What to use for cleaning and conditioning exterior seals?

I

imported_RedlineIRL

New member
What's the best stuff to use for cleaning and conditioning exterior soft rubber seals, like the ones around around windshields and rear glass? Right now I use Mother's Back to Black on them every once in a while, but I don't know if it's really conditioning them. What would be a good product to use to keep them soft for years to come?
 
To clean and condition quickly, einszett gummi is the best

To restore really dry ones, Clearkote VM, Autoglym 07B rubber care and then the Einszett or boutique interior spray. Prima nero, Optimum etc
 
Well, *I* like the Wurth version of the Gummi stick better, based on side-by-side testing. But then again, I'd hate to take any business away from Danase and the Wurth one is hard to find anyhow.



I'd apply with a swab or something..once the foam applicator on the bottle gets soiled it stays that way, and it's awfully big for precise application.
 
RedlineIRL said:
Does the Gummi Pflege leave everything greasy after using it? Or does it leave a natural look?
Click to expand...

It doesn't leave any film. You have to apply it and leave your doors open until it dries though. That seems to work best for me.
 
Heh heh, Danase and I never get to :argue except about his exercise regimen....better take my shot while I can ;) Hey, it's not like I criticize 1Z products very often!



Danase said:
It doesn't leave any film.
Click to expand...



I found that the 1Z gummi did leave a little residue when glass pressed directly upon the seals (window seals on a WRX). Yeah yeah, I wiped off the excess and let it dry for hours before I closed the door. That was the primary reason I liked the Wurth better, it left less residue, just seemed like a slightly "cleaner", less slimy product.



But hey, most *any* product will leave *some* residue so don't take the above the wrong way. My comparo between the two products is probably archived here somewhere..but it was a long time ago (years); the (MIA and missed) Lynn sent me her 1Z to use for the comparison.



Wurth's Rubber Care (aerosol, but I'd apply with swabs/etc.) is very nice in this regard too..guess I'm just a Wurth man when it comes to this stuff. But in the absence of that stuff, yeah, go with the 1Z Gummi Stick.
 
You know, I think I did wipe the seal before shutting the door on my Impreza too and is probbaly why I had no film on the glass. Same with my friend's BMW. Good point.
 
How long does it typically take to dry. As I own two subaru's I will have to order some from Danase and try it out.



Also you refer to a using a swab, please ignore my ignorance, but I have not seen any auto detailing swab's and the only thing that comes to mind is a q-tip (is this was you are referring too?)



chris
 
Danase said:
You know, I think I did wipe the seal before shutting the door on my Impreza too and is probbaly why I had no film on the glass. Same with my friend's BMW. Good point.
Click to expand...





Ah, if you got no film on the Impreza's glass (sorry, forgot you had that car :o ) then I guess this is just one of those YMMV things :D Could be lots of explanations...I probably didn't wipe off the excess as well as I might have, in part because I was comparison testing.



cshorey- Let it dry as long as is practical and give it a final wipe before you close the door. I let it dry for various time periods and a few hours worked better than a few minutes. But it's not like you need to wait forever...



A number of detailing supply sites sell different types of swabs that are better than Q-Tips. I use foam swabs from Griot's more than anything else, but there have got to be cheaper alternatives. I like foam swabs a lot better than cotton ones *for applying stuff like this* (I prefer cotton ones for other jobs).



Danase sells some "foam on a stick" swabs, but they're a little big for some applications. Good for this use on big rubber seals though, like the ones around your doors/etc.



Oh, and a lot of places (medical supply stores) sell "industrial-strength" Q-Tips with long wooden sticks. Those are a lot better than the ones for cleaning your ears and the sticks are handy for all sorts of stuff. They usually come in huge boxes of a zillion swabs for just a few bucks.
 
Accumulator said:
A number of detailing supply sites sell different types of swabs that are better than Q-Tips. I use foam swabs from Griot's more than anything else, but there have got to be cheaper alternatives. I like foam swabs a lot better than cotton ones *for applying stuff like this* (I prefer cotton ones for other jobs).



Danase sells some "foam on a stick" swabs, but they're a little big for some applications. Good for this use on big rubber seals though, like the ones around your doors/etc.



Oh, and a lot of places (medical supply stores) sell "industrial-strength" Q-Tips with long wooden sticks. Those are a lot better than the ones for cleaning your ears and the sticks are handy for all sorts of stuff. They usually come in huge boxes of a zillion swabs for just a few bucks.
Click to expand...



I've been using 1" foam brushes from my local hardware store on parts of my trim. They're cheap but sometimes you have to be careful as they are 1" wide
 
Thanks Accumulator. I feel bad as you appear to be my personal question answering macine. I do appreciate all the help and suggestions as I am trying to learn. I feel like I am asking probably dumb questions for most here, but asking is the only way I am going to learn.



I guess so far I had not seen any any specialized application swabs on sites and such. I will take a look around and pick some up sometime. (my wife is probably going to start killing me after all the money I am spending on the *new* hobby)



Thanks again,

chris
 
cshorey- Heh heh, thanks for the expression of concern, but plenty of people ask me a lot more Qs than you do. And if I thought your Qs were dumb, or even in the "oh go search, we discuss this all the time" range....well, I wouldn't be answering ;)



Here's a quick link:

Top of the Line Auto Detailing Supplies . Go there and type "swabs" into their search function and you'll get a few choices.



I forget where I got my medical supply cotton swabs. Perhaps a search will bring something up, IIRC I once asked where people are getting them cheap and got a bunch of responses.



csimian- Yeah, those can be good and you can always cut the foam heads up into smaller sizes. But some are kinda flimsy...I greatly prefer the firmer ones.
 
Thanks for the comments and the links (I have not been to that site, so I will add it to the future vendor to use list).



Looking at the car as I drove in to work today I can easily let the upper part of the door seals dry a long time just by putting the window down. I don't live in the best part of town so I can't leave my doors open too long, but I can get away with leaving the windows down while I am out around the house for an afternoon.



If you don't mind me asking what Subaru do you have? Also what color?



chris
 
cshorey said:
If you don't mind me asking what Subaru do you have? Also what color?
Click to expand...



I had one of the first WRX wagons, silver. Sold it a few years ago. Also had a white OutBack in the mid-90s.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top