Armor All Over Spray

Hi Team, So before anyone beats me up...it wasn't me!! So the owner before me (or before him) looks like they sprayed Armor All (or the like) on the dash and some got on the speedometer/rpm gauges. I tried to remove with simple water, then Windex but no joy. Before I try anything else and make it worse has anyone got any bright ideas on how to remove this stuff?? Thanks!! Mike

Hey there, I wouldn't imagine that Armorall would be so difficult to remove maybe all the silicon and other things in it make it difficult. Maybe dishwashing detergent and hot water?? Might be good to start with that. Failing that rubbing alcohol might be an option, perhaps diluted at first and as always attempt in an inconspicuous area!

A quick internet search turns up quite a few answers, the one that sounds best involves a high end acrylic aquarium polish called Nexum. Never use windex on plastic!

Thank you dan_189 and Boomvang for your help... I'll give the dish soap a try and if that fails, the Nexum. I have a feeling it's something other than Armor All. Maybe that garbage that local car washes use or something. Thanks again!

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hey mike, ive had this problem too.. Do you have white spots on the clear plastic of the gauges? Remember, ArmorAll will absorb in plastics and in the case of Porsche's clear plastic gauge covers, the chemicals react causing it to cloud up. Remidy: Use a soft, non-abrasive lens cloth and put some rubbing alcohol on the cloth and gently rub the areas until you feel the cloth warm. It will take multiple times before it absorbs the oils in the clear plastics, but eventually it will clear up.

Thanks b3freak! Exactly, small white spots on the clear plastic. After doing some additional research, I see a lot of people using rubbing alcohol for this. I will give it a try tomorrow and see what happens.

I have the answer. It was meguairs VLR that caused your problem. Had the same thing happen to the plastic screen on my BMW (when I made my kids clean the car). Tried everything. Finally fixed it with a mild abrasive. I think I used meguairs ultimate polish, I think. If not, I used the meguairs ultimate compound.

My go-to product for stains, discoloration, corrosion, tarnish, spots, etc. on anything plastic or metal is this stuff. I swear, it is a true miracle product. Last week, I even used it to go over the faded yellow lenses on my Boxte', and it took me 5 minutes or less to have them looking light-years better: I buy it by the tub now.

I lied. I just remembered. I used meguiars plastx headlight polish. Worked like a charm but took a couple applications. Getting old sucks.

I always wash the interior with hot water and fantastic, or simple green, Ive never met anything it wont take off

Nice, most of the car's I've owned have had this problem, hell even new leases have after being 'cleaned' by the dealer. Never thought about it, just thought it was over spray from leather cleaner or something. I'm going to do this this weekend Hope it works for you too OP. Cuda where can I get Flitz, like Home Depot or Lowes?

^ yes HD you can...Google to the rescue. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Flitz-1-7...A&gclsrc=aw.ds

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I would recommend ordering online. That Home Depot link above looks expensive. I buy it at the San Diego County Fair. They have Flitz demo booths at almost all big county fairs, and there is always a "Fair Special" price. I buy a can of it (about 16 oz). for $50 and they throw in some freebies too. This stuff also polishes metal FAR better than any other product.... try it.... you will be AMAZED! [No, I have no affiliation with the company, just a big fan of the product.]

Thanks Cuda, I just ordered the Flitz on Amazon. Seems like just a good thing to have around the shop! Mike

When it shows up, take a tarnished penny, and use a little dab of the stuff on a soft cloth to polish it.... it will be mirror-bright in seconds. Sometimes there are "mystery" stains on my wheels from some crap on the road. This stuff always works, where other products fail. I use it on my chrome exhaust tips to make them sparkle.

I plan on giving it a try on the headlights as well. They are still in decent condition with just a hint of yellowing but not bad. We'll see!

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Our Nissan lost the clear coat on the lights, so I have to polish the lenses a few times a year to keep them from being cloudy (it's my wife's daily driver, and I prefer to keep her alive as long as possible)... I should just break down and get them recleared, but the car does so many mountain miles (with cinders/salt/grit on the road) that it doesn't really make sense to do. Plus, it's kind of a zen thing to keep going until they're perfect.

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Get them clear tinted. cheap and effective.

going to buy some of that Flitz, as my girlfriend's Nissan could use a headlight wash & my cars too. Tanks guise

I use a product called Tub O Towels. Saw it advertised on TV and bought some. It's an amazing product to remove a lot of crud while being OK for your hands and for all plastics I have tried so far. My gauges are clear but my headlights were starting to get cloudy. They look great now after a couple tries with Tub O Towels. Got it at Autozone but it's probably available everywhere.

You can also get pretty good results when dealing with small areas by using toothpaste applied via a finger and working in a tight, circular, overlapping motion. I've used it to remove tiny scratches, plus the car has minty fresh breath doesn't get cavities anymore.

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True. I have a pint of plastic polish; once it's gone, I'll probably go that route or do it myself. Who am I kidding? With a pint, I could polish my way completely through both of them and still have plenty left. I'll just rattle-can them eventually (Nissan != Ferrari...).