Non-Glossy Dash Product

[calexand]

Can anyone recommend a good Vinyl treatment for my dashboard that won't leave it shiny? I dislike the way the shiny surface looks, and the reflection on the windshield is distracting.

The detailer I use put on Armour All (when I asked him wasn't that stuff crap, he said they got a bad reputation at first due to having an alchohol-based product, and changed it right away to be good, but the bad rep stuck) but it was too shiny for my taste.

I just did it myself last weekend with Vinylex (the Lexol product for Vinyl), but it again is too shiny.

Is there something non-shiny people can recommend? How about Xymol Vinyl? Thanks in advance.

Chip

 

[jrehner]

Past subject

There is a past thread under interior cleaning or something like that which goes into different brands that are best for leather & vinyl....I went with the Lexol for the leather and Zymol for the vinyl based upon that thread....The Zymol is not shiny in my estimation....You may have to go to the internet site to find a store near you that sells zymol www.zymol.com:)

 

[jrehner]

OOps--I take it back---I went with the 303 for vinyl and found that site on www.303.com

 

[Forums Nazi]

There is a past thread under interior cleaning or something like that which goes into different brands that are best for leather & vinyl....

Yes, there is. And a quick search should easily find that topic.

 

[kgb_agent]

Armour All makes a non-shiny, non greasy product now for interiors. All black bottle.

 

[Soichiro]

Time for a new detailer - anyone who uses Armor All and then defends that crap is not giving you good service. He even got his story wrong - the product is formaldehyde based not alcohol. That is what turns your tires brown.

In answer to your question - the BEST stuff I've found for vinyl is Zymol Vinyl. I recently did the entire interior on an old abused Civic and it looks like new. Can't do better than that.

 

[kgb_agent]

I guess I need to be educated. Formaldehyde is toxic, right?

I have heard for years not to use Armour All on tires...so I never have. But I have a Mustang with a black interior that sat in the sun at work every day for years. Amour All kept that dash and vinyl looking brand new. I alway thought that would be the test. Why wouldn't it turn a dash brown? Certainly, it spends more time in the sun than the sides of your tires...

Disclaimer: many of you can get violently defensive when it comes to certain products. I am not arguing...I just want to know why AA is so bad.

 

[nsxtasy]

Like most (but not all) detailing product manufacturers, the ingredients in Armor All products can be found in their Material Safety Data Sheet on file with the government. You can look up the various MSDSs for their products in the searchable MSDS database.

Gee, it used to be that we only argued about detailing product brands from Z to Z. Now we can argue about brands from A to Z, but none in between A and Z.

 

[RL in Florida]

I guess I need to be educated. Formaldehyde is toxic, right?

I have heard for years not to use Armour All on tires...so I never have. But I have a Mustang with a black interior that sat in the sun at work every day for years. Amour All kept that dash and vinyl looking brand new. I alway thought that would be the test. Why wouldn't it turn a dash brown? Certainly, it spends more time in the sun than the sides of your tires...

Disclaimer: many of you can get violently defensive when it comes to certain products. I am not arguing...I just want to know why AA is so bad.

I used to use armor all on my car dash (not my nsx, luckily), but found that after a while it made it "harden" after several applications. Its hard to explain, but when you pushed on the vinyl, it would be hard to touch and wouldnt have any "give". Plus it was too shiny. Made the vinyl look like the cheap plastic they put in corvettes.

Right now I use vinylex, but I use a small amount of it on a moist cotten terry cloth, and it does not seem to give that weird glossy shine.

Regards
Rick

 

[jrehner]

Shoe shine people know

I don't use Armour All but my shoe shine person told me some time back that the product changed and became better--they got rid of the formaldehyde base---she liked the wipes--I 'll stick with the 303 for now

 

[mikec]

Vinylx by lexol is the way to go. Not shiny and has UV filters that protect against sunlight.

 

[Acura NsX Pilot]

Right now I use vinylex, but I use a small amount of it on a moist cotten terry cloth, and it does not seem to give that weird glossy shine.

Regards
Rick

I read that its best to just apply the product to the surface and spread it and massage it in with ur finger tips that way you dont lose most of the product in the appplicator.

 

[jrehner]

UV

303 has UV protection also and it can be used on other surfaces as well--check the other prior thread that Forum Nazi lists and check out the sites for the products----I think I would go with Zymol for the exterior (complete system), am using Lexol for the leather and am using 303 for Vinyl and rubber---in the other thread there was no bad commentary about 303 by anyone but there were negatives for both zymol and lexol as to the vinyl use....

 

[nsxtasy]

in the other thread there was no bad commentary about 303 by anyone but there were negatives for both zymol and lexol as to the vinyl use....

Not true. The Zymol Vinyl product is great - I speak from experience - and there are no negatives in the other topic about it (or about the Lexol product, either, for that matter). As it says on the Zymol website,

Heat, cold, washing and exposure to solvent-based cleaners and run-of-the-mill treatments damage the finish of your vinyl upholstery and vinyl trim. Some vinyl manufacturing methods use formaldehyde as the base. Introducing solvent- or formaldehyde-based treatments can accelerate vinyl deterioration by changing the original chemical balance. zymöl Vinyl Conditioner is a solvent-free, formaldehyde-free, oil-based feeding product that releases solvents and restores moisture.

Contains Lemon Seed Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Sesame Oil, Cetyl Esters, Cetyl Cocoamide (derived from coconut oil), Cocoamide, Lecithin and Xanthan Gum.

 

[jrehner]

WEll you're right---i just assumed Mr Forum Nazi pointed to the most comprehensive thread--go to FAQ-Detailing and you will see more comprehensive discussion where people say they don't like Zymol or don't like the Lexol for one reason or another...In that thread most seem to use Lexol on the leather and Zymol on the vinyl because they like one over the other for certain reasons given. for others it was just the opposite.. One person said do not use Zymol on leather where another product was used as he had problems..Have never seen anything negative on the 303 however which is just for the vinyl...

However, even in the general discussion thread pointed to by Mr Forum Nazi---everyone that mentioned 303 loved it and no one had anything bad to say about it. Also a number use the Lexol on the leather and 303 on the vinyl like I do.....I would use Zymol on my exterior as I said--how many products have wax that's dependent on whether it's a light paint or a darker paint, after all---like I said before, I would like to see a thread on Zymol, 3m, Zaino etc for exterior--paradise detailing says Zymol for that deep lustre look.....

 

[jrehner]

Oh and Calexand---- to speak to your original post--if u click on Forum Nazi's thread--you will see a person stating exactly what I indicated as to the nice matte finish of the 303

 

[nsxtasy]

go to FAQ-Detailing

http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Detailing/InteriorLeather.htm

you will see more comprehensive discussion where people say they don't like Zymol or don't like the Lexol for one reason or another...In that thread most seem to use Lexol on the leather and Zymol on the vinyl because they like one over the other for certain reasons given.

No, that's not what I see at all. The FAQ is highly complimentary about Zymol Vinyl, their product for vinyl. In fact, there is not a negative word about this product in the entire FAQ.

They have some comments about not using Zymol Treat (their product for leather) on vinyl, but that is a different product - and in fact, it doesn't say anything about not liking it, it just tells you not to apply it directly on top of another product. We can talk about leather products if you like - Zymol Treat is very nice for leather, as are some other products - but this topic was talking about vinyl. And we were talking about Zymol Vinyl, which is a different product from Zymol Treat.

I don't see anything negative in the FAQ about the Lexol products, either.

I would use Zymol on my exterior as I said--how many products have wax that's dependent on whether it's a light paint or a darker paint, after all---like I said before, I would like to see a thread on Zymol, 3m, Zaino etc for exterior--paradise detailing says Zymol for that deep lustre look.....

There's a comprehensive topic about Zymol products here and another one about Zaino products here.

 

[DetailersParadise]

I just picked up a new product called einszett Cockpit Premium. I was amazed as it went on with absolutely no shine or oily film. It is a very light product that you will not even know you applied. It has UV protection, but not as powerful as a 303 or Vinylex, so I would suggest treating your surfaces once a month if your car sits in the sun a lot.

 

[jrehner]

Picky Picky---nsxtasy--yes its mostly about leather and most do not say they dislike a product except for zymol treat (2) but others have preferences which means they like them over the others--zymol is indicated to have a semi-gloss finish

You made no mention of the fact that no one had anything bad to say about 303 and that it's matte finish is what the thread starter is looking for--DP suggested a product that would suit the purpose also although the UV protection is not as long lasting.

 

[nsxtasy]

Picky Picky

I'm not trying to be picky - I'm trying to help you and others by sharing my experience with products and providing what I think is good advice. I think you seem to be ignoring good advice when it doesn't use the precise words you are looking for. (Some would call that "picky", you know.) And this is why I continue to provide clarifications to what I have said, because you seem to be misinterpreting them to mean something never intended. Just as you have mistakenly misinterpreted comments in the FAQ about one product to be for an entirely different product.

Remember, the whole purpose of these forums is to share information with each other, and to understand what is trying to be communicated. Sometimes that means that a little extra explanation is necessary to avoid misunderstanding. I suggest you not see that as being "picky", but rather, as an attempt to be helpful - the spirit in which it was intended.

others have preferences which means they like them over the others

I would bet that most of those comments from those who express a preference for one vinyl product over the others have never tried the others. I can tell you that I have not tried most of the products mentioned here - which is why I am not commenting on them.

zymol is indicated to have a semi-gloss finish

I can assure you from personal experience that Zymol Vinyl does NOT have a semi-gloss finish. I would describe the finish as satiny or matte, and not as semi-gloss.

The "semi-gloss" comment quoted in the FAQ came from Soichiro, who in this topic said: "the BEST stuff I've found for vinyl is Zymol Vinyl. I recently did the entire interior on an old abused Civic and it looks like new. Can't do better than that." Perhaps he would like to provide a more accurate description of the finish from Zymol Vinyl. Soichiro?

You made no mention of the fact that no one had anything bad to say about 303

The reason for that is that not many people have tried the 303. That's why you only have comments from two people in this topic, and no one else - and why there are no comments about it in the FAQ. Was I supposed to comment about a product I have never used?

and that it's matte finish is what the thread starter is looking for

I didn't realize that the FAQ had a word that would be interpreted erroneously. The thread starter is looking for a finish that is "non-shiny" (that's the word he used). Zymol Vinyl provides a finish that is non-shiny. I can't make it any clearer than that.

 

[Soichiro]

>>Zymol Vinyl provides a finish that is non-shiny.

I think words like shiny and glossy are subjective. IMO Zymol provides a like-new finish, keeping your surfaces looking as they came from the factory. Some might call that a satin finish while others see it as matte.

Another nice thing about Zymol's Vinyl is the gloss is somewhat adjustable. Use as instructed and buff after waiting 20 minutes gives you the factory finish, but a heavier application or skipping the buffing step leaves a surface with more shine. Your choice! I have used this stuff for 10+ years and really like it, plus people say my 91 coupe looks new inside. That's my goal, so I'm a happy customer.

 

[DetailersParadise]

I have black dash that has 303 on it and a tan dash with Cockpit Premium. I could take a couple of quick pictures if that would help.

Actually, I have a square of vinyl sitting around. I could do a third in 303, a third in CP and leave a third untreated.

 

[nsxtasy]

Actually, I have a square of vinyl sitting around. I could do a third in 303, a third in CP and leave a third untreated.

Could you do part of it in Zymol Vinyl?

 

[DetailersParadise]

I am afraid I don't have any Zymol and there is no place locally for me to pick any up. I have some Klasse LVR which I really like.

I have some pictures taken, but the vinyl piece was too small to show a decent contrast, so I ended up taking pictures of my dash. I am trying to get my web designer to make space on my site to host them. As soon as this is done I will put them up here. I expect it to be tomorrow some time.

 

[jrehner]

Sorry

obviously people's thoughts on the products are very subjective---I construe Semi-Gloss as being shiny but not extremely so just like semi-gloss paint and high gloss paint----semi-gloss is the shine u will see on kitchen/bathroom walls and high gloss is what you see on high end wood moldings (many people just use semi-gloss for everything) A satin paint finish is shinier than flat paint but less so than semi-gloss--I do not know if paint shine can be compared to vinyl products. I use the 303 and it does not impart any added shine to what is already present in the material itself.

Oh I am a landlord of 30 plus years also--so I consider the term semi-gloss to be the equivalent shine of semi-gloss paint.....I guess our thread beginner will just have to try several products to see what he likes----DP ---it may be very difficult to take a photo that can depict the shine or lack thereof...