[greengoddess]

Help!!! What do you use to clean/polish the black plastic on your Mada? I'm talking about the plastic by the windshield around the wipers, the running boards, bumper, the thingies on the doors and the seals around the windows.

I spend HOURS scrubbing, polishing, and waxing the Mada inside and out yesterday and today, but the black plastic looks icky still. I used Back to Black, but it really didn't do much. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated (besides taking it in to have someone else detail it)!

Also, any suggestions on the best product to remove love bug and mosquito goo would be great too. I used bug & tar remover - no good. Dryer sheets worked okay. I ended up using Zaino gloss spray and a clay bar. All the gunk is off but there has got to be an easier way. Please tell me there is!!! I live in the land of love bugs and it's almost season!!!

 

[hullio]

Well I use some Armor All protectant, it works quite well on the black pastic and makes it look shiny and cleans the dirt.

 

[greengoddess]

Just the regular Armor All stuff?

 

[Campfamily]

Well I use some Armor All protectant, it works quite well on the black pastic and makes it look shiny and cleans the dirt.

Armor-All is silicon-based, I won't use it, it will actually speed deterioration of whatever it's put on. There is another thread around here somewhere about tire care, there are some suggestions there.

Keith

 

[PumaFiveOh]

Just the regular Armor All stuff?

Use the high shine or ultra shine armor all. Has a red top, and man that stuff works wonders. I use it on all the black body panels and it makes them look better then new.

I'm still undecided on using armor all on the interior. I have always used armor all and similar products on the interior and have never had any issues. But a few people on this site are always saying how bad it is and that it magnifies the sun etc etc. I can see that making sense, but don't you think the companies making these products would have done extensive R&D to find out what their product is actually doing and not doing?

It's like saying hey don't use Rogaine, that stuff makes you go bald. Or don't use Tylenol, that stuff will only make your headache worse. So I'll have to do some more research on the net to see if it's really bad to use those products on the interior. But until then I'll keep using them.

 

[PumaFiveOh]

Armor-All is silicon-based, I won't use it, it will actually speed deterioration of whatever it's put on. There is another thread around here somewhere about tire care, there are some suggestions there.

Keith

Ohh, there goes one of them now. All I know is that I have never had a plastic piece or interior panel deteriorate because of Armor All or other similar products??

Can someone please show me a picture of what deteriorated plastic due to armor all looks like?? So far all I have heard is people repeating other peoples comments without any proof? Again don't you guys think Armor all with all their millions of research dollars would have said...."HOLLY SH!T" Our product is doing the exact thing it's supposed to protect against!!!

Not saying anyone is a liar or wrong, just saying there is now proof to this theory?? I have owned cars for years and years using armor all, Maguire’s, and other products without ANY issues or plastic deterioration?? Only place I have seen deterioration is on cars sitting in the junkyard in open weather and sun conditions.
(Please someone show me some links and or proof, and if it's true then I'll be the first person to start filing claims against those companies that are lying to me with false advertisement)

 

[92TripleBlack]

Don't put Armor-All on anything, ever!
1. It magnifies sunlight promoting dry rot and bleaching
2. It attracts dust
3. Its near impossible to remove the residue

I've had personal experience with this loosing a set of tires to dryrot in 1 year and having a dash crack after only 3 years on a camaro I had.

Get something similar from Meguires or mothers that doesn't use Silicon as a base. Silicon is the reason Armor all is so bad. I just laugh at the commercial with the viking shielding the car from the sun. His shield should be a magnifying glass. The Meguires and Mothers, etc, have UV protection and repel dirt and dust. You'lll thnak me later. If you have already used it on your plastics or seats inside, it can be removed, but takes hours to do and is very tedious. Below is step by step on how to do it.

How to Repair & Refinish Interior Plastic Pieces by Lars Grimsrud SVE Automotive Restoration Musclecar, Collector & Exotic Auto Repair & Restoration Broomfield, CO Rev.

Before starting an interior refinish job, you need to be aware of the single biggest problem with interior parts: Silicone contamination. Interior “care” products, such as Armor-All, Son-Of-A-Gun, and others, contain HUGE amounts of silicone. Once this had been sprayed on interior parts, it is extremely difficult to remove. Silicone is a painter’s worst nightmare: even the slightest amount of silicone will cause primers and paints to “fisheye,” separate, and loose adhesion. Not good. in order to do a good plastic refinish job, we must first address preparation and silicone removal. Silicone cannot be removed by sanding or abrading (like with a Scotch-Brite pad or SOS pad). In fact, any attempt to sand or abrade the parts to clean them will embed the silicone into the parts, and you will be doomed to failure. DO NOT sand the parts before doing a good cleanup on them. First clean the parts in hot water with dishsoap in it. Use a sponge (something non-abrasive) and put some effort into it. Rinse them off and dry them. Dump out the contaminated water and don’t use it again on the parts. I have an automatic parts cleaner at my house: my wife thinks it’s a dishwasher, but I know it’s an automotive parts cleaner. Just turn the drier heat “off” before running your plastic parts through it. I leave the heat “on” and put it on the “potscrubber’ cycle when I run rods and pistons through it (I don’t understand why this upsets my wife: don’t they advertise that these machines remove caked-on grease…?). Next, use your silicone remover, following the directions on the bottle. You will soak a lint-free paper towel, wipe once in one direction, flip it over, and do it again. Then throw that towel away and do it again with a fresh one. If you wipe back and forth with the same towel, all you will do is smear the invisible silicone all over the parts with no gain. So do the one-wipe thing and use up some of those cheap towels you just bought. Once you’ve done this several times to all the parts, give them a wipe-down with the grease and wax remover, using the same technique. The parts should now be about as contaminant-free as they’re going to get.

 

[PumaFiveOh]

Don't put Armor-All on anything, ever!
1. It magnifies sunlight promoting dry rot and bleaching
2. It attracts dust
3. Its near impossible to remove the residue

I've had personal experience with this loosing a set of tires to dryrot in 1 year and having a dash crack after only 3 years on a camaro I had.

Get something similar from Meguires or mothers that doesn't use Silicon as a base. Silicon is the reason Armor all is so bad. I just laugh at the commercial with the viking shielding the car from the sun. His shield should be a magnifying glass. The Meguires and Mothers, etc, have UV protection and repel dirt and dust. You'lll thnak me later. If you have already used it on your plastics or seats inside, it can be removed, but takes hours to do and is very tedious. Below is step by step on how to do it.

How to Repair & Refinish Interior Plastic Pieces by Lars Grimsrud SVE Automotive Restoration Musclecar, Collector & Exotic Auto Repair & Restoration Broomfield, CO Rev.

Before starting an interior refinish job, you need to be aware of the single biggest problem with interior parts: Silicone contamination. Interior “care” products, such as Armor-All, Son-Of-A-Gun, and others, contain HUGE amounts of silicone. Once this had been sprayed on interior parts, it is extremely difficult to remove. Silicone is a painter’s worst nightmare: even the slightest amount of silicone will cause primers and paints to “fisheye,” separate, and loose adhesion. Not good. in order to do a good plastic refinish job, we must first address preparation and silicone removal. Silicone cannot be removed by sanding or abrading (like with a Scotch-Brite pad or SOS pad). In fact, any attempt to sand or abrade the parts to clean them will embed the silicone into the parts, and you will be doomed to failure. DO NOT sand the parts before doing a good cleanup on them. First clean the parts in hot water with dishsoap in it. Use a sponge (something non-abrasive) and put some effort into it. Rinse them off and dry them. Dump out the contaminated water and don’t use it again on the parts. I have an automatic parts cleaner at my house: my wife thinks it’s a dishwasher, but I know it’s an automotive parts cleaner. Just turn the drier heat “off” before running your plastic parts through it. I leave the heat “on” and put it on the “potscrubber’ cycle when I run rods and pistons through it (I don’t understand why this upsets my wife: don’t they advertise that these machines remove caked-on grease…?). Next, use your silicone remover, following the directions on the bottle. You will soak a lint-free paper towel, wipe once in one direction, flip it over, and do it again. Then throw that towel away and do it again with a fresh one. If you wipe back and forth with the same towel, all you will do is smear the invisible silicone all over the parts with no gain. So do the one-wipe thing and use up some of those cheap towels you just bought. Once you’ve done this several times to all the parts, give them a wipe-down with the grease and wax remover, using the same technique. The parts should now be about as contaminant-free as they’re going to get.

Sorry bro, but again NO ONE is giving me an example of plastic deteriorating or getting damaged by silicone or any other type of interior protectant?? Has it happened to you or anyone you know? Sure has never happened to any of my vehicles or my friends?

The example you gave is wonderful, and since I paint on the side for fun I am very familiar with what he is talking about. But it has nothing to do with silicone damaging the interior. He is referring to silicone damaging the "PAINT" which he is applying to the interior panels. So far I have restored the interiors of three vehicles and I also use and have the products to de-contaminate silicone treated plastic panels. The silicone does not damage the plastic...it destroys the new paint you are applying on top. I have ran into a few pieces that I did not treat and clean properly and that does cause fisheye, popping, and many other problems. When I'm finished truly cleaning a plastic trim piece it looks like crap....but that's because the chemicals I use to clean it completely remove everything that kept the plastic protected, nice and shiny. So again no one is showing me proof that armor all is destroying the plastic, especially since I have yet to experience this on any of my vehicles or my friends??

Your tires could get dry rot for many reasons, depending on what kind of tire dressing you used, especially since tire dressing is a lot more harsh then interior protectant chemicals. I have seen more tires crack from not having anything put on them then vise versa.

 

[hullio]

Sorry bro, but again NO ONE is giving me an example of plastic deteriorating or getting damaged by silicone or any other type of interior protectant?? Has it happened to you or anyone you know? Sure has never happened to any of my vehicles or my friends?

The example you gave is wonderful, and since I paint on the side for fun I am very familiar with what he is talking about. But it has nothing to do with silicone damaging the interior. He is referring to silicone damaging the "PAINT" which he is applying to the interior panels. So far I have restored the interiors of three vehicles and I also use and have the products to de-contaminate silicone treated plastic panels. The silicone does not damage the plastic...it destroys the new paint you are applying on top. I have ran into a few pieces that I did not treat and clean properly and that does cause fisheye, popping, and many other problems. When I'm finished truly cleaning a plastic trim piece it looks like crap....but that's because the chemicals I use to clean it completely remove everything that kept the plastic protected, nice and shiny. So again no one is showing me proof that armor all is destroying the plastic, especially since I have yet to experience this on any of my vehicles or my friends??

Your tires could get dry rot for many reasons, depending on what kind of tire dressing you used, especially since tire dressing is a lot more harsh then interior protectant chemicals. I have seen more tires crack from not having anything put on them then vise versa.

i don't know what's the bad about this...i mean, it's meant for plastics! It says so! The Armor All works great, believe me. I clean the Armada from head to toe every Saturdays, I use soap and sponge, Simoniz Wax, Simoniz rim cleaner, use the Armor All spray bottle to clean all the black plastic's, and dry the Armada off with a microfibre cloth.

 

[92TripleBlack]

Sorry bro, but again NO ONE is giving me an example of plastic deteriorating or getting damaged by silicone or any other type of interior protectant?? Has it happened to you or anyone you know? Sure has never happened to any of my vehicles or my friends?

The example you gave is wonderful, and since I paint on the side for fun I am very familiar with what he is talking about. But it has nothing to do with silicone damaging the interior. He is referring to silicone damaging the "PAINT" which he is applying to the interior panels. So far I have restored the interiors of three vehicles and I also use and have the products to de-contaminate silicone treated plastic panels. The silicone does not damage the plastic...it destroys the new paint you are applying on top. I have ran into a few pieces that I did not treat and clean properly and that does cause fisheye, popping, and many other problems. When I'm finished truly cleaning a plastic trim piece it looks like crap....but that's because the chemicals I use to clean it completely remove everything that kept the plastic protected, nice and shiny. So again no one is showing me proof that armor all is destroying the plastic, especially since I have yet to experience this on any of my vehicles or my friends??

Your tires could get dry rot for many reasons, depending on what kind of tire dressing you used, especially since tire dressing is a lot more harsh then interior protectant chemicals. I have seen more tires crack from not having anything put on them then vise versa.

I did. You didn't read my second line. I used armor all on the tires only. Sorry, but it is a proven fact, not fiction. Use it if you want. But there are products that work just as well without silicon. Ask any vette owner of the tens of thousands on www.corvetteforum.com , and you will not find any using it. And I consider vette owners to be one of the pickiest groups about car care. Even if you choose not to believe me, why take the chance?

 

[92TripleBlack]

i don't know what's the bad about this...i mean, it's meant for plastics! It says so! The Armor All works great, believe me. I clean the Armada from head to toe every Saturdays, I use soap and sponge, Simoniz Wax, Simoniz rim cleaner, use the Armor All spray bottle to clean all the black plastic's, and dry the Armada off with a microfibre cloth.

Sorry to hear that. Probably should just remove the entire interior by now and burn it.

The reason they sell it is it is cheap to make it and it looks good when you use it. This doesn't mean it is good to use it. It isn't.
Scientifically, Silicon magnifies UV rays, leaching out polymers, which in turn dries the plastic much more rapidly than normal aging. Ever see any maker ever recommend cleaning interior plastics with anything but fresh water? Ever? No. Not one. How about treating the plastics with Silicon? Not one. They do recommend using leather care products. They even sell them. But not one sells silicon based plastic "protection" because they know they would be quickly sued due to the rapid demise of their plastic interiors.

From the BMW guys:
Regarding keeping your dash from cracking. Do not use a preservative that
contains formaldehyde (sp). Do not use armor all. Use one that is not
silicon based but that has a good UV blocker. Note that the damages is
mostly caused by UV rays and high temps. Window glass will block UVA rays
but UVB rays are the real problem as far as UV. The high temps and UVB
destroy the plasticizers in the dash. Modern dashes are pretty good about
not cracking. One good product is Griot's Garage rubber and vinyl dressing.
There are other good ones also.

From Formula 303
Silicone oil vinyl treatments should not be used for several reasons: 1) Silicone oil formulations typically attack the vinyl topcoat. 2) Silicone oil formulations usually contain no effective UV screening ingredients. 3) Silicone oil formulations are build-up products which accelerate heat damage. 4) Silicone oil formulations are greasy and oily, attract dust, and soil more quickly. READ THE LABEL! Product directions suggesting more than one coat for better cosmetic enhancement are build-up products and are recommended against by vinyl manufacturers.


From Meguires:
Silicone:
[: or polysiloxanes, are inorganic polymers consisting of a silicon-oxygen backbone (...-Si-O-Si-O-Si-O-...) with side groups attached to the silicon atoms]

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDS) is a basically inert, water based, amino functional polymer resin that doesn't migrate (dry out) the plasticizers from materials, has less UV radiation absorption and dust attraction properties. Chemists use water-in-oil emulsions, to reduce emulsion particle size, to stabilize emulsions, and to improve spreading and coverage of wax products. Most modern silicone formulas are water soluble (no petroleum), and are completely inert.The best way to describe most forms of silicone is to think of it as a man-made wax ester. Silicone is created by the reaction generated when you combine fatty acids with Polydimethylsiloxane. Dimethyl is derived from Aromatic hydrocarbon (petroleum) distillates, and is usually formulated with a solvent, hexane and petroleum oils, which are environmentally unsound and give a slick, oily finish, which attracts dust and dirt and amplifies sunlight causing vinyl and most plastics to dry out and crack[/B], this type of silicone also causes ‘sling’, which means the product will land on body panels causing a black stain. It also causes rubber compounds along with sun iteration to remove the micro-wax in tyres as well as its carbon black (it's what makes tyre’s the colour they are). Silicone is an active ingredient in sun UV amplification. As a low quality silicone dressing evaporates away, the silicone oil is left behind, the sun then amplifies these residues, and the drying process is accelerated. This causes rubber, EDPM, vinyl and plastics to dry out, which turns them grey or brown, losing their flexibility and prematurely fail. Water-based dressings do not contain oils or petroleum distillates and provide a non- greasy, natural looking satin finish.

So again, I've posted personal experience, evidence from Meguires and 303, and testimony from Corvette owners, BMW owners, and interior specialists. Again, if you choose not to believe everyone, fine. But if there is a product that works just as well for about the same price, why take the chance?

As for the other care, a sponge keeps dirt particles in at the surface. A sheepskin mitt or pad takes the particles into the fibers. This is important as the particles (grit) act like sandpaper causing swirl marks in paint. Get rid of the sponge.

For soap, use a car wash. I don't know if you do or not. Regular soap removes wax that is on the car already. Car wash leaves the wax intact, keeping it as a protective layer against grit, and making it unnecessary to wax as often.

The Simoniz paste wax is a good carnuba wax. You can add layers of it to build it up. Other brands are the same thing, carnuba wax, such as mothers, Meguires Gold, etc. Zaino is probably one of the few that surpasses Carnuba wax.

Their wheel cleaner looks fine. Try waxing the wheels like the rest of the car. The brake dust, etc. will come off with normal washing and require less special cleaners. It will also protect them. Cleaning to the paint again and again wears out the paint, clearcoat, etc. Clean down to the wax and spare the paint and finish.

 

[greengoddess]

Okay boys - put the boxing gloves away. Sometimes you just have to agree to disagree! LOL

What's the best product to remove the love bugs?

 

[92TripleBlack]

Okay boys - put the boxing gloves away. Sometimes you just have to agree to disagree! LOL

What's the best product to remove the love bugs?

If they can put ANYTHING up that says Silicone is OK for plastics, rubber, etc. besides the label on the can of armor-all, I'd love to see it.

For the bugs, power washer.
The problem with the love bugs is their guts are corrosive. If you let them sit, they will eat the paint and wax. You need to get them out ASAP. Wax helps to get them off easily. I've also heard of people spraying the front with Pam and they wipe right off. Harmless to wax and paint it sounds good but it would be messy. If you get a bug stuck into the paint and it won't wash off, try a claybar first, compound for clearcoat second, and some scratch remover like Meguires scratch X third. This should take care of almost all bugs but if you wash them off every few days and keep it waxed it will never get that bad. .

 

[armoody]

Too Much Armor All

...Can someone please show me a picture of what deteriorated plastic due to armor all looks like?? ......

Too much Armor All too long on this car...

 

[PumaFiveOh]

Too much Armor All too long on this car...

BWAHAHHAAHA!! I'm never using that SH!T ever again!!!

92TripleBLack - I believe you, and plus I only have been using the Maguire’s interior foam and other leather care products on the interior of my Armada and new 3.

But I'll still keep using the ultra shine armor all on the outside panels. Nothing else makes them look that nice, and if they do get damaged I can easily replace those parts. Oh yeah, and on the interior of my 5.0 since it's an older car and the interior has been painted and clear coated anyway. (Plus it's alwasy garaged or covered)