Vinyl Cleaner

Noticed that my vinyl looks dull and weathered. I wipe done occasionally with a cleaner/protectant but it never seems to get the baked in grime out of the texture of the vinyl. Anybody out there have luck with a product that will accomplish a like new look?

I started using Babes this year. I couldn't believe how good it worked. It easily got out spots that other cleaners couldn't touch.

I second Joe on this one, Babe's Seat Soap is a miracle worker on vinyl!!! I use that then finish it off with Babe's Seat Saver and it keeps the vinyl soft and UV resistant to prevent major cracking and sun fading.

i'll third on the babes product line too. I jump between babes and exquisite cleaner. Both work very well. Used the seat soap and then the seat saver just yesterday on the boat. Brought back the factory new shine.

Babes does a great job cleaning plus it smells good.

Malco Leather & Plastic Cleaner, it's a heck of a lot cheaper, and the best stuff I have used hands down.

http://www.malcopro.com/index.php?pa...art&Itemid=101

I'm with paul, the maloc stuff is the best I've ever used.....I've tried wuite a few over the years. Babes, 3M, exquisite, ect.. For deep cleaning the maloc is hard to beat.

Vinyl Sauce, then Condition Sauce or Exquisite and 303

+1 for Malco. Thought my interior was mint, but it made my boat look brand new again!

I also have malco and it is probably the best one of them all

How big of a container of the malco cleaner do i need to clean all the vinyl in my boat ? This will remove stains in vinyl and light discoloration from grime?

Originally Posted by slipknot

Vinyl Sauce, then Condition Sauce or Exquisite and 303

What specific sauces are you referring to?

I heard 303 and Babes are similar, but 303 leaves more residue. True?

What do you use for protection when using the Malco?

^^^ PB-2 is what I have been using after I use Malco leather and plastic cleaner. It really brings out a nice shine....and smells good too.

http://www.malcopro.com/index.php?pa...art&Itemid=101

If you are using Malco please make sure you do not use it on the water. It breaks down in the water to toxins that affect the reproduction of fish. In essence a small amount can cause fish mutations. The US is one of the few countries that allows its active ingredient to be sold retail.
That said, it does work really well. Just use it in your back yard or garage.

Been using, and recommending the Malco forever! lol . I use the Malco twice a year for deep clean, and the Babes Seat Soap on a more regular basis, followed by the Babes Seat Saver. Used 303 for years but didnt like the slippery feel.

Good to know Art. Thanks for the heads up.

Also -

where are you guys buying malco products? Closest distributor is over 250 miles away :-(

+1 for Malco!! I had to mail order it.. got a gallon. Great stuff!! A lot of guys seem to like Exquisite, as well. It's not too bad.

Thatautomatically turns me off of Malco. Proven formula proven science. Babes seems the best option

Try this. I think it's the best and the best for your vinyl. Others have used it w/ sucess as well. Not an expensive buy with excellent results.
http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showt...ight=exquisite

Looks like i'm going to try the exquisite product since malco seems hard for me to get..

I think you'll be pleased you tried it!!

UNvisible, I have tried them all and nothing touches Malco it really not even close. I did a posting on the boards and two of the carriers online sold out the same morning. You can get a gallon here http://www.detailsupplydepot.com/ite...mno=MAL+100101 which will last you a long tim as you only need it for deeper cleanings. I too use the Babes inbetween the two or three a year cleaning I do with Malco. I also follow it up with PB2 which makes those in between cleanings a lot easier. Its not at slick as 303 but slicker than Babs Seat Saver.

Here is the thread http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showt...ighlight=Malco

hate -

thanks for the post. I actually havent heard back from the susan lady @ exquisite ... so i found an online retailer for the malco. I ordered 3 of the spray bottles. I'll pick some babes up locally, and I already have plenty of 303. I am really looking forward to detailing my interior!

Plan on a half day once you dig in with the Malco. You'll feel confusion, anger, shame and finally joy which makes it all worth it.

Biggest problem with Malco is its a useless spot cleaner. You will do a little patch and everything else will look grey. You end up cleaning the whole boat.

A friend of mine (the one who got me going on it) has turned his back on the Babe's seat saver stating that because it has a silicone base to it, that it will harden and damage the vinyl over time. Anyone else been hearing this? I have been very pleased with it.

I have used them all and frankly cannot see much difference between Malco, Exquisite or even Ducky cleaner. The key to getting grime out is to use a soft brush like the one that comes with Exquisite. Maybe because my boat does not get that dirty and is stored indoors, I am not going to need the deep cleaning like others do. That is the conclusion I have come to seeing enthusiasts of many different products. I thought the Exquisite people have an edge because it is both a conditioner and a cleaner, thus eliminating 1 step in your boat maintenance....if you can beleive what the manufacturer says.

I have tried a lot of different different cleaners over my 13 1/2 years of doing upholstery repair, although I have not personally tried the Malco cleaner. Here is my big concern with the Malco or any other cleaner that cleans so easily without any effort. WHY? There must be some sort of chemical which is stripping the dirt off of the vinyl. But what else is it taking off of the vinyl? Exquisite does not work by this type of common chemical cleaning method which can strip vinyl of its vital built in protections. Exquisite is a water based surfactant cleaner which means it works by the same process soap does which uses suds to remove dirt and oils, but designed for marine vinyl. Exquisite is NOT a magic cleaner it is a good quality cleaner that will clean while not damaging your vinyl. It will not remove every stain, it will help you maintain your vinyl for a long beautiful life. People wonder if the cleaning power all lies in the brush I provide with my cleaning kit. To some extent it does, think about using a brush and soap to clean dirty dishes. A brush can make all the difference in the world, removing things you could not with a cloth. However, if you use a brush with the wrong kind of cleaner you will damage your vinyl even more than you will just using a chemical based cleaner. The brush is how a surfactant based cleaner works, you use it to work the suds into all the nooks and crannys of the vinyl grain and the seam areas. As far as conditioning goes, the Exquisite cleaner does have a light conditioning agent in it, but no uv protection. Boat vinyl is built with uv protection in it so unless you have already used a harsh chemical cleaner on it you do not need a uv protectant. You need to keep your vinyl clean. Most boat vinyl cracking is due to oils soaking into the vinyl and the sun essentially cooking the vinyl. This oil can come from sunscreen products or using cleaning/conditioning products with silicone in them.

I have gotten so many requests for my pricing and my usual ww spring sale info that I will put it here so you can just email me with questions or ordering information

There are a couple of different ways you can order the cleaner but I will give you the best deal if you order direct through me! The boat vinyl cleaning kit includes a 22 oz. bottle of cleaner, a towel and a brush used to clean the vinyl. Normal price on the kit is $11.95 and normal s&h is $11.20. Normal price of the quart of concentrate is $17.95 plus s&h. Through my spring sale(now through the end of June) if you order direct through me I can offer you the kit for $9.95 or the quart of concentrate for $14.95 or $13.50 for 2 or more and s&h for $10.25(there is only a $0.05 handling charge here). Or you can take advantage of the spring combo special which is one kit and one qt concentrate(makes 1 gallon of cleaner) for $22.50 plus the $10.25 s&h charge. I can also include up to 1 more quart of concentrate for $13.50 in the same box for the same s&h charge. If you would like to order I can do it 2 seperate ways either paypal( which you can use even if you don't have a paypal account), or if you prefer I can email you and invoice and you can mail a check.
If you would like to order, send me an email to acedistributing@comcast.net and put 'spring sale' in the subject line. Then tell me what you would like to order and which payment method you would prefer. If using paypal please specify your paypal email address. If you have other questions please just put exquisite question in the subject line so I can respond.
If you would like to see other discussions about Exquisite look at the link above or check out any of the following:
http://www.supraboats.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=6205
http://www.wakeboatworld.com/reviews...eaner-showdown

not feeling the joy yet.....this my break from detailing my interior. Malco is doing some weird things to my vinyl. some instances it looks like it works instantly because I get these run streaks that looks like the product traveled down the vinyl and Wow that's clean, but the problem is I can' t get those streaks to go away. I've sprayed multiple times and scrubbed thoroughly and streaks are still there.

Anybody have any good ideas for spot removal? One of my anchor ropes was left on my seat from last season and the black pigment seems to have dyed some spots of my vinyl.

Hawk, not sure on the streaks thats odd but the pigment transfer will really only come out with UV exposure, probably in about one sunny day.

If you can spread the Malco around with your hand (rubber glove) you can even it out and let it sit for 30 or so seconds and work its magic then hit it with the scrub brush. I used my bare hands but it left em feeling pretty dry for a day. Stay after it the joy will come.

Jeremy, any update on your streaks? I was looking at the Malco for some deep cleaning.

I haven't worked on them again yet. But I trust Hate's judgement cuz I know he is super anal about his vinyl. I think I just need to get an even coating and let it set....it was pretty dirty, i neglected severely over winter. I was just going spray bottle straight to scrub brush and not really allowing it to to work. I have heard nothing but rave reviews so it's prob just operator error. it usually is in my case. ha.

Be sure to never spray any cleaner on your dry vinyl in the hot sun! That is a sure way to get the streaks that Jeremy is experiencing. I'm not saying that is what he did, just that it will cause it. I always dampen my vinyl to cool it down if it is hot outside.

Hope this helps,
Jman

jeremy , I had the same issue when I cleaned my pontoon boat seats. I just srpyaed it on and left it for a minute or so. The streak marks were very visible. they haev slowly faded. Hate has a good idea about using gloves to evenl;y apply the product. that should cure the issue. I really didnt' care about it on my pontoon.

i started out using Babes and switched to all Malco products. even if they work the same Malco is half the price for a gallon. the place i go to in Santa Clara to buy it always hooks me up with other waxes and stuff to try.. 1 gallon of Showroom Shine is like 14 dollars!

When I use the Malco, I mist down the vinyl, spray on the Malco, spread it around real good with a soft bristle brush and let it set for about a minute. Then I will work it good with the brush and rinse off. It works real well.

I've been using Mequiars Vinyl and Rubber cleaner and am VERY happy with it. My friend also bought some of the Exquisite and set it was amazing. I think I may try that next..


http://marinerv.meguiars.com/product...Conditioner-57

^^^ Just skip right to the Malco and be done with your search!

Hate do you have a better place to get this stuff from I just tried to order a gallon and a spray bottle of the PB and it was $23 shipping to Florida. I ship stuff all day long and know how much a gallon of liquid to CA is and its not CLOSE to $23 half at best. Just curious.