Ehh I though that plain old Armor All would be good enough. Am I wrong? It case it has any effect, its 100? F + Here in the summer, so it will get REALLY hot inside the sealed up car while its in the drive way/school parking lot...

What do you think?

 

DO NOT USE ARMOR ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Try Nero or 303.
(sorry to shout, I wasn't yelling at you I was yelling with you )

 

Armor All Even their low-shine is high shine & it creates this gawful shine on your dash which gets reflected into your windshield & after awhile I swear it becomes hard to keep your eyes on the road because of the reflection you will see in your windshield

<slight mememe hi-jack, but on topic> Anybody have any advice for me? I have used 303 for 2 years. I like it a lot because it is both a cleaner & a protectant all in one (including for my leatherette seats). I was thinking of switching to Nero because I can also use it on my body colored dash & door inserts but Nero doesn't mention that it cleans (only that it protects) & I don't want to have to do 2 applications (1 to clean & 1 to protect). That fact has made me think I should stay with my 303. Thoughts?

 

For the body-coloured parts, why wouldn't you treat them with the same products you use on your exterior paint? I thought Nero was for rubber/vinyl/plastic, not paint.

 

My dash & door inserts are colored plastic

 

My wife's MINI has the alloy patina dash, and mine has the carbon fiber dash, so I'll admit ignorance about the body-coloured inserts, but if they're painted plastic, I'd use the same stuff that you would use on the bumpers - polish and wax/sealant.

As for your other question about cleaners versus cleaners/protectants, I've found that unless you're talking about serious dirt, any protectant will also act as as cleaner. When I put dressing on my dash, the cloth usually ends up with a little dust/dirt on it. Same with the leather seats. I don't always use the Lexol cleaner prior to the conditioner, but even applying the conditioner alone will pull up whatever small amount of dirt is on the seats.

 

See I have kinda-sorta serious dirt on my leatherette. I clean frequently but I have Petey the puppy who rides in my passenger seat 4 days a week (paw prints & such) & the 303 has kept them looking spotless thus far. So I am still torn
I think I am talking myself into staying with my trusty 303

 

ARMOR ALL??!!??!! EEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My husband had a whole shelf full of Armor All products. They went out in the trash. HAHAHA

It's my understanding that Armor All can even be BAD for surfaces? That it promotes cracking and dulling? Am I wrong?

BUT, I also understand about being a student and having a budget! So get the good stuff and offer to detail a few cars for a little cash to support your "habit."

 

For really good cleaning I use either 303 cleaner or my new fav is the Einszett 1Z Plastik-Reiniger. It is super powerful, smells of lemons and relatively cheep ($8.00). After either the 303 or Einszett I'll use Nero for the matte finish and UV protection. 303 protectant is just a tad too shiny for me, but I think that is because it has more UV stuff than Nero.

 

Gotta have Nero. I luv using it on Flo's tires. Leaves them silky black.

Ditto on the Clarity! I just reordered the gallon size. I got the Clarity/MF cloth bundle in my first order.

 

No, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with Armor All, and it won't lead to cracking/dulling. That's an urban legend that's been around for a long time. Armor All has been on the market longer than just about any other conditioner/protectant, and if those claims were true, there'd be a lot more evidence than just the anecdotal "friend of a friend" - type stories.

That being said, I don't use Armor All because I think it's too glossy (even the newer "low-gloss" formula, and the original formula catches a lot of dust. I like the Griot's Garage "Vinyl/Rubber Dressing", and 303 and Nero have a lot of fans as well.

 

Thanks for the correction!!!

Hey!!! Did you know that Bill Gates is giving away his fortune?

 

Our first hot tub cover I used nothing but Armor All on it. It lasted 3 years before the vinyl simply disintegrated - literally shredded and evaporated . Our current cover has been going strong for 4 years now and I have treated it with 303 - it has not faded, and the vinyl is still thick and intact . This is not anecdotal evidence, this is mine . Same hot tub, same location, same treating frequency over the summer, same cover brand and manufacturer and still in full sun (which is very intense here in Denver).
Conclusion - Armor All sucks.
Even if I could change doors and get Armor All as the prize, I would choose the door the game show host said didn't have the prize. In fact I would let a monk carry all my Armor All up to the top of the mountain and leave it there before coming back down the next day. I miss your puzzles riquiscott!

 

LOL - too funny. However, that one has more truth to it than the Armor All stories. Gates *is* giving away his fortune - he's just doing it through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, instead of giving it to people that forward chain letters!

Gates has said that he and Melinda plan to leave each of their children $10 million as an inheritance. The other 99.98% of their net worth (if he and Melinda were to die tomorrow) will go to charity.

 

Perhaps I should email him about my "Make MiniMaybee a Millionaire" project.

 

Well, no offense, but that's still strictly anecdotal. Presumably, you bought the covers at least three years apart, so there's no way to be 100% certain that the manufacturer didn't switch materials or manufacturing processes during that time. Perhaps a bunch of people had problems with the earlier covers, regardless of how (or even *if*) they were treated.

As for the puzzles, I'm still smarting over screwing up the solution to the game show puzzle. I have another one in the works, but there's a very subtle aspect of the solution that I'm not sure I understand well enough yet to explain. I may post it anyway, with the warning that it's still a work in progress.

 

Well for $340 you can buy me a new cover. I will treat half with your beloved Armor All and the other half with 303. Care to make a wager? Money where the ol'mouth is, that kind of thing.

 

Hey, I've already said I don't use Armor All, and I gave the reasons why I don't, so I definitely don't have any "love" for AA. I was just pointing out that there haven't been any controlled scientific studies that show AA to be harmful when compared with leaving the vinyl/plastic untreated.

Armor All worked well enough for me back when we didn't have all the options we have today, but that's strictly anecdotal as well, so take that for what it's worth (i.e. "not much").

 

Dang, I was hoping for a new hot tub cover.
I'm sure there is some scientific evidence somewhere - maybe Heather knows of some. Still, defending Armor All makes you an Armor All lover - gonna start calling you "ArmorAllScott" (and always in pink too). JK

 

Oh, go check out the "Condemned Man Paradox" puzzle in "Off-Topic" - maybe that'll keep you occupied for a while...

 

Ok, no more Armor All!!! I was looking for something that was silicon based. I want something really black that will last for a while. (My dash it painted, sorry, forgot to mention.)

I'll look at the 303 and nero stuff, but I'm looking at the silicon based tire shine on eBay. Its ~$32 for a gallon shipped. It should last...what is it now....2007? Forever. lol

 

Ok, MiniMaybee & riquiscott... this thread was humming along nicely without my interference but now you two have forced me to jump in.


First, I think it's only fair to point out that they have improved vinyl a great deal over the past several decades. So, today's vinyl will last longer and not fade as easily as the vinyl commonly used 10-20 years ago.

Now on to the Armor All myth...
There was, long ago, real evidence that showed one of the chemicals used in old-school Armor All was causing a delayed drying effect, which usually led to cracking, etc. in the vinyl.

However, the formula was changed by Armor All as soon as they realized this. They of course denied it to the public to avoid being sued (I'd imagine that's why anyway) but not only were there some Armor All insiders who spilled the beans unofficially but several chemists wanted to find out themselves to many of the took it apart and found it was true.

The bottom line is that while today's Armor All is ugly (IMO!), not very durable, contains practically no UV protection, has been known to off-gas onto the windshield itself (when it's supposed to help prevent the vinyl from doing so), and attracts dust, it is not unsafe to use on vinyl. (all those negatives are based on my personal opinion, btw ) **Note also that although there are no chemicals which directly cause vinyl drying/cracking, the lack of a good UV protectant can cause the same thing anyway! Only if you have some really old Armor All would I be concerned... and it would have to be pretty old.

So, it is a myth when applied to today's Armor All but not when applied to yesterday's Armor All.

There. Can we be done with this now?

-Heather

 

Keep in mind that most silicone-based dressing/protectants tend to attract dust. Having said that though, the grade and variety of silicone can vary so dramatically that it really depends on which silicone is used. Also, many products contain a wee amount of silicone that doesn't cause dust attraction. Just the same- something to keep in mind when looking for a silicone based product (read: I'd suggest testing it out with a small bottle of it before diving into a gallon jug ).

Just food for thought...
-Heather

 

Mom knows best.

 

Armor All : Interiors

=

Windex : Glass


Whether you think of the MINI as a car that gets you from point A to point B, or if you think of your MINI as a loved member of the family... why not spend a few dollars more and keep it looking nice??? I'll never be able to figure that out.