)

[Guest John Chapman]

Post deleted by John Chapman

[Dave@Moon]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> So, you shouldn't use Armor All on PVC? </div></div>

uPVC. Or your cds for that matter.

[Dave@Moon]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Post deleted by 3Jakes </div></div>

I don't blame you. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />