topic Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use....... in Among Friends

Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

Mom2Dogs — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 19:16:01 GMT

This product for cars is made to use on vinyl. I am cleaning our vinyl fence, today in sections, cause it' so hot!!

I am thinking of using this on the fence once it's all clean, hoping that dirt will not stick to it as much as it does now. Does this sound like a dumb idea?

It's supposed to help keep the car clean, why not a fence?

There is another product called SPRAY and FORGET....I have not used that yet. Supposedly you spray on the surface and when it rains it 'cleans' off the dirt. Sounds to good to be true.

I'm using simple green to clean the fence, which is working pretty good...no product so far is of any value for the lattice at the top of the fence, sigh, I wish I would have had that installed on the fence!

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

Sage04 — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 19:23:54 GMT

I remember that product from years ago. Hope it works on the fence. It´s not a dumb idea. I don´t remember if it comes in a spray bottle which would be great. If not you could transfer it to a spray b ottle and that would make it so much easier rather than wiping it on.

I know there´s one for the vehicle windshield, where the rain bounces off and keeps it clean.

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

decaf — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 19:49:42 GMT

@Mom2Dogs Here's my two cents, Armorall is made for soft vinyl car interiors, not hard vinyl on a fence.

It won't dry down 100% and will only attract more dust and dirt. Also, it might also discolor the fence either by itself or from a reaction to UV exposure, a problem if your fence is white.

RainX is made for glass, why not google products specifically made for vinyl fences?

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

Foxxee — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 20:30:13 GMT

Spray and Forget, and Wet and Forget, same, but different brands used for algae and molds, not for dirt. I have used both that worked perfectly. I use Wet and Forget, now, on my house siding, sidewalk, and driveway. Rain washes algae and molds away. It would work very well on your vinyl fence if that's your problem.

Both are pet and plant friendly, except, it's recommended pets not walk on the ground until it's dry. As for plants, it's recommended to cover them. I never do. I just rinse them off with the hose afterwards. I do cover the flowering shrubs in bloom, though.

I recently purchased it from QVC at a good price, but sometimes they are out of stock.

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

Mom2Dogs — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 20:43:22 GMT

@decaf Well fudge, you're probably right, thanks for the advice. I'd be sick if the vinyl discolored!!

There is no issue leaning the smooth part of the fence...it's that darn lattice at the top.

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

Mom2Dogs — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 20:45:40 GMT

@Foxxee I am hoping once I get the lattice relatively clean the spray and forget would help keep it clean.

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

decaf — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 20:53:35 GMT

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@decaf Well fudge, you're probably right, thanks for the advice. I'd be sick if the vinyl discolored!!

There is no issue leaning the smooth part of the fence...it's that darn lattice at the top.

@Mom2Dogs Can you use bleach or vinegar mixed with water on the lattice? Those fences are expensive, I'd probably call the fence co. and ask them. A pressure washer would probably work too.

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

Foxxee — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 20:54:50 GMT

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@Foxxee I am hoping once I get the lattice relatively clean the spray and forget would help keep it clean.

@Mom2Dogs

It's worth a try, except not to disappoint you, my house siding still collects dirt during the year Wet and Forget works to keep algae away.

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

shaggygirl — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 23:44:24 GMT

I recently cleaned a section of my white vinyl fence with a product I bought at Home Depot called 30 SECONDS Outdoor Cleaner. It's for Algae, Mold, Mildew and Dirt & Grime. I bought a 64 ounce container that you attach your hose to. It worked better than any of the previous ones I've tried. The 64 ounce container didn't go very far. It did the end (the short end) of my ranch house and about 12 fence panels. I sprayed good and maybe heavier than needed though.

Next trip to HD I'm going to get several more containers as I have 44 panels and a couple of gates. Mine is a 4 foot high fence, not latticed at the top but pickets. Not plain pickets though, they are different heights at the taller posts then swoop down in the middle with a bar across about halfway down the pickets In other words, a little intricate.

You wet the fence, then use the cleaner, wait a few minutes then rinse. The contraption part of the container where you hook the hose up to it has a dial for wetting, cleaning then rinsing. So it's easy to use. It will stain your clothes so you have to wear old stuff you don't care about just in case. Thorough directions are on the container. I don't recall the cost but it wasn't expensive.

Edit: One correction. First step is not wetting, first step is you spray it on dry fence/house. Wait then rinse.

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

Drythe — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 23:15:24 GMT

@decaf wrote:
@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@decaf Well fudge, you're probably right, thanks for the advice. I'd be sick if the vinyl discolored!!

There is no issue leaning the smooth part of the fence...it's that darn lattice at the top.
@Mom2Dogs Can you use bleach or vinegar mixed with water on the lattice? Those fences are expensive, I'd probably call the fence co. and ask them. A pressure washer would probably work too.

@decaf @Mom2Dogs

How about Oxi clean? I have made a paste with the powder and scrubbed with it.

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 00:07:42 GMT

@Drythe I have not tried Oxyclean but I did think about vinegar, there is a 30% vinegar that I have thought about trying. Not sure if I would use it full strength on its own or mixed with something else.

I like the idea of a paste so I might try Oxyclean next, it would be a huge job but if I can get it clean I'd be thrilled.

A power washer does does not clean well enough. When we clean the fence we do use the power washer but also use a rag with a cleaning product and rinse with the power washer on the fence slats and posts.

I have asked everyone I can think of, they always have the same answer, Simple green, but it does not clean the lattice.

It was so hot out today I only got one side of the fence cleaned

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 00:13:26 GMT

Thanks!! @shaggygirl I Have not heard of that product. The only part of the fence I have trouble with is the lattice, I think because it is not smooth like the panels but has a texture. The dirt has taken up residency in the texture.

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

shaggygirl — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 01:28:31 GMT

And my problem area is where the pickets meet the vinyl bar that runs through and joins them horizontally about halfway down before they meet the solid panel......hard to explain and I have no clue how to post a photo. In any case thick black crud accumulates around where the pickets are that point. I have no clue if it's from something off the trees or what the heck but in any case this cleaner does take care of that. I was thinking you could just use it for the lattice part of yours since hosing would get into all the crevices.

Plus I got hit with a fungus called artillery spores one year.....that's a whole other ugly story.....which leaves hard little black dots that are impossible to remove where the spores land, hundreds and hundreds upon hundreds of them and it helped a lot with that.

Whatever you opt for I wish you good luck.

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

decaf — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 04:06:12 GMT

@Drythe That

@Drythe wrote:
@decaf wrote:
@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@decaf Well fudge, you're probably right, thanks for the advice. I'd be sick if the vinyl discolored!!

There is no issue leaning the smooth part of the fence...it's that darn lattice at the top.
@Mom2Dogs Can you use bleach or vinegar mixed with water on the lattice? Those fences are expensive, I'd probably call the fence co. and ask them. A pressure washer would probably work too.
@decaf @Mom2Dogs

How about Oxi clean? I have made a paste with the powder and scrubbed with it.

@Drythe That's worth a try, it definitely cleans stains. Because @Mom2Dogs said it's so hot out, I hope she tests a very small area first with any chemical she tries. The lattice must be on top of the other fence, if it drips down and dries because of the heat, it could permanently streak or damage the fence below.

They also must make products to clean vinyl siding. Hmmm. @Mom2Dogs let us know if you find anything that works.

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 22:38:26 GMT

@Drythe ....To hot to work on the fence today, and lots of rain in the forecast. I hope to get back to it later this week.

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

Drythe — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 23:27:45 GMT

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@Drythe ....To hot to work on the fence today, and lots of rain in the forecast. I hope to get back to it later this week.

@Mom2Dogs

WOW, do I understand!

Re: Armor All for Cars, unconventional use.......

Frontporchgal — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 03:32:48 GMT

Armor All will leave a greasy film because it can't be absorbed into the hard surface of the fence. I'm afraid you would have a mess...best to try one of the other cleaners mentioned here.