Maintenance of Plastic Bumpers & Mud Guards

[ACMC]

Hi Guys,

I just want to inquire what you use to maintain the black plastic portions of your car. Exterior parts like plastic bumpers, grills, side mirror housing, mud guards, etc.

Someone told me that the best is to use armor all. Frankly, I don;t want the "too shiny" look. It look fake. But if this is what needs to be done to protects the plastic parts of my ride, then so be it. I just would like to avoid the problem I have with my other car. Basically, "namumuti na". The color is no longer black or dark grey but almost light grey na siya. Can I return this to some semblance of its dark grey look?

Someone just told me that using armor all or tire blacks which are usually applied in car wash areas may cause cracking to the plastic in the long run. Is this true? If it is, what is the alternative?

Hope to hear from you guys.

Thanks.

ACMC

[zap.FREEDOM]

for the flat black plastic portion, just clean and spray it regularly with a protectorant (to be specifically, a plastic, rubber, vinyl, leather protectorant) it can restores and protect the black finish of plastics from fading, here's a brand that I can recommend



this is the one that I am using in cleaning dashboard and rubber trimming in my car. yung nakaka-crack daw in the long run, I guess its not, yung natural cause na rumurupok ang plastic e kapag na-eexpose sa init, ulan, init,....actually using this types of protectorant can prolong the life of the plastics because it shield it from harmful UV rays.

it is available at all DIY hardware at the malls,

[ACMC]

Thanks zap.freedom. When you say, rubber trimmings, are these the exterior plastic and rubber trimmings? Which in particular are you referring to?

[zap.FREEDOM]

Thanks zap.freedom. When you say, rubber trimmings, are these the exterior plastic and rubber trimmings? Which in particular are you referring to?

yes, in the exterior, esp. the rubber which seals/prevent leakage of the water in the front and rear windscreen and windows. kumukunat kasi yung habang tumatagal kaya pinupunaspunasan ko rin ng protectorant.

[zap.FREEDOM]

pwede rin naman yang armor-all sa plastic (btw the dashboard of my multicab is plastic, and the result is great everytime I sprayed it,), esp. dyan sa black bumper, lilitaw talaga pagka-itim niyan (kagandahan pa it repells dust, madali i-wipe yung ano mang dumi), siguro mga 2 - 3 weeks din tinatagal nung protective formula niyan then spray it again . just use it on rubber, plastics, vinyl...wag lang dun sa mga glass portion, saka dun sa paint ng car.

[onemph05]

Stay away from Armorall, if you care about the condition of the car. Their reputation of drying and cracking still carries on today, but with ruining the plastic turning it cloudy. A professional detailer will only tell you to use a damp rag for interior plastic and to clean regularly. You can use a plastic and rubber trim conditioner for the exterior. It won't save cars with dull and brittle plastic trim. They won't reverse the affect of neglect. But a conditioner for a regularly maintained car exterior plastic will keep it looking new.

[skyflakes]

Stay away from Armorall, if you care about the condition of the car. Their reputation of drying and cracking still carries on today, but with ruining the plastic turning it cloudy. A professional detailer will only tell you to use a damp rag for interior plastic and to clean regularly. You can use a plastic and rubber trim conditioner for the exterior. It won't save cars with dull and brittle plastic trim. They won't reverse the affect of neglect. But a conditioner for a regularly maintained car exterior plastic will keep it looking new.

sir onemph05...anong klaseng conditioner at paano gamitin?

[randyps123]

Ung sakin namuti ung pladtic nung nilagyan ko ng armor all. Maganda pag bagong lagay pero afterwards namumuti. Talking about the part of the car under the wipers ung pladtic right after the hood that drains the water. Pero sa interiors maganda naman sa dash and sides after cleaning with wipe out. Any suggestions on what to put on rubber parts of the car? Thanks

[renzo_d10]

For my black plastic bumpers, I just wipe them off with tireblack. Until today, mukha pa rin bago.

I'd stay away from armor all, they have this reputation na in time magccrack or mamumuti yung portion na inapplyan.

[randyps123]

Sir maganda ba ung tire black nung microtex. I currently using atoy tire black parang iba kasi ung texture ng microtex ung gallon kasi gusto ko bilin 1k ang price. Thanks

[dondonposadas]

Mamumuti yung black plastic using armorall base on my experienced.

[BratPAQ]

Yup, sa kin tire black, natanggal nya yung pamumuti.

[skybison]

Been using armor all for 20+yrs, ok naman.

Guilty rin ako dati sa paglalagay ng armor-all sa dash pero tinigilan ko na. Lol

Namumuti effect? Oo any rubber/vinyl "protectant" pag tinamaan ng tubig -> water marks. :p

Sa dash, damp cloth will do.

I usually dillute/mix with water etong mga protectants:

Shiny > armor all/water
Not so shiny > mictrotex tire black/water

Other tire blacks: DIRT MAGNET. Lol

Im just a regular car nut who cleans fender liners every morning. :p

[onemph05]

sir onemph05...anong klaseng conditioner at paano gamitin?

For off the shelf products and availability, Mothers Back to Black works ok.

[ACMC]

For off the shelf products and availability, Mothers Back to Black works ok.

I saw Mothers Back to Black at a car accessories shop inside megamall. Is it a good product for maintenance as well as getting back the dark color of rubber/vinyl bumpers and the plastic trimmings? Or does it have the same effect as Armol All (cracking)?

[onemph05]

I saw Mothers Back to Black at a car accessories shop inside megamall. Is it a good product for maintenance as well as getting back the dark color of rubber/vinyl bumpers and the plastic trimmings? Or does it have the same effect as Armol All (cracking)?

The product is fine and have used it on my personal cars. But keep one thing in mind about detailing products. They only help if you regularly maintain your car. You can use the product on dull and cracking trim. It will still be dull and cracking after application.

[1D4LV]

for my car :

black plastic moldings sa bumper and doors : i just put armor all and wipe it para hindi shiny look.
mudguard : hinuhugasan ko lang ng tubig.