The world has become a technical and complex place. Many in the car wash, detailing, and collision repair industries rely on their suppliers to provide not only products, but the technical know how to use these products.

Unfortunately, not all suppliers or distributors have the ability or knowledge to provide accurate information to the trade. Some do not want to divulge what they call "Trade Secrets".

Dressings sold for leather, rubber, and vinyl are an excellent example of this type of concern. Let's look at the facts regarding leather and it's physical properties first! 

LEATHER SEATS 

It would seem that there are a few people in the industry who have taken the time to analyze what changes have taken place in the manufacturing process of leather automotive seats. Years ago, to have a leather interior you had to move up to a Jaguar or a Lincoln. If you didn't take special care of the leather it cracked and faded. WHY?. The material was simply leather that was dyed. You could not clean it with any type of heavy cleaner or you would remove the dye and the natural oils from the leather. Special products were used to clean and feed the leather. 

Today you can see vehicles that are 6 years old and the seats look great. The leather is "clear-coated". "That is correct" just like styled wheels, and paint. Use the wrong product and you can damage and shorten the life of the leather.

Never assume all leather is clear-coated, for example the 1996 Jaguars were not clear-coated. To test the leather: 

    1. Take some interior cleaner and rub in on an area on the underside of the seat. 
    2. If you see the color of the leather on your cloth-use a cleaner with "feeding oils".
    3. If no color shows, use a waterborne polymer style dressing, let it dry and 
        then buff with a clean towel.

TIRES 

Rubber in its natural state is a light gray. The need to protect the rubber in tires from natural elements is one of the main reasons tires are black. Tire manufacturers mix components into rubber to protect it and increase its useful life. Ultra violet rays attack rubber just as they oxidize paint. Manufacturers mix polymers and waxes into the tire to inhibit ultra violet and ozone damage to the rubber. Without these components the tire will degrade and or dry rot. Carbon Black is the ingredient that makes the tire black. It does it's work by absorbing and capturing harmful UV's and converting them into heat so they may be dissipated or thrown off harmlessly. All UV stabilizers are sacrificial, meaning, they get used up. Eventually they can no longer protect the tire from UV damage and the tire begins to change color. 

Ozone is another way nature attacks the tires. Manufacturers include a special anti cracking/sun checking polymer and wax. This blend of waxes and polymers retard the ozone from attacking the rubber and postpones the surface cracking over a long period of time and a wide range of temperatures. A tire flexes as it runs down the road. Consistent flexing causes the waxes and polymers to migrate to the surface and form a physical barrier and ozone and oxygen. This process is called "blooming". When a vehicle is not moved, "blooming" does not occur. Ozone attacks the protective waxes 
and then the polymer components, as a result, the tire becomes dry, checks, and over time dry rots.

Since nature has its way to destroy a tire, How about "What we may be doing to our customers tires, rubber trim etc.? There are many companies making "Rubber and Vinyl Dressings". Use of some chemical components may do more damage than nature to the composition of the rubber or vinyl. The most common type of tire dressing is clear and greasy. These usually are a simple blend of either kerosene or mineral spirits, and dimethal silicone oil. These petroleum distillates, combined with the silicone oils strip away the protective waxes from the tire. 

What is a good silicone? The are of the amino or siloxane functional family, which are considered "dry" and "non-migratory". Only good silicones should be used as dressings. These materials are more expensive than the oils. A small amount of highly refined mineral sprits in the product aids in spreading the material over the surface. The use of high grade mineral sprits allows it to dry quickly before it can attack the protective waxes and polymers.

Today's front and rear bumpers, side moldings, ect. require a "flex agent" be added to the paint so the paint has flexibility. This flex agent causes the paint on these parts to be more porous than body painted surfaces. When heavy petroleum distillate oil dressings are applied to tire side walls and sling off on to flexible parts they create carbon black stains that are impossible to remove. Repainting of these parts will not work and must be replaced. 

All factory aluminum styled wheels are coated with a clear-coat. This coating is porous and the use of an incorrect dressing may stain or change color. 

The use of a waterborne polymer siloxane or amino functional dressing is the only way possible to protect components of the tire was well as get "the wet tire look". Once this type of dressing is dry, it will repel water be resistant to detergents and don't attract dust. 

VINYL 

Vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers work very hard to provide vinyl components that will withstand the punishment of high heat, ultra violet rays, and ozone. Waterborne polymer type dressings are recommended for use on interior and exterior vinyl parts for the same reasons as dealing with tires. The only difference with vinyl is that we must protect the plasticizers in the vinyl. In simple terms- Remove the plasticizers-and you remove the color and flexibility of the vinyl. We have all seen seats, instrument panels, etc. that have a dull or chalky look. You will find petroleum distillates were applied to these vinyl components.