Interior Protectant Penetration

T

tguil

New member
I posted this on the Meguiar's forum but am posting it here too. Autopia has much more "traffic".



It’s a rainy day on the Nebraska prairie and I have way too much time on my retired hands and brain. A question on product penetration.



I am not an “interior guy�. In the past I simply took a damp terry towel to the hard plastic in the interior and vacuumed the seats, floor and whatever at every wash. I thoroughly cleaned and Scotch Guarded the cloth fabric twice a year. I never used a protectant on the vinyl or hard plastic. A scuff in the hard plastic on my new Hemi sort of changed that.



Do the various interior protectants actually penetrate the hard plastic dash and door panel? Frequently folks write, “Let the product penetrate for 3- 5 minutes and then buff to get a matt finish.� I do not think the product penetrates this plastic at all. It dries for 3-5 minutes and in reality is still pretty darn wet at the end of this time. I think that you are wiping off most of the product when you wipe it off after this short period of time.



The directions on most protectants suggest that you wipe of the “excess�. I still haven’t figured that out. For example, I applied NXT Tec Protect with a microfiber covered foam pad. When I was finished the dash surface was wet but there was no excessive product on the dash. If I would have followed up with a dry microfiber cloth, I would have taken off most of the product.



I know the purpose of wiping the product off when it is still wet is to leave a matt finish, but if the product does not “penetrate� how does it leave any protection?



By the way in a technical service bulletiin, Dodge suggests their own Mopar protectant for matte finishes. I wonder who makes it for them.



Tom :cool:
 
Some protectants have oils and conditioners that actually penetrate plactics/vinyl etc. Off the top of my head I believe DP Interior Protectant and Opitmums Protectant do this. Autogeek has a nice DP Interior Clean/Protectant package you may want to check out. Lot of other protectants seem to sit on top of whatever your applying it to then you buff off. I'd rather have something that penetrates somewhat.
 
I think it also depends on what kind of interior we are talking about. My G35 has a soft leather dashboard and it does absorb the oils. The finish seems to last longer. However, on my old Hyundai Santa Fe, the dash was straight plastic. Nothing absorbed into the dash and while it was shiny initially, it quickly dried after about two or three days.





I'm not really sure why people insist that you must "buff to a matte finish" with interior protectants, I think its just a matter of personal preference. I've heard that too much protectant will turn your dashboard yellow but I've never seen anything like that happen.
 
I work at a Mopar dealer as a technician, and supposedly the Mopar detail products are Meguiars (thats what the parts manager told me when I asked him). They recommend the Satin protectant on the new vehicles with the hard plastic interior pieces, some even come with a small sample in the glove box. I have been using 303 on my vehicles and like it so far
 
MattPersman said:
I work at a Mopar dealer as a technician, and supposedly the Mopar detail products are Meguiars (thats what the parts manager told me when I asked him). They recommend the Satin protectant on the new vehicles with the hard plastic interior pieces, some even come with a small sample in the glove box. I have been using 303 on my vehicles and like it so far
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I had planned to give the Mopar Satin Protectant a try. With that I'll have four different types available. Now what should I use on my wife's Toyota Tacoma? :D



Tom :cool:
 
Surfer said:
Some protectants have oils and conditioners that actually penetrate plactics/vinyl etc. Off the top of my head I believe DP Interior Protectant and Opitmums Protectant do this. Autogeek has a nice DP Interior Clean/Protectant package you may want to check out. Lot of other protectants seem to sit on top of whatever your applying it to then you buff off. I'd rather have something that penetrates somewhat.
Click to expand...



agreed!!!



The DP interior cleaner and protectant is the only product(s) I use on interior surfaces. I think it smells wonderful, and goes on like most other protectants, but give it 5 to 10 minutes to set in and that wet look vanishes once it dries, leaving a beautiful low gloss schene on the surface which it is applied to, and you can run your hands across the dash and not pick up any slimy junk.



303 and optimum however are also very good products, whcich work equally aswell. I use 303 for exteriour surfaces and tires - my optimum protectant is comming, i havent used it yet but search around and you will find plpeanty of good vibes about it.
 
Are you sure about that? My g35 dash is plastic, just like every other dashboard I've seen in my life. Anyways, I know for sure that the leather and vinyl surfaces are porous, and do absorb product....not too sure how well plastic absorbs any kind of product. I guess I'll look more closely next time, I just picked up some Chemical guys matte finisher...I'll give it a shot this weekend and report back.





Less said:
My G35 has a soft leather dashboard and it does absorb the oils. The finish seems to last longer.
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I've been using Optimum's Protectant Plus applied via microfiber covered foam pad and haven't seen a need to go back over and remove any excess. OPP leaves a really nice light sheen-not much more than Meguiars Interior QD.
 
Scottwax,



Will Optimum's Protectant Plus perform as it claims: " ...Drying, cracking, and fading are prevented so your surfaces stay supple and uniform in color. Protectant Plus even hides scratches on your leather and vinyl so they virtually disappear. The finish is subtle, not shiny. Your dashboard, seats, and trim will be restored to their original color and finish...."



When stuff sounds too good to be true,it usually is.



Tom :cool:
 
tguil said:
Scottwax,



Will Optimum's Protectant Plus perform as it claims: " ...Drying, cracking, and fading are prevented so your surfaces stay supple and uniform in color. Protectant Plus even hides scratches on your leather and vinyl so they virtually disappear. The finish is subtle, not shiny. Your dashboard, seats, and trim will be restored to their original color and finish...."



When stuff sounds too good to be true,it usually is.



Tom :cool:
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I have no complaints at all. I don't know that any of my customers will keep a car long enough to really prove that drying and cracking is eliminated-I can't even remember the last time I ran across it anyway.



What I do know is that it leaves a very nice light sheen and the surface is dry to the touch very quickly. Makes the interior look new, not dressed.



Devilsown-I have used #40, it is an excellent product, maybe a touch more sheen the Optimum. I'm glad to see I am not the only one who doesn't care for the scent, I thought it was only me because my customer's said after I used it their cars smelled new.
 
I don't know if you could say plastics "absorb" product, but I do know that the molecular structure of many plastics and the molecular structure of many fats ("oils") is similar, and they do bond very readily. Ever wondered why you can never get the chicken-soup smell out of that tupperware container?



However, to claim that a product improved the longevity of a plastic surface you would have to prove you are replacing the components of the plastic that are evaporating or reacting with UV, etc. And also prove that the molecular bonds were being re-constituted. I've never seen a product show that "chemical X' is being destroyed in your unprotected interior and their product replaces the "chemical X."
 
What about this claim for OPP : "..Protectant Plus even hides scratches on your leather and vinyl so they virtually disappear..." Yes or no?



Tom :cool:
 
Well, I can't speak for that, however I will say that in my experience, a good protectant (I use 303 AP) can, combined with proper cleaning, greatly minimize the appearance of the more permenant type of scuffs on plastics and vinyl
 
I continually go back and forth between OPP and 303. I havent made my mind up yet. I like the durability and finish off 303, and it's easy redability. But OPP has a great scent, and works just as well. I found it to have a nice matte finish but also a VERY nice sheen on my smooth black plastic interior trim.
 
tguil said:
What about this claim for OPP : "..Protectant Plus even hides scratches on your leather and vinyl so they virtually disappear..." Yes or no?



Tom :cool:
Click to expand...



Sort of like waxing over light swirls, they are still there but you can't see them as well.
 
diamondgraphite said:
Are you sure about that? My g35 dash is plastic, just like every other dashboard I've seen in my life. .
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I'm pretty sure. The dealer said it was leather. The folks on g35driver.com said it was leather. It looks like leather. It feels like leather. I have no reason to believe its not leather.



Regardless, it is definitely more pourous than any dashboard I've ever had. Like I said, my old Hyundai had a dashboard that was flat, hard, plastic. Like the kind they make TV's out of. My G's dashboard is softer and more plush feeling. You can push your finger into it.



What year is your G?
 
Scottwax said:
Sort of like waxing over light swirls, they are still there but you can't see them as well.
Click to expand...



Which product have you found that does the best job of masking scuffs? My truck has a grey interior.



Tom :cool:
 
I'm a #40 fan here as well. A nice satin finish and I actually appreciate the scent as it does give a 'new' smell to the car.



It's one of the few products I'm not constantly looking for alternatives for...but 303 and OPT are interesting...DOH :wall
 
I'm kind of stuck on Meguiar's Quik Detailer these days.



I do use #39 & #40 but only for more heavily soiled vinyl or spot cleaning of heavily soiled areas. FWIW, #39 is about the best cleaner I've used for badly soiled vinyl. Most of the cars I do are newer and don't need much cleaning.



I agree that shine on a dash can be a safety issue. That's one of the reasons I like Quik Detailer. It doesn't shine. It just leaves the dash looking brand new.
 
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