Question for DavidF and 56picup: Why is Armorall so bad?
I know is doesn't work for long and is pretty artificial looking but, is there anything else I should know?
I am reluctant to say why I don't believe Armorall should ever be put on any part of a car/truck as everyone has different beliefs/opinions based on experience, word of mouth, or simply old wives tails. But, here goes...
Armorall tends to dry out the natural emulsifiers in rubber and vinyl. Vinyl is worse as the material is thin and thus it dries out faster. Once the emulsifiers are gone, the rubber/vinyl turns hard and cracks. When Armorall is applied, it sits on the top surface mostly and dries the top out first. So, the underlying material can flex and the top is stiff and brittle. Result is warping and cracking of dash, vinyl, etc. And, then there are the ingredients that others have mentioned...just try to paint (even Rustoleum) near any metal piece that has seen Armorall.
You take everything as a whole and Armorall is simply bad bad bad stuff. But, if used on tires, no harm will be done as the rubber is too thick to make any (harmful) difference. And, if you keep it on the tires, you will never paint the tires anyway.
Now, if you must use an Armorall type product, I recommend 303 Aerospace Protectant. Wont dry out rubber or vinyl and has UV protection. As the ads say, "sunscreen for your stuff". 303 is water based and contains NO alcohol, petroleum, silicon, or other harmful ingredients.
Oh, BTW, I have been known to soak dry rubber in "anti-freeze" with good results. Anti-freeze/coolant contains glycerin. But, I am sure there are other harmful ingredients in the stuff.
