Stubborn vinyl "stain"

I

imported_animes2k

New member
I'm struggling with this Acura TL Type S with a tan interior. The door handle/armrest is vinyl and has gotten some sort of wear stain on it - it basically looks dirty where the driver's left elbow rests. Try as I might, nothing works to remove the "dirt."



The owner has tried all kinds of crazy stuff on it (bleach, windex, 409, etc) and I tried APC, ISO, magic eraser, even AIO (you never know, you know?). It just won't budge. Nothing comes off on a rag, either.



I'm about ready to give up... It doesn't help that I don't know WHAT the stain is.



Thanks for any thoughts.
 
If you have access to a steam cleaner Id try that. I have one of the Portable Shark Steam Cleaners and this things gets imbedded dirt so easily. I wouldnt use it for normal detailing, only for stubborn stains. Just be careful it is VERY hot
 
Umm, don't shoot me if this ruins it, but I have had luck on completely unremovable stains with Gunk foamy engine degreaser. I used it on a minivan last week with hockey tape stains, nothing else seemed to work (Magic Eraser, hot water, Citrusol, AIO, etc).
 
Hmm... Might try that Gunk, test-spot it first... Because of all the products the owner tried, the natural sheen of the vinyl is already gone (maybe with repeated 303 applications it'll get better), so I guess I can't make it too much worse :)



I don't have a steam cleaner, but I know what you're talking about, Beason... Maybe a neighbor has one I can try out. The dirt isn't down in the crevices of the texture, just on the surface.



Thanks.
 
I had the same exact problem on my kid's Mustang. The problem is that the acids in your skin combined with the sun and friction wore the dye away. I had them re-dyed for $100 and it looks like new. Check out some places that do interiors in your area or a good body shop.
 
Yes, vinyl is a solid color throughout, just not always the same color that's on the surface. To get the plastic and vinyl pieces to match, specially on light colored interiors many manufactures dye them. I found out when I had a car broken into to steal the radio and damaged the dash and the dealer ordered a dash that came unpainted and they had to paint/dye it to match. Would have never known if they didn't tell me. You can buy interior dye and do it yourself, just depends on your skills. I did many parts on the interior of a '71 Chevelle I was restoring myself because there were no repo parts available for some stuff.
 
Other than dyeing, try Top of the Line's Deep Down vinyl cleaner full strength. Even if that does not work, you will still have some great vinyl and leather cleaner.
 
how do you apply the product? With just a rag then scrub and wipe off. I don't know if you done this but use a toothbrush and try scrubbing it with that. I did that and it worked great.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top