Static Charge and interior coating

Sep 10, 2007 5 Replies

The inside of my new Impreza seems to attract anything that is airborne, and there was a coating on the inside of the windows that was impossible to get off with window cleaner till I Spit on the rag. Learned that trick when following a sooty Semi in a drizzle at dusk, and washer fluid didn't get it. Guess that's where the term Spit and Polish came from.((



Have to try something that eliminates static cling on the dash, console and other surfaces.



Anyone run into these problems?



VF



Most new cars will deposit plasticizer and other vapors that outgas from the seats, carpet, dash and other parts. leaving the windows down a little at night will help. But you may be fighting it off and on for a year or more. Train youself to use an ammonia free cleanser on the car's interior glass. This is important as you mentioned possibly getting tint and some tint film will turn purple and/or bubble up if ammonia is used on it I think,

Carl;

You are seeing "Formaldehyde", it's used to keep vinyl soft. The cheaper the plastic, the more you will see it. It's hard to get off the glass.

**DO NOT** I repeat **DO NOT** and in case you missed that DO NOT!!!!

use "ArmorAll" on your dash! It will bond with the formaldehyde and help it outgas. Before you know it, the windshield will be milky white and your dash WILL crack when you stop using that s*it. You have been advised.....

**Avoid ArmorAll. Honestly, I just use a Swiffer Duster, they're great. I've also used the Guardsman One-Wipe Ultimate Duster (which I also recommend for around the house esp. electronics). If I need a bit more cleaning, I'll use a foam cleaner on the windows and then just use the moist cloth (or whatever I'm using) to wipe down the dash.

kaboomie

Well, it is new. That means all the solvents in the vinyl parts is evaporating (and why there are products sold to restore it). If a restore product was used to shiny up the car before delivery then often it isn't rubbed off (because they want to leave it shiny). Any vinyl/rubber restorer that leaves a shiny finish means it is slippery and has excess that will evaporate. When it evaporates, and unless you leave your windows full open all the time, that airborne resin gets on the inside of the windows. I forget which restorer product I've used before (I think it came from Turtle) but it actually absorbed into the vinyl and rubber rather than lay on the top (so it made the vinyl and rubber look new but *without* a shiny surface). Don't use ArmorAll or anything that leaves a shiny surface. Besides the crap in it getting on your windows, you could get it on your hands and then on the steering wheel making it slippery which is obviously a safety hazard. Plus the slimy shiny surface will pick up dust so if you don't have a cabin filter on the air intake or drive with the windows down then you get lots of dust stuck to the goo.

I believe a 1 to 4 part solution of vinegar to water will remove the resin from the glass interior. Then follow with a non-streaking window cleaner.

Yep, I've seen white vinegar as well as alcohol recommended as inexpensive glass cleaners for car glass. probably cheaper than a specific product. Just avoid ammonia. Armorall also has a less than stellar reputation around here. Aerospace

303 Protectant is prefered, but still to be avoided on 'control surfaces' as it is also 'slick'. I've also read silicone based products should be avoided on leather.

Carl

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