Mothers VLR (vinyl, leather, rubber) review

[01rangerxl]

I had seen Mothers VLR a few times at parts stores and finally decided to give it a try. It's a cleaner and protectant for vinyl, leather, and rubber, hence the name. It was $7.99 for a bottle at Advance. That's the top end of what it should sell for at retail, but it is actually worth it since it does seem to work in place of multiple products.

My truck has a formerly clearcoated leather wrapped steering wheel. About 70% of the clearcoat is worn off, so it is exposed leather. Meguiar's quick deatailer wipes didn't really work well on it, so I had been using a dedicated leather conditioner, but it was cheap stuff, I think Turtle Wax brand. The Mother's VLR is the best thing I have tried yet. The leather is very soft and smooth after using the VLR.

It also worked well on the dash and door panels, leaving a nice, non-greasy, like-new appearance. If you like the greasy interior look the VLR will probably disappoint, but for a nice clean appearance it does great. It's low on odor, and it's a clean smell, so that's another plus over Armorall.

I have not tried it on the door seals and such yet, but I think it will work well there too. I am very happy with it so far. This is the closest I have come to an all in one interior cleaner/protectant.

 

[dparm]

So how would you classify the finish? Matte, semi-gloss, or gloss?

I have been sticking with 303 Aerospace Protectant for years because I like the matte finish.

BTW you are not supposed to put any sort of conditioner or oil on a steering wheel since it can make your hand slip. Leather Masters puts this right on their bottles -- "NOT FOR USE ON STEERING WHEELS".

 

[racin4ds]

I've been using the VLR for awhile now and love it on both my F150's leather interior and the vinyl/plastic in our other vehicles. It truly is a great all around product that isn't slippery at all and cleans very well. I personally love the "new car" smell it has.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: dparm
So how would you classify the finish? Matte, semi-gloss, or gloss?

I have been sticking with 303 Aerospace Protectant for years because I like the matte finish.

BTW you are not supposed to put any sort of conditioner or oil on a steering wheel since it can make your hand slip. Leather Masters puts this right on their bottles -- "NOT FOR USE ON STEERING WHEELS".


Matte, even more so than 303. It does slightly darken the material, but doesn't leave much of a shine and no residue.

I used to use 303, but didn't like how it would run if I opened the door in the rain. The VLR seems less prone to this so far.

As for the steering wheel, I don't grease it up. I just want to keep the funk off and keep the leather supple. The VLR does a nice job of that, leaving no slippery residue.