malco upholstery cleaner

[spoon03]

i hear great things about this malco cleaner. does anyone know if it is approved for marine upholstery. what i mean, is does it strip the sun protection factor that is bulit in to marine up holstery.

[sandm]

if you use it, follow up with a protectant like 303 afterwards.
I heard this from the malco rep in our area.

[Buttafewcoe]

the problem with using something you are not sure about is it takes a while before the bad decision shows

[brain_rinse]

The manufacturer of SC vinyl doesn't recommend silicone based products. You should have a flier regargding approved/non-approved products in with your manuals. It's not going to create any short term issues, but over time will degrade the topcoat and stitching. If you use it, I'd wipe the cushions clean with a wet cloth, and follow with a water-based protectant like 303.

[spoon03]

thanks for the responses...i guess i will have to pass on the malco. i prefer my seats to be a little dingy ( but they are still clean) than dried out, ripped or torn at the seams. yes, from what i understand is that silicone is a petroleum product. petroleum breaks down petroleum. that is the way it was explained to me several years ago by a guy that owned a chemical company. his example was: when you put armor all on tires, your applicator becomes black, this is the petroleum in armor all breaking down the petroleum in the tires. i am no chemist by sounds logical to me. maybe the same principles apply here.

[brain_rinse]

This is a great summarization for those that want to read up: http://www.303products.com/techinfo/vinyl1.htm

[Razzman]

Malco Leather and Plastic (vinyl) cleaner is not silicone based. It contains Alkyphenol Ethoxylate and Sodium Hydroxide in a water base. According to the MSDS and Malco it is also environmentally safe, silicone based products are not. I know this as i have the Malco and called them to verify before i bought it. Using silicone or a petroleum based product starts a non reversible degradation process in vinyl.

It has been used for years in the auto detail industry without issues. It does specify to clean with water right after use and not allow it to sit or run without wiping it up. You don't want to randomly spray it around on ceratin surfaces like aluminum. It does do a fantastic job of cleaning the vinyl but must be followed up immediately with a vinyl dressing of some sort like 303, etc.

I only use it when the vinyl gets that down deep dirt that nothing else gets out.

[brain_rinse]

Thanks for the clarification, Razz. The cleaner is water based, it's many of the dressings they sell that are not.

Spoon, I just noticed you said "upholstry cleaner"... Are you looking to clean the carpets or the seats?

[Razzman]

Hey no problem. Yeah a lot of their stuff is silicone based and probably works well, just not for this application.

[spoon03]

i work out of the country a lot, and sometimes can't get a good internet connection (we use satellites). i was looking into a good cleaner for my seats. but, i don't want to damage them.

[liquidlite]

funny this topic comes up again...i just purchased some of the malco and got to detailing the boat this past weekend. trust me when i say this, buy some. i thought my vinyl was white. it wasnt. this stuff made my boat look brand new again. no joke. i am completely amazed at the end result. if you dont want to take the chance, dont buy it. as for me, i will use this from here on out to detail the boat (probably once or twice a yr).

[tazz3069]

I have been using this product since I brought my boat home. I saw them at the Los Angeles boat show. I thought that I would give it a try. Show was in Feb. and bought the Boat in March. The finish on the boast is still showroom quality. Tjhe Vinyl still looks new. I really like it.

http://boatbling.net/products.php

[sandm]

tazz, I can't get the supplier here to hook me up with some. he's on the other side of the state and can't get him to drop some off for one of my drivers to get.
any chance I could get the hookup next weekend? my sis and bf are going to be in town for the holidays and think I could talk them into meeting somewhere to pick some up? know it's the holidays so if you are busy, say so...

[tazz3069]

Hey Bro I would love to help you out. I am going to Southern Calif for ThanksGiving. Leaving Wednesday and returning on Sunday. Be patient. I an in contact with these guys. I might become a distributor for them. The guy I was dealing with was a Joke. It was so bad, the owner of the company sent me everything for free. I will let everybody know when I am selling.

[sandm]

i'll be all over it. probably be back in vegas in late winter, so maybe the hookup then..

[tazz3069]

I will Be here

[newty]

Keep us posted Tazz! Would love to get some product too!

[Razzman]

Been using Babe's for years. Boat Bright gets used when pulled out every time and boat looks perfect. Spot Solver works ok but be careful with it, it's got a caustic acid in it. Seat Saver works well, I keep it in the boat along with Seat Soap. But nothing that i've found brings your interior to that as new look as Malco Leather & Plastic Cleaner and i use it a couple times a year followed up with Seat Saver.

[Razzman]

FYI, try and find a source to get Babe's by the gallon as it lasts a lot longer that way and seems to be a better deal. I was able to get Boat Bright and Seat Saver for around $24 each a gallon the last time. I just keep the small bottles in the boat and refill when needed.