I have the rubber floor mats. I just washed them off and am about to Nero them. Got to thinking though, would Black Wow protect them better with all the traffic they get on them (mostly the driver mat)?

 

I'm sure OG will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm thinking, "No".

BW is great at restoring plastic trim but in my experience, it doesn't last as long as Nero. I think you'd be re-applying BW every couple of weeks on something that takes a beating like floor mats.

OTOH, they're not subjected to water (the number one enemy of BW). I applied a generous coating of BW to Dr Evil's trim right before MOTD. Four days later, after all the rain we got down there and the constant rain on the way back, the trim looked worse than it did before the BW was applied.

 

Hm, for some reason I had never thought to put anything on my rubber mats to protect them. What a great idea!

Since both of you mentioned Nero, I may just have to try that. Also, is Nero good for the rest of the interior (the dash, mainly)? (Sorry to start other questions in your thread.)

 

I use Nero on all the interior vinyl EXCEPT the dash. Now, you certainly can use it on the dash and it will look good and it will protect. But, since the dash takes such abuse from the sun glaring through the windshield, I use Aerospace 303 Protectant on my dashes. There's nothing out there that has the UV protection of 303.

 

I use Nero on everything including my dash and haven't had a problem. Heard good things about 303 but never tried it. I tried Nero on the mats the first time today because they were starting to look a little gray (which got me off on this other apparently crazy idea).

 

There are no crazy ideas.

Could you use the 303 and Nero on the dash or would that just be useless? Also, will the dash eventually fade overtime?

 

Think using both would be a bit redundant. Having not used 303 I would say try which ever you can get the easiest; if you can get both then see which you like better.

For the second question, most modern dashes will gray, discolour over time. Better than the cracking of older dashes but still not the most attractive.

 

I use a 50/50 solution of Simple Green and Water to get my WeatherTech Mats clean when I can't wash them in the Winter, it works great to get them clean. It also brings back the color. I've not used Nero on BW on them as I am afraid of them being a bit to slippery when entering and exiting my MINI.

 

Thanks for your answers. Maybe I'll do that, see which I can pick up.

I hadn't thought of the effect that the sun must have on the dashboard. It's got to be a good idea to use some sort of protectant. That and the reason you started this thread, the rubber floormats. This is the first time I'm experiencing the rubber, I'm used to carpet. I figured they'd be easier to clean in the first place and to protect them must only help in the long-run.

 

Forgot to mention that I took them out and scrubbed them with P21S total autowash because they were DIRTY after snow, salt, etc from this winter and no chance to clean them. That got all the dirt off but they seemed very gray so I hit them with some dilluted Nero.

Over on showcardetailing forum, Richard confirmed Black Wow would be a no go and recommended Meg's hyperdressing instead.

 

I just received my Black-Wow the other day, and I think there is a note in the fine print on the back of the bottle that says not to use it on floor mats, pedals, steering wheels, etc. because it will make them slippery and potentially dangerous.

 

Yeah, the slippery factor should be considered too.

Here's another idea: Save the rubber mats for the winter months (for those of you who get show and ice). In the other seasons:



They wear great.

They're easy to keep clean.

They'll save you wear and tear on the rubber mats which do not wear so well.

And, IMHO, they look great. Have them in all three of the MINIs and have been using them for over two years.

 

I'd thought about that CR&PW&JB

 

on my dd's all season rubber floor matts, i wash with remaining carshampoo in the bucket
and my boar's hair brush, rinse, and let air dry.

then i take my 50/50 nero to water mix and just spray it completely.
then let air dry to a nice matte finish.

it's going to be tad slippery for a few days but doesn't last too long.

 

I would also think that BW on rubber floormats is a no-go. In fact, I'm sure I've seen something from OG that says as much.

If you want to try it on rubber (and I wouldn't) then you might do so on the rubber strip along the outside topline of your windshield. See how that holds up.

 

Yep, you're right.

 

naw, OG just doesn't want people stepping on his product.