Restoring and maintaining vinyl upholstery

[Celeb92]

Hi. Newbie here -- first boat. Bought a 1992 Celebrity in much used but not abused condition. Had been uncovered in storage for several years and the upholstery was filthy. The upholstery is white with some minor blue accent panels on the sides. I've spent the day scrubbing it down (Simple Green and elbow grease). Amazing how much better it looks! But...there is obvious wear (no tears) on certain panels and some staining where I assume beach towels were hung to dry. So...my questions. Now that I've washed down the vinyl what should I do next to improve the appearance and preserve the upholstery? Is there a vinyl stain or paint with which anyone has had good experience? -- YES -- I've searched the restoration forum but haven't located the info/advice that I need -- one post mentioned a rustoleum product but provided no other info about use or experience. I will eventually have the upholstery replaced after I get the rest of the boat cleaned-up and operating to my satisfaction but that will likely be at least a year or two given my schedule. Celebrity used some pretty exotic stitching and piece patterns in the rear deck and rear lounge so I can imagine replacement won't be cheap! So I'd like to do what I can to spruce-up and maintain what I have. Please -- if at all possible -- brand names of products that you have had good experience with. Thanks for the help.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Restoring and maintaining vinyl upholstery

Try some of that new oxi-clean stuff, It works great. I also have been told that rubbing baking soda into the dirty places will make them look like new. After you get them clean.spray them with a heavy coat of armorall. This will soften them up and help prevent dry cracking . T

 

[marla0416]

Re: Restoring and maintaining vinyl upholstery

Oxyclean works great to take stains out. I use vinyl conditioner to soften and protect vinyl. In my opinion armorall has an oily residue, vinyl doesn't absorb. The vinyl conditioner also has some uv protection. Welcome to boating.

 

[salty87]

Re: Restoring and maintaining vinyl upholstery

mr clean magic erasers and 303 uv protectant. the erasers will clean up most non-industrial spots. i don't use bleach, anything with the name scrub in it, armor all...the harsh products will strip vinyl causing it to fade and crack prematurely.

what the mr clean erasers don't get, the sun will fade given a chance. so, clean em good, wipe down with 303, and then take it to the lake!

my vinyl is from 1987, still going strong.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Restoring and maintaining vinyl upholstery

I thought armor all was good stuff,guess I will just use it to spray down my tires from now on....

 

[Celeb92]

Re: Restoring and maintaining vinyl upholstery

Hi. Thanks for the info. This board is fantastic -- because there are so many experienced boaters are willing to take the time to provide advice. I'll look for the 303. I too thought that Armorall was good stuff since it always did a great job on car stuff but I guess that boats are a different kind of animal. Any other info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: Restoring and maintaining vinyl upholstery

armorall has as manny uses as wd-40. Its good stuff ive used it on on my interior before.

 

[salty87]

Re: Restoring and maintaining vinyl upholstery

armor all is pretty much like bleach in my opinion. ever see what happens to the dashboard of your car or even tires when you stop using it? they turn grey and fade much quicker than if you had never used it. it's like detail'n crack.

 

[Viking77]

Re: Restoring and maintaining vinyl upholstery

I found this web site for Upholstery Paint. http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?i...mType=CATEGORY
I used a similar type of paint on some faded blue tuck and roll seats in my 21' Crusader. The seats were not ripped or coming apart or anything. Just faded and dull looking. It did a great job and saved me hundreds of dollars.

Sometimes you don't have the funds to replace the material on your seats. This I think can be a good option. 1 can of prep and 1 can of the SEM Upholstery Paint is only $20 + shipping.

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: Restoring and maintaining vinyl upholstery

I can't say what happens when you stop using Armorall, but I can say that it sure seems to preserve things if you continue to use it. My boat is a 1985. I bought it in 1996. The original owner kept a bottle in the boat and sprayed down the vinyl after about every trip out. He said he generally didn't wipe it off and just put the cover on. I picked up on his tradition and have done the same. After 23 years, my vinyl is still soft and has no rot or fade. It still looks great. I'll be the first to admit that the vinyl in my Galaxy is likely the lowest quality offered at the time. Especially after making friends with an upholsterer and having my Jeep redone in some premium stuff. IMO, the Armorall has surely helped extend the life of the lesser quality material my boat has in it.