Armor All bad- urban myth or true?
Magnulus
mom for using Armor All on the inside of her truck. Now, I'm the one
that washes, vacuums, and cleans the truck, so it makes me wonder. I've
always used Armor All (low shine if I can find it), and never had any
problems with it. I've used it on just about anything rubber or plastic.
I have a PC racing wheel (Logitech Momo) that's about 3 years old that I've
used Armor All on once a month, and it has stood up to some heavy use.
We've been using Armor All on the truck for the last two years or so without
problems. But the mechanic says that Armor All will cause the dashboard
under summer heat to bubble and crack. It sounds like complete BS to me.
He says Armor All was designed for old vinyl dashboards, not the newer
dashboards. Again, just sounds like BS. If Armor All were so bad, you'ld
expect by now for the truck to show some signs of damage on the dashboard,
but as it is, it looks fine.
Any thoughts? How can I reassure my mom that Armor All is OK... and the
dashboard will definitely age and wear if nothing but water is used? Or is
it Armor All that's complete garbage?
John Harlow
> the dashboard will definitely age and wear if nothing but water is
> used? Or is it Armor All that's complete garbage?
Perhaps he thinks it causes the surface to absorb more heat and UV similar
to "tanning butter"; I doubt it could possibly make that much difference
though. If you're really into the greasy dirt attracting film it leaves,
knock yourself out; I dislike it personally.
Use a windshield shade if you really want to help your car.
Jim Yanik
news:auWdnU1px7y...@comcast.com:
Besides,I doubt a topical application will restore the plasticizers that
are baked out under heat(that funky film on your windshield).
Maybe at the surface,but not throughout the plastic's thickness.
--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net
Snow
you have to keep on using it or the dash will slowly dry and crack. I use
it on all my vehicles at least once a month, I fear what will happen if I
stop.
Snow...
"Magnulus" <magn...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:oEi5e.34070$f%4.1...@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
N8N
The story that I've heard is that Armor-All actually strips some of the
plasticizers off of the vinyl and does contain a protectant that will
work, but that once you start using it you're pretty much stuck using
it - if you discontinue use your vinyl will fall apart in short order.
That said, I just plain don't like the stuff at all. If you want to be
nice to your vinyl, get a big tub of that Permatex hand cleaner with
lanolin and rub it into the vinyl with a toothbrush. Let it sit for a
couple hours and then buff it off with a towel. It will clean the
vinyl like you wouldn't believe and also restore some of its original
softness. I've used it on old, neglected vinyl with amazing results.
If you feel the need to use a commercial, made-for-vinyl product,
follow up with some Meguiar's vinyl dressing.
good luck
nate
Magnulus
"Snow" <sno...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:oiz5e.23724$Fy3.1...@news20.bellglobal.com...
> I have found that its one of those products that once you start to use it
> you have to keep on using it or the dash will slowly dry and crack. I use
> it on all my vehicles at least once a month, I fear what will happen if I
> stop.
>
I've never seen this happen. Typically, I just apply Armor All once in
the winter, and 2-3 times in the summer. The dashboard doesn't seem to
crack if I stop using it- it doesn't seem to get "addicted". If you like
that shiny look, of course you have to apply it more often. If all I have
is regular shine, I use a damp cloth to wipe it down when I'm done.
Car vinyl and plastic is going to age no matter what under certain
conditions. It seems to me alot of badmouthing of Armor All is just the
good ole post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. IE, people keep a car in the
hot, baking sun with minimal window tinting, they use Armor All maybe once,
and the dashboard cracks after a while... and they blame Armor All when
they should be blaming the sun.
I suspect with newer cars with built-in UV blocking on the windows, wear
to the dashboard is going to be reduced anyways.
As I said before, "Armor All cracking dashboards" ranks right up there
with "Pledge is bad for furniture". Silicone on furniture is pretty
harmless. I use it. It just makes refinishing harder. OTOH, its better at
protecting against water and stains than many waxes. Wood doesn't breath
really- the finish only penetrates a milimetere or so, which explains how
polyeurethane finishes work so well. So there are alot of urban legends
that are complete BS.
I do know Armor All does a good job of protecting against ozone. I have
some vulcanite and rubber things, and when I turn on an ozone generator to
clean out a room, if the rubber/vulcanite doesn't have some Armor All on it,
then it will oxidize somewhat (it takes a few days- the ozone generator is
low power), necessitating some polishing.
N E One
Lots of people around here have carpeted dashes - more like a mat that
fits on the dash.
The ones I've seen actually fit quit well. I've wondered if I'll
regret not getting one for myself in a few years
Ashton Crusher
wrote:
Here's an old post on the subject...
From li...@the-vanguard.com Sun May 14 12:28:21 2000
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From: Andy Williams <li...@the-vanguard.com>
Newsgroups: rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Subject: Re: Armor All and your stang
Date: Sun, 14 May 2000 15:28:21 -0400
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patrick wrote:
>I've been searching usenet since I initially posted and their is a
>significant group of people who believe the product causes the
>dash to become 'addicted' to it, and that it will dry and crack if
>not used anymore.
OK, if you want a detailed chemical explanation, here goes.
Soft vinyl plastics (as opposed to things like PVC pipe)
contain a large amount of plasticizers. The one that is
almost universally used is dioctyl phthalate. It is a
relatively high molecular weight, water insoluble, nontoxic
compound. Over the course of time, the plasticizer will
vaporize and leach out of the vinyl causing it to become
stiff and brittle, which is when it cracks.
ArmorAll is an emulsion of dibutyl phthalate in water.
Dibutyl phthalate has a lower molecular weight than the
dioctyl phthalate in the factory soft vinyl. While it will
plump up and soften the plastic (good) the lower molecular
weight means that it is more volatile and more water soluble.
Therefore it will be lost more quickly to the environment
via vaporization and leaching. A nasty side effect is that
it will take the original plasticizer with it as it is lost.
What this means to the end user is that if you start using
ArmorAll you had better continue to do so, or your vinyl
will degrade much faster than if you had done nothing.
>This has caused me to decide not to use it and instead maybe get
>the maximum tint legally allowed on my windows to block UV rays
>and get some of those folding cardboard thingys to put in the
>windshield and rear window to block sunlight.
Ordinary glass blocks UV anyway. Ever try to get a suntan
through your windshield? Doesn't work. That is not to say
that maximum tint is a bad idea. UV damage is not the only
light-related way to destroy plastics. Your plan is a good one.
--
Andy Williams - real address andywlms at ct2 dot nai dot net