What's the best stuff for cleaning #50's vinyl bench seat?

[robroy]

Good evening,

#50's bright yellow vinyl is starting to look drab, now that I've climbed in and out a million times in my funky garage/project pants!



What's the best stuff for cleaning this soft, bright vinyl?

Ideally, I'd like to find something with a nice smell (more like a leather treating product than a Windex-type smell), and it's important that whatever I use doesn't make the vinyl really slick. Once I'm sitting in the truck I like to stay put while driving around corners--yes, I did my whole vinyl seat with Armor-All as a teenager and had that fun experience.

I've looked through the off-the-shelf stuff at NAPA and couldn't find anything that seemed just right. The leather cleaning products don't mention anything but leather, and the vinyl stuff all looks like it would give me that "slip-and-slide" experience.

I actually tried some Simple Green on an inconspicuous spot and it worked pretty well, but the smell's not what I'm looking for. Have you ever been eating a Super Burrito in a taqueria when the guy comes over to clean the table next to you, with the big spray bottle full of that blue cleaning stuff? And a big cloud of it wafts directly in to your burrito zone? Well, that's not the smell I'm looking for.

Thanks very much for all of the tremendously helpful advice!!!

Robroy

[Hemmi06]

I love 409... Once it it dry it is not too overpowering...

[robroy]

Thanks for replying Hemmi06!

I've used 409 in the past and have liked it OK; I might wind up using a cleaner like that here. I guess what I'm looking for is a cleaner that doesn't smell like a cleaner, if that makes any sense.

Thanks very much Hemmi06!!!
Robroy

[70_F100]

Robroy, any commercial cleaner is probably going to be made of a much-diluted Sodium Hydroxide mixture, unless it's one of the "green" cleaners. They are pretty much all going to have some form of ethanolamine component.

Nice thing about them is that the smell dissipates pretty quickly if you leave your windows open.

One thing you might try is to make a Dawn Detergent/water solution and put it in a spray bottle.

If it'll clean baby ducks without hurting them, it'll surely be safe for #50's new seat!!!

[robroy]

Good day 70_F100, thanks for your awesome reply!

That's fascinating to know that most commercial cleaners use the same chemical(s). Maybe if it doesn't leave a lasting smell I'll be OK with going that route.

I like the idea of using Dawn on there, yet I'm not sure whether that would require rinsing with water afterwards.

My seat does look a lot like a duck though!!!

Thanks very much for your excellent advice 70_F100!!!
Robroy

[mr_josh]

I've had good luck with Armor All Cleaning wipes. They don't leave behind the oily / sticky stuff that regular Armor All does, but in my experience they clean vinyl pretty doggone well. Plus you can stick the container under the seat and when something ends up on an interior piece, you can wipe it up quickly.

[robroy]

Good afternoon Josh, thanks for replying!

Oh that's great to know! I was avoiding those because I figured they were oily just like the spray. Maybe I'll pick up a can of them to see how they smell and how they work.

Thanks a lot!
Robroy

[LANCE65]

Hey Robroy,I have used Wesley's Bleech White whitewall cleaner on really dirty vinyl upholstery before and it was amazing. I just used Lexxol (SP?) afterwards to condition the material.

[Whateverman]

i've had good results with wd40 of all things -yeah it stinks things up,but it lifts out grease pretty well and it seems to help keep the vinyl soft - or also :plain ol' liquid laundry soap and a scrub brush

after losing a near mint (soft vinyl and no cracks) dashpad and armrests to cracking i will never use armour all on anything again- it tends to dry old vinyl out and make it brittle (my stuff died tragically less than a week after the 3rd application of armour-all )

[impappy]

I recently cleaned my bench seat with a product by ZEP called 505. It is a degreaser that is sold at home depot in a concentrate form so dilution is necessary. it lifted 40 years of grease and dirt out of the old vinyl and made look new again. Afterward I wiped the seat down with a little baby oil to keep the seat soft and pliable. I am quite happy with the results

[TheEskimo]

I have a light tan interior on my '85 T-bird, I use those Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. I get all kinds of grease and what not on the door panels and dash and it pulls it right out from those little crevices. Doesn't seem to be damaging anything, though a test on an out of view place is always suggested.