My 300E has the MB Tex interior vs leather and it's time to clean it. Up 'till now I've used vinyl cleaner of various brands. Is there a brand that's better than others? Is there any other cleaner that may be better? What about a finishing product? These are questions I've thought about for some time, so, I thought that all of you on the board may have insight into this.
John CH
92 300E

Assuming this is MB tex:

1) use a cleaner like simple green
2) clean really good with regular water
3) apply meguiars vinyl protectant

I use a very similar method to clean in both my 240 and my Sd seats .I use simple green let it sit a minute or two then scrub in a circular motion with a soft brush to get the dirt that's down in the grain then sponge off the cleaner with clean water ,dry with a soft cloth and apply vinyl protector I use armor all but there might be a better one....
William Rogers...

[Edited by william rogers on 05-31-2001 at 12:15 AM]

Johnson and William,
Thanks for your input. Have never used Simple Green, but, will try it this weekend.
John CH
92 300E

I really like Vinylex...doesn't leave too shiny a surface.

Be careful with Simple Green...it's very harsh, perhaps moreso than you need.

If you're going to use "Simple Green", follow the manufacturer's directions on the back of the bottle very carefully. You should use it full strength ONLY on engine cleaning projects, or other really greasy tasks. For interior use it needs to be substantially diluted. Full strength would be way too harsh on the MB Tex!! Again, follow the instructions on the back of the bottle.

Primo

anything strong can spot the tex
 

If it is looking faded, it is. Especially the tan. I am a FIRM believer in interior dye. Go to a car paint store or upholstery shop and they will match it so it will look like new. If cleaned good, it will NOT rub off. I had a blue wheel on my vette and dyed it off white. Lasted 10 years before the leather started to crack, dye was still good. I give a light spray every now and then on my driver seat just to fill in the wear cracks and it looks like new again. Don't paint it, a light mist is all.

best
 

I got my MBtex seats to look brand new, but it took a lot of elbow grease. I scrubbed them down with soap and water, then I used Macguiers leather conditioner. It really worked super good on the tex. I put about 3 coats.

My favorite is Zymol Vinyl. Remember, you're *feeding* the vinyl. But it's too pricey for me now.

Lexol Vinylex is current choice.

Avoid harsh petroleum-based products.

My $0.02.

Brian
89 300TE
84 733i 5speed
doesn't detail as much as he used too ...

Primo, you are right about using simple green full strength
I only use it that way once if I buy a car that the seats are really dirty other wise best to dilute it or use a milder cleaner.....The MB tex is in amazingly good shape on my 74 240 D too bad the padding not as good.....
William Rogers......

I say go for the Mequire's or Mother's vinyl conditioner. Just remember to take your time and get in all of the pleats of the seat. You may want to use a small vacuum like the Dirt Devil with the crevice tool to suck out any dry nasties that are in there, then spray it lightly with a good vinyl dressing. It may take several applications. I found that the key to vinyl dressings is to spray light coats, work it in thoroughly and then use a clean dry cloth to buff off any extra. This should yield a finish that looks good, is not greasy and will not attract dust. In addition do not forget to get all areas of the car, such as the sides of the seats, visors, a pillars etc. When you are applying the dressing just concentrate on the dressing, don't worry about overspray that gets on the windows, since they should be the last thing that you clean when detailing your car. Q-tips are good to get in the vents, since you should dress them as well, although not each time since they tend to accumulate dust as the HVAC system is used.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
:)

VINYLEX from Lexol is the ONLY WAY!!! It actually gets absorbed by the vinyl rather than sit on top of the surface attracting dust. Picture the skin on your hands after spending some time chopping firewood (or working on the car with solvents and chemicals) - dry & chapped. Now apply a good hand lotion with lanolin and it absorbs into your skin. That's the same thing that Vinylex does for any vinyl, rubber or plastic parts. I just bought (my second one) a 3-liter container of it (Car Care Specialties 877-796-8300 they really take good care of you!) for around $36. I gave half of it to a friend with a ski boat to condition the interior of his boat prior to our going waterskiing this weekend and he loves it too. It keeps both of our Mercedes Benz vehicles looking great.