How to get your vinyl seats looking like new
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- Minor Fan
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How to get your vinyl seats looking like new
I found this out by accident when I splashed some paint onto one of my front seats and got a rag with some cellulose thinners to remove it!
The thinners cut through all the grime to reveal clean vinyl. I think it removes a thin layer of vinyl (almost like T cutting paint) so go carefully. On checking the area where I had cleaned off the paint (a week or 2 ago) the vinyl is fine - no cracking or sticky) so give the seat a good clean with a nail brush, dryed it off then went over the entire seat with the rag soaked in thinners, as you rub the seat, the dirt and faded areas clean up well.
It was warm and sunny today so this probably helped to evaporate the thinners quickly - you need to have a good supply of rags as they get dirty and will smear the surface.
When this is done, I washed the seats again to remove any trace of thinners, dryed them and applyed some Autoglym vinyl care cleaner - the vinyl looks like new now
Try this at your own risk though - its probably quite a brutal way to clean seats
First photo is the seat half cleaned - light is not to good, area on left is the cleaned part excluding the centre ribbed area, second photo is the finished seat.
The thinners cut through all the grime to reveal clean vinyl. I think it removes a thin layer of vinyl (almost like T cutting paint) so go carefully. On checking the area where I had cleaned off the paint (a week or 2 ago) the vinyl is fine - no cracking or sticky) so give the seat a good clean with a nail brush, dryed it off then went over the entire seat with the rag soaked in thinners, as you rub the seat, the dirt and faded areas clean up well.
It was warm and sunny today so this probably helped to evaporate the thinners quickly - you need to have a good supply of rags as they get dirty and will smear the surface.
When this is done, I washed the seats again to remove any trace of thinners, dryed them and applyed some Autoglym vinyl care cleaner - the vinyl looks like new now
Try this at your own risk though - its probably quite a brutal way to clean seats
First photo is the seat half cleaned - light is not to good, area on left is the cleaned part excluding the centre ribbed area, second photo is the finished seat.
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- Minor Fan
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- Minor Fan
- Posts: 394
- Joined: Mon May 05, 2008 10:49 pm
- Location: Fife Scotland
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Just ordinary panel wipe? that would make sense - as you say you need to watch with the thinners - I was carefull to wipe it off quickly to avoid taking the vinyl grain away.motherofgod wrote:what you need is prepaint wipe, thinners will if used heavy will take off vinyl and be careful if it has pattern(grain) the prepaint isn't as harsh.
james
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- Minor Fan
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- Minor Fan
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'scuse me, what we need here is the gentle touch, not thinners etc IF you want your seat surfaces to last! Take it from a Concours and Masters winner.... First wash them gently with plain warm water and a cloth if you have let them get v grubby/bought them v grubby. Let them dry in the air on a nice dry not TOO hot day. Then clean with Decosol vinyl cleaner - following the instructions on the bottle. Rinse & dry. Repeat if nec. use an old toothbrush to get dirt out of seams (concours judges know this is where dirt lurks). When dry polish with on of a Gun as per bottle instructions.
Mary
Mary
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- Minor Legend
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- Minor Fan
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I would recommend anything made by Bilt Hamber, all their products I've tried have been excellent. They're very friendly on the phone and dispatch immediately on card payment.10852sm wrote:I tried everything I could think of then someone on Pistonheads reccomended Bilt Hamber Surfex HD, its water based and you mix it to whatever concentration you want, its very very good and removed dirt that bleach etc. would not touch.
The wife now uses it all round the house.
Steve
Regarding the thinners bit- DO NOT try it on the beigey goldy part of a duotone unless you want to end up with cream coloured vinyl
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- Minor Fan
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- Minor Fan
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Errrrr, yeah, it was errr, a friend of mine who told me.
Actually, it was me. Although I discovered it worked when I just grabbed a wipe to use on the glass on my old landy. I noticed some primer overspray and gave it a quick wipe. It came off so easily.
I then had them to hand when a friend brought his Damson 1500 fwd over. He had sprayed a door shut and got a fair bit of paint on the light grey vinyl seat. Wipes used and no more damson/grey seat. Result. Have recommended it to others and it works well without any issues.
Actually, it was me. Although I discovered it worked when I just grabbed a wipe to use on the glass on my old landy. I noticed some primer overspray and gave it a quick wipe. It came off so easily.
I then had them to hand when a friend brought his Damson 1500 fwd over. He had sprayed a door shut and got a fair bit of paint on the light grey vinyl seat. Wipes used and no more damson/grey seat. Result. Have recommended it to others and it works well without any issues.
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- Minor Legend
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