cleaning vinyl

I

imported_StitcH

New member
I recently bought a car from a dealer. It came detailed, but the put some greasy stuff everywhere on the interior. Even on the steering wheel! I fear it was armour all. What should I use to clean this off. Any secret formulas?:xyxthumbs
 
Hello and welcome to the forum!



I would first try moving this thread to the Autopia University where your questions might be answered more. Then try the search function...



Here are a couple of threads and articles I found with the search function that are answering your question:



Detailing Vinyl Upholstery- Originally posted by David Bynon



Vinyl is the most durable upholstery, but it is not the easiest to keep clean. Unlike cloth or leather, the surface of vinyl generates static, which attracts dust. As a result, vinyl can quickly become grimy. The good news is, vinyl is the easiest upholstery to clean.



Do not use regular household soap and water on your vinyl upholstery. Detergent will permanently remove the sheen from the vinyl. Choose a cleaner made specifically for vinyl. My favorites are Pinnacle Vinyl & Leather Cleaner and Eimman Fabric Spot Remover. Another excellent choice is XENIT.



Follow these easy steps for the perfect vinyl interior:



1. Spray vinyl with your favorite cleaner.



2. Work the cleaning solution into seams, edges and seat backs using an upholstery scrub brush. If necessary, use an old toothbrush to get into the small crevices.



3. Rinse the vinyl thoroughly with a bucket of clean water and a terrycloth towel.



4. Dry the upholstery with a clean, dry terrycloth towel.



5. Finally, apply your favorite vinyl dressing to restore the sheen.



A quick word about vinyl dressings: they’re not all the same. Choose a dressing that gives you the look you want (flat to shiny). Pinnacle and 303 create a matte to satin finish. Lexol Vinylex is shiny. Another thing to consider is protection from the sun. Pinnacle, 303 and Lexol Vinylex all offer good ultraviolet light protection.
Click to expand...



Or, check out this thread: http://www.autopia-carport.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=7805





Be sure to purchase the eBook or take a look at all of the Detailing Articles & Tips. Good luck!



~bw
 
My BMW had vinyl seats, which were a bit interesting to clean at first. I started off by wiping them with a wet rag, but as you know, water is not the best agent for cleaning, nor does it protect the seats.



I ordered the Klasse kit from CMA, and it came with a bottle of Klasse Vinyl, Leather, Rubber and Plastic Cleaner Protectant. Well, I am not sure if I would ever use it on my nice new leather seats, but I can say without hesitation that it worked wonders on my Vinyl seats.



I had some funky residue on the seats once, and used the Klasse cleaner/protectant, and wiped it right off. It really does a nice job, and the seats look great.



I hope that this helps.



Best regards.



P.S. On a similar note, I just traded in my 1989 BMW 325i, and the dealership that I bought my VW from ranted and raved about my interior. They all said that they had never seen an older BMW with such a high quality exterior and interior. They were so shocked at how clean and well kept the Vinyl seats were. It was completely due to the Klasse. I have never used anything else on the seats.
 
The Prelude I bought had what I believe was Armor All everywhere also. It looked and felt awful, so greasy. After trying a number of commercial interior cleaners, I ended up using a Dawn/water mix as recommended by folks here at Autopia, very strong mix and it stripped the stuff off no problem. I then treated the dash and all the other hard vinyl/plastic with 303 protectant. It looks like new now, what a difference! It had cloth seats so I couldn't say what to do on vinyl seats, but my money would go also with the Dawn to clean the vinyl seats also. I haven't tried 303 on soft vinyl like the seats.
 
303 is one of my favorite products. Try applying it on your tires it leaves a nice satin finish. The only is that I usually have to dress my tires twice a week. jj:bow
 
I was so impressed by Lexol's leather cleaner on my leather, I e-mailed them and asked if the had a cleaner for vinyl and plastic. They said that Vinylex is a cleaner and protectant. I bet you could use Lexol Cleaner on anything including leather, it's just a gylcerin based pH balanced soap. Does anyone actually notice Vinylex's cleaning abilities?
 
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