Dash dressing that actually protects the dash?

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Jeff_in_VABch
Does 303 leave a window film after awhile?

Yeah, it does off-gas to some extent.

If anyone can recommend a good product that doesn't do this, I'd like to know as well.

 

[CBR.worm]

The thing that kills me is that is is in the garage when it is not rolling, and I have not heard of other G35's with dash problems. The only other thing that comes to mind is that it sits in airport garages 3-5 days a week. It could be something in the air.

The 303 sounds interesting. I suspect that the products that were used (rarely) softened to the top coating. My Maxima which had a similar dash sat outside for years and never had an issue.

My '06 FX45 had its dash replaced under warranty for blistering, but it does sit in the sun. And they had a known issue and extended the dash warranty.


I wish I could just replace the dash as the rest of the interior is in mint condition but the price is excessive to say the least.

 

[mshu7]

While 303 is a fantastic product, it's just a tad too shiny on the interior plastics and vinyl for me.

As a professional detailer, I use Optimum Protectant Plus (Leather Protectant). It leaves a behind a satin finish and contains UV inhibitors and hydrating oils. I buy it by the gallon.

No greasy shiny mess please!

 

[4x4chevydude]

Does leather protectant really ok for plastic dashes?

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: mshu7
While 303 is a fantastic product, it's just a tad too shiny on the interior plastics and vinyl for me.

As a professional detailer, I use Optimum Protectant Plus (Leather Protectant). It leaves a behind a satin finish and contains UV inhibitors and hydrating oils. I buy it by the gallon.

No greasy shiny mess please!

How well does it work on the leather?

 

[mshu7]

Originally Posted By: 4x4chevydude
Does leather protectant really ok for plastic dashes?


Yes, the original name is Protectant Plus. Not sure why, but they temporarily changed the name a couple years ago to Leather protectant. Either way, it's safe and great for all interior plastics, vinyl, & leather.

It's a phenomenal product.

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm

How well does it work on the leather?


It works great on leather. I clean the leather with a mixture of Woolite and Water diluted to 1 part Woolite to 20 parts water. I spray that on the leather, scrub it with a soft bristle brush, and then wipe it dry. Once completely dry, I spray the Optimum Protectant Plus on a microfiber applicator and apply to leather. After I'm done treating all the leather, I go back with a dry microfiber cloth and wipe everything down to knock down any "high spots" where I may have put too much product on.

That is basically my process for all the interior plastics, vinyl, & leather.

On LCD screens or gauge cluster plastic, just clean them with Sprayway glass cleaner and sometimes protect them with a product called PlastX.

 

[Chris B.]

Originally Posted By: mshu7
While 303 is a fantastic product, it's just a tad too shiny on the interior plastics and vinyl for me.

As a professional detailer, I use Optimum Protectant Plus (Leather Protectant). It leaves a behind a satin finish and contains UV inhibitors and hydrating oils. I buy it by the gallon.

No greasy shiny mess please!

Does it have plasticizers in to to prevent plastics from cracking?

 

[mshu7]

I don't know about plasticizers, but it does have hydrating and penetrating oils to keep things from cracking. You can read a couple different descriptions of the product in the following links.

http://www.detailedimage.com/wax.php?id=...-P281/17-oz-S1/

http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-protectant-plus.html

By the way, the Optimum company itself doesn't make any bad products. All their products are premium, high-quality products, and eco-friendly to boot.

 

[mshu7]

Also, just to note. Even though Optimum Protectant Plus does contain cleaners, it's not a replacement for actually cleaning the surface prior to treating it with OPP. Again, I clean interiors with Woolite & Water diluted 1:20 (this is what Cadillac used to recommend for their leather) and then treat everything with OPP.

 

[Rolla07]

I was at the Toyota dealer not too long ago and was given a sample of some of their Toyota Touch all purpose cleaner. I used some armor all wipes on the dash, and it left behind a film.. i think the wipes were old, unless they are [censored] to start with.. and I used the all purpose cleaner and to my surprise it cleaned my dash beautifully no greasy look, just clean, and i couldnt believe it stayed dust free for quite awhile.. probably costly stuff though, since its from the dealer...

 

[mshu7]

Rolla07,

If the Toyota product was just an all-purpose cleaner, it's probably nothing fancy. Any APC would have given you the same results. Also, an all-purpose cleaner is an inexpensive product so the Toyota APC that you received may have been costly because of the Toyota logo on the bottle, but I'm sure the actual APC inside the bottle was very inexpensive. For example, Meguiar's Professional APC when diluted 10:1 comes out to about $.09 cents per 32 oz. bottle. Yes, you read that right. Nine cents.

Food for thought.

 

[tripleM]

Originally Posted By: mshu7
Also, just to note. Even though Optimum Protectant Plus does contain cleaners, it's not a replacement for actually cleaning the surface prior to treating it with OPP. Again, I clean interiors with Woolite & Water diluted 1:20 (this is what Cadillac used to recommend for their leather) and then treat everything with OPP.



Why not just spray it on there & wipe off?
I have never thought of actually cleaning it.

Can you expand on why you have to clean prior to protecting?

Also would simple water be suffice if you do want to clean?

 

[mshu7]

Originally Posted By: tripleM
Originally Posted By: mshu7
Also, just to note. Even though Optimum Protectant Plus does contain cleaners, it's not a replacement for actually cleaning the surface prior to treating it with OPP. Again, I clean interiors with Woolite & Water diluted 1:20 (this is what Cadillac used to recommend for their leather) and then treat everything with OPP.



Why not just spray it on there & wipe off?
I have never thought of actually cleaning it.

Can you expand on why you have to clean prior to protecting?

Also would simple water be suffice if you do want to clean?




It's good to clean the interior prior to protecting it for the same reason you wash (and should clay) your car before you wax it. Despite how the interior surfaces may look, you want to make sure they are clean before applying a protectant (example: removing oils from areas that you touch with your hands & body). OPP and other protectants like OPP are not intended to just be sprayed on and wiped off like an all-purpose cleaner is intended. OPP has very light cleaners so there's just enough to clean the surface in case you go over a spot that was missed when you cleaned it.

To get the most of of OPP or any other protectant, you want to the surface to be as clean as possible when you apply it. Once the product has had time to dry/absorb into the surface, I recommend going back over it with a dry microfiber towel to remove any excess product that might have been applied. This allows for the product to not only penetrate the surfaces more easily, but also to make sure you get an even application. If you put OPP or another protectant on a dirty surface, you're smearing dirt and contaminants around the surfaces as you're "protecting" them. Not really a good combination.

Also, water is sufficient for cleaning. Just like you wouldn't use plain water to wash your car, you don't want to use plain water to CLEAN the inside of your car. 1 part Woolite diluted to 20 parts of water is a sufficient yet gentle cleaner for the interior. And it'll leaves a nice scent as well.

So to sum it up, clean the interior before protecting it just like you would wash the outside of your car before you wax it. Same would apply for cleaning wheels before you put tire shine on them or cleaning the windshield before you put Rain-X on it.

 

[mshu7]

^^^
*EDIT: Water is NOT sufficient for cleaning.

It timed out before I could change it.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: mshu7
^^^
*EDIT: Water is NOT sufficient for cleaning.

It timed out before I could change it.


I sometimes use warm water with a drop of dish soap to better remove greasy fingerprints and prior dressing leftovers, especially around the controls and cup holders.

Do you think dish soap is safe?

 

[mshu7]

Dish soap is a degreaser so it definitely wouldn't be my first choice because it'll dry out whatever you clean. I don't recommend it for washing the outside of a vehicle either.

Try some Woolite if you have some. It works well, is gentle, and leaves a nice scent!

 

[97tbird]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Jeff_in_VABch
Does 303 leave a window film after awhile?

Yeah, it does off-gas to some extent.

If anyone can recommend a good product that doesn't do this, I'd like to know as well.


Einszett Cockpit Premium. Never had any window film problems.

 

[Rolla07]

Originally Posted By: mshu7
Rolla07,

If the Toyota product was just an all-purpose cleaner, it's probably nothing fancy. Any APC would have given you the same results. Also, an all-purpose cleaner is an inexpensive product so the Toyota APC that you received may have been costly because of the Toyota logo on the bottle, but I'm sure the actual APC inside the bottle was very inexpensive. For example, Meguiar's Professional APC when diluted 10:1 comes out to about $.09 cents per 32 oz. bottle. Yes, you read that right. Nine cents.

Food for thought.

I agree, most likely any APC would do a fine job. I didnt pay for the Toyota APC, it was a free sample!

 

[mshu7]

^^^ Free is always good